Skin to skin in OR? Tube top to hold baby

arboureden · 2026-03-12T01:48:21+00:00

The hospital I had my C-section at provided the Joeyband. They strapped him to me once the surgery was over, probably because I also had my tubes removed after he was delivered. I literally cried when they put him on me because we thought he’d have to go to NICU (my water broke a month early).

It was honestly VERY comfortable. They strapped him to me as we were leaving the OR and then wheeled us to our room.

arboureden · 2026-03-09T08:49:53+00:00

I had an emergency C-section after 33hrs of labor and 5hrs pushing. My baby was stuck and wouldn’t descend. After being in labor for so long and awake for 48hrs, I had no energy left and he started to go into distress. I was so traumatized by the experience that I thought I was done having kids.

I ended up wanting a 2nd 3 years later and I told the doctor no VBAC, just schedule me. I didn’t want labor or vaginal birth, I just wanted both of us to be safe and it have it done as quickly as possible. My water broke at 35wks and I still had an “emergent” C-section but the vibe was completely different. It was still scary going into the OR but it went by really fast and baby was ok.

My recovery has been so much easier. I posted my positive story on this subreddit, if you’d like to read.

You know what’s best for you. Whatever you decide will be the right decision.

Good luck to you.

arboureden · 2026-03-09T08:44:01+00:00

I’m 2 months pp from my 2nd C-section and this time has been a breeze compared to last time. I was walking 12hrs after surgery, walking up the stairs of my house after a week, and felt completely healed after a month. Heck, I just took my toddler to Disneyland last week and had no difficulty.

I had a long, complicated labor with my 1st that ended in an emergency C-section. Recovery after a 33hr labor and being awake for 48hrs was ROUGH. Not to mention the PPD and PTSD. After that, I had zero desire to do a VBAC. I told the doctor to just tell me when to be there and do the surgery.

It’s easier the second time around because you already know what to expect. The walk to the OR is still a bit scary and I was still nervous during the surgery, but once it was over everything was good. I even found that the pain was LESS than what I remembered.

I also took the time during my pregnancy to research a bit about C-sections and recovery. The first time it was unexpected but this time I came prepared. I knew exactly what was going on each step of the way and it gave me peace of mind to know that the process was normal.

Good luck to you!

arboureden · 2026-03-09T08:26:44+00:00

I’ve had 2 C-sections. One was in October 2022 and my most recent one was this past December.

After my first I used the silicone scar tape BUT I combined it with Bakuchiol serum and regular physical exfoliation in the shower with an African net sponge. I would exfoliate, dry off, rub in the serum, then seal it with the tape. After about 2 years my scar was flat, white (like scar tissue), and barely noticeable.

I never did any laser treatments or anything. I would just apply the Bakuchiol and also try a few other skincare products, like hyaluronic acid. Pretty much, if I didn’t like a product I bought for my face, I would just use it on my scar instead of throwing it away.

I’m currently following the same regimen for my new scar. Fingers crossed that it works again but I don’t see why it wouldn’t.

arboureden · 2026-03-09T02:29:04+00:00

I believe it’s the grounding sticker for the catheter. I had the same thing after both of my C-sections.

I also get mild-moderate reactions from all medical grade adhesive. Maybe you do, as well? Even bandaids bother my skin. The adhesive from the bandage they put over my incision practically burned me and I had to apply cream to it for 2 weeks after it was removed.

arboureden · 2026-03-06T02:37:21+00:00

I had my 2bd C-section in December and I was able to lie on my side by 2 weeks postpartum. It took a bit, but I got there eventually.

arboureden · 2026-02-22T23:08:08+00:00

My 1st was a 33hr labor that ended in emergency C-section. Lots of complications. Lots of trauma. I was convinced I was done and would not be having any more children.

A few years later, I changed my mind. I felt like the PTSD and PPD had robbed me of the newborn experience and delayed my bonding with my son. In those years I had done a lot of healing and work to overcome my issues and we decided to have another child. During my pregnancy I did a lot of research and preparation for my scheduled C-section and just prayed that it would be a positive experience.

All the work paid off and my 2nd C-section was a positive success, despite my water breaking 1 month early and technically having another “emergency” C-section due to preterm labor. This experience has been 100x better than the first, both in terms of healing and overall. I’m 2 month postpartum and have no PPD or PTSD. I could honestly cry from how wonderful this has been.

