QuestionMy daughter has been diabetic since the age of 10, she is now 27. She is currently pregnant with her second child, she is 35 weeks along. The baby is near 8 lbs at this time. The doctors want to wait three more weeks and do a cesarean. What will her recovery be like?
Can she take pain medication and breastfeed?
Is it safe for her to lift the baby up from a standing position?
Is having a cesarean anything like the proceedure of having a hestorectomy?
Are there any signs that she should look for to insure that she is healing properly?
I know these questions sound silly, but, when I had my hestorectomy I had never had surgery before and didn't have anyway to judge the way I was feeling. I had a post-op infection and did not know it! I just thought I was taking longer to heal.
My daughter has the best care available in our area. But, being a concerned mother (who she is going to be asking questions from) I would like to be able to guide her to the right source for information.
Would this site be a good source for her to ask questions and get answeres? Can she chat with other diabetic mothers who have had cesareans?
I appreciate any information you can give me.
Thank you for your time and expertise.
Dorothy
AnswerA cesarean section does not have the morbiditiy or recuperation time that a hysterectomy has. It is so commonly performed now and one of the most common reasons to do a cesarean is due to large baby of a diabetic mother (macrosomia). She will be in the hospital for one extra day than she would if she had a vaginal delivery. The bandage will be removed the day after surgery and, if they used staples to close the incision, they will be removed just before she goes home. For the first week she should not do any heavy lifting, driving, or stair climbing. However, she can lift her baby. For 6 weeks she should have no vaginal activity (no baths, tampons, sex, etc), but can take showers. She should have no problems with healing, but her doctor is always available to her if needed. I am sure there are some chat rooms for women who have had cesarean sections and who are diabetic. If you have any questions, you can always ask me.