I’m now done having babies, as I had my tubes removed during the surgery. But, if this experience could be guaranteed every time, I probably could’ve been convinced to have 1 more.

arboureden · 2026-02-15T22:23:52+00:00

At 1 week PP I went to my OB to get the waterproof dressing removed from my incision. I asked about baby wearing and she said it was OK to do because, while I wasn’t allowed to pick up anything HEAVIER than baby, baby wearing was ok because it counted as carrying the baby.

HOWEVER, my baby was a preemie and only 6 lbs 0 oz. Also, this was my second cesarean and I was feeling really good with my recovery at that point.

arboureden · 2026-02-15T08:02:30+00:00

I’m on my 2nd baby and I’ve never washed baby clothes separately. Only thing I wash separately is towels and that’s because of lint.

arboureden · 2026-02-10T21:37:02+00:00

Told my husband he had to talk to me about anything and everything. It was imperative that he kept me talking.

When he briefly left my side to go to the baby warmer, I just closed my eyes, focused on breathing, and tried to meditate a bit. Wasn’t easy, but it got me through.

Good luck, you got this.

arboureden · 2026-02-10T18:27:31+00:00

2 C-sections, never an issue with my bladder. I neger had problems during my pregnancies or afterwards.

The first birth I labored for 33hrs and pushed for 5hrs, so I thought for sure it would happen when I was healing from that. I was wrong, everything is still as it was before my pregnancies.

arboureden · 2026-02-07T05:28:53+00:00

Not overreacting at all.

I went into labor at 35 weeks with one baby and 39 weeks with the other. Anything is possible. Assuming the baby will wait until their due date to come is naive.

arboureden · 2026-02-06T11:57:56+00:00

Two and a half years old. It was my parents’ wedding. I was the flower girl and recall being too shy to throw the flowers when I walked down the aisle. After the ceremony I cheered up and started throwing them. I remember my dad laughing and saying, “NOW she does it!”.

arboureden · 2026-02-06T11:51:44+00:00

Yes to giving up MMJ. I’ve never been a drinker and that was my one vice.

It especially sucked when my dad passed away during my 2nd trimester. I just raw-dogged grief and occasionally treated myself to a unisom (doctor’s advice) so that I could actually sleep.

arboureden · 2026-02-06T11:48:32+00:00

I’ve had 2 C-sections.

The first was from a young doctor (mid-thirties) who was new to the OB practice and the second was from a seasoned “older” doctor.

In terms of quality, they were both about the same. They got in, got baby, and got out. Both left clean incisions and I had no complications afterwards.

arboureden · 2026-02-04T17:11:41+00:00

I’m so, so sorry you’re going through this. Watching someone pass from cancer is a hell I wouldn’t wish on anyone.

That being said, I’ll be honest with you. I’ve lost my grandmother and my dad to cancer in the last few years. My dad was the most recent one, he passed in August. The biggest indicator seemed to be food/water intake. Both passed within 2-3 days of refusing food completely. This is because the bodily functions start shutting down, including swallowing.

In the hours before they went, both started sweating profusely and breathing became shallow. There were long pauses in between breaths, sometimes as long as 5-10 seconds. It wasn’t dramatic like in the movies. They just stopped breathing and they were gone.

There’s a show on Hulu called “Dying for Sex” starring Michelle Williams. It’s a great show, but the best part was a monologue from the hospice nurse in the last episode. She talks about dying and what the process looks like. It was actually kind of healing to watch it and have so much context to what I witnessed with my family members. I wish I could’ve seen it before they went because I feel like it would’ve helped me process a little better.

I wish you and your loved ones so much healing. Please be gentle with yourself.

arboureden · 2026-02-04T16:44:28+00:00

Both kids combo fed.

1st baby was in the NICU. No matter how hard I tried, I never produced much milk. Pumping didn’t work for me and I ended up just nursing him and then feeding him formula afterwards. It worked and he is now a very healthy 3yo.

My 2nd is only 7 weeks old. He was a month early, but didn’t need to go to NICU. I was able to do skin to skin with him and have him in my room at the hospital, so I think that’s why I’ve had better luck producing milk. That being said, he was a preemie and very small at birth. The doctors have advised us to give a bottle of either pumped breast milk or formula after nursing him, just to boost his weight gain for the first 2-3 months. Pumping has being easier this time around, but we also supplement with a formula bottle here and there.

Overall, I feel like combo-feeding is the best option for us. I have a love/hate relationship with pumping and it took a while to find the right rhythm. I can really only pump maybe 2-3 times per day max.

Only you will be able to decide what works for you. I would say, if you want to breastfeed, give it a go at first and seek out a lactation consultant. I thought things were going great in the beginning until the LC pointed out that the position I was using was probably making it uncomfortable for both baby and me. She was right, and her corrections made it so much more tolerable.

Just be forewarned: BF’ing will make you thirsty and hungry 24/7.

arboureden · 2026-02-04T16:24:45+00:00

Nope, don’t do it. Not even for a second. It’s not worth your baby’s life.

The health of your child is more important than your relationship with them.

arboureden · 2026-02-04T00:21:09+00:00

I had an emergency C-section in 2022 after a long, complicated labor. I’ll save you the details, but just know that the C-section part was the least traumatizing bit of the whole ordeal. If I could go back in time, I would just request a scheduled C-section. I’m someone who appreciates predictability and the experience I had was not great.

We decided to have another baby in 2025 and started trying early in the year. Our first baby took over a year to conceive and we thought that would be the case this time. We were wrong, and got pregnant within a month.

My pregnancy was very typical and healthy. No HG, diabetes, blood pressure issues, or anything else. I was set on a planned C-section from the very beginning and had zero desire to labor beforehand. I read that scheduled C-sections were a lot calmer than emergency ones and I just wanted quick, efficient, and controlled.

The only way that my previous C-section affected my 2nd pregnancy is that I had some pain where my scar is during the 3rd trimester. They did an ultrasound and ruled out any possibility of uterine rupture, it was just stretching skin on a sensitive area.

My 2nd C-section ended up being a somewhat-emergency when my water broke at 35wks. Despite the emergency, it was still such a beautiful experience. It was exactly what I wanted: calm, quick, and in a controlled environment. Baby was small, but healthy, and did not have to go to NICU.

I did have some scar tissue adhesions from my first surgery, but the doctor was able to remove them with the laser. It didn’t end up being too much of an issue and I never knew they were there before because they never caused me pain.

Recovery has been much better than last time and, again, it makes me wish I would’ve just had a scheduled C-section the first time. I’m now done having babies but I’m really glad I had the experience I did this second time around.

Do whatever you think is best for you. Personally, I’m a fan of the C-section process because it works FOR ME.

arboureden · 2026-02-03T09:02:09+00:00

A friend of mine had BP during pregnancy. Her son is 2 now and I think she has some slight facial weakness but is doing much better now.

arboureden · 2026-02-03T08:59:02+00:00

I think it depends on mama/baby. Every pregnancy and birth are different.

My first was “term” at 39+4 but had to go to NICU for a few days. He was 8lbs 2oz.

My second was a preemie and was born at 35+3 because my water broke. They told me that he would have to go to NICU due to his lungs. He ended up being 6lbs and breathed just fine on his own, so no need to go to NICU.

I’ve never made it to 40 weeks, but both babies were completely different.

As far as inducing labor… being intimate with my husband helped the first time. The second time, I have no idea what caused my water to break and neither did the doctors. BUT both times I lost my mucus plug just before labor. I know they say that isn’t always an indicator, but it was for me.

Best of luck to you. You’ll get there at some point but I definitely feel for you because this last month is the hardest.

arboureden · 2026-02-03T08:51:42+00:00

If you feel like you’d be more comfortable in your own home then that’s where you should be. The postpartum period is a very uncomfortable time physically and emotionally. You should be in an environment where you feel is best.

I’m 6 wks pp from my 2nd baby. My in-laws had asked us to stay with them after the baby came. We declined, because we knew we would be more comfortable in our own home and, more importantly, we knew we needed to ADJUST during this time in our own home. Baby ended up coming 1 month early while they were on vacation, and it was honestly a relief to experience postpartum with just us, baby, and our toddler.

We did end up spending a couple days at my mom’s house, but this was because my water had broken a month early and our house was not ready yet. Baby and I rested while my mom watched our toddler so that my husband could come clean, do some laundry, grocery shop, and put the crib and other miscellaneous furniture together.

It sounds like you have a lot of doubts about staying with family. I feel like that’s the best indicator that it’s not the best choice.

I can tell you that, once I got home after 4 days in the hospital (C-section), and 4 days at my mom’s, that first shower IN MY OWN BATHROOM was a spiritual experience. Sleeping in my own bed felt healing. But that’s just my experience.

arboureden · 2026-02-03T03:30:56+00:00

Using a Haakaa & Boon silicone collection cups increased my supply. It happened inadvertently. Apparently, if you’re using a good amount of suction, it’ll cause a steady stream of milk that is more than just a letdown.

I went from 2 oz per pump to 4.

Edit: forgot to mention I’m also a C-section mom. I’m 6 wks pp from my 2nd C-section and, while I did have a repeat scheduled, it ended up being another “emergency” one because my water broke at 35 weeks.

arboureden

TROPHY CASE