Urgent Question on C-section

Avoid the C-section if at all possible! In this day and age of common C-sections sometimes we think that's the "normal" route. Tell her to keep walking, stay vertical as long as she can, visualize herself opening to the baby like a flower, whatever it takes. Good luck!

I have had 2 c-sections and my doctor used staples both times. They just remove them the day you go home, it really was not painful at all.

Well I know you had several replys.

I had 2 C-Sections 1 was emergency c section so there was no planning and the 2cd about 2 day notice.

They did staples both times and didn't have a choice.
They just clip them with like a nail clipper and they come out,
they don't really pull or yank them out. So it doesn't really hurt. You do have to be careful you can have leakage when the c section was and my 1st I did too much and had to go back in
because there was too much leakage and where it started to mend to gether from the incision it came apart.

So there is a reason why you are to take it easy the 1st week.

Good luck and congrats !

This is just personal experience; I am no medical doc or have any knowledge otherwise. I have heard that with disolvable, sometimes you don't heal as easiily and you are more prone to infection. I had stitches - and they were snapped off when I was ready to go home (hardly any pain at all) from the hospital. That is awesome that your sis is being given a choice....Sometimes the doc's do what they are accustomed to doing and what they like best....
K.

I had a c-section but what my dr did was put desolvable stitches which make your scar heal thinner since they are on the inside but he also put staples outside to hold the scar together so it won't open and it heals better and faster. When I went for my follow up they took the staples out and it did not even hurt one bit

I had the staples, too, with both of my girls, and they were fine for me. They didn't get infected, and they didn't hurt at all when they took them out. But I'm sure either one is safe. She might want to just ask her doctor what the pros and cons are of each.

I have had 3 c-sections. All 3 used staples. They are no big deal. You do not feel them because your incision area will be numb. (I have never regained feeling on my incision area.) This is common.
I don't think you get a choice, it will probably be up to the OB.

When I had mine in 2000, my doctor just used little steri-strips. They're little tiny pieces of tape that she put vertically over the incision (of course you have quite a few as they have to keep doing that over the whole incision), she came in and changed them out 24 hours later and then I was checked again at 48 hours to make sure that it was healing nicely. I never had any problems at all and my incision healed just fine.

I had the staples and I was just fine. I didn't feel a thing when my doctor took them out. I had surgery on Tuesday, took my staples out Thursday, I was out of the hospital on Friday, and they took my steri-strips (little band aids) off Monday. That's about all that I had to deal with. Very simple. I also had a WONDERFUL doctor. So that could have played a little into it. Good Luck!

I had a c-section 3 weeks ago and got dissolving stitches. I haven't had any problems. The area is still a little raised but the incision looks realy good to me, I have no doubt the scaring will be minimal. Plus I hear that staples hurt when they are taken out.

I only know why my experience was. They used disolving stiches on the inside and staples on the outside. They were removed by the nurse before I left the hospital. Perhaps your cousin misunderstood when she heard she was getting a choice.

I've had two c-sections; the first with stitches & the second with staples. I didn't notice any difference between them, so your cousin shouldn't worry either way. From my experience, it is a good 5 days after the surgery before you're really feeling like yourself again....which is why they usually keep you in the hospital for 4 days.

:-) H.

I'm surprised she is being given an option. I've honestly never heard of a Dr doing that. Usually it's what the Dr prefers to use and is based on the patient as well. Both options are safe. I think with abdominal surgery like this, they prefer traditional stitches or staples since the incisions are usually larger and the stress is greater. Honestly, it's nothing to stress about.

Dissolving stitches are best! Personally, thinking of my stomach being stapled really creeps me out and I'm so glad that I had dissolving stitches.
My son was 10lbs 3oz and the incision was larger because of his size and shoulders but the stitches held up great during recovery.
Good luck to your cousin with her new baby and keep us posted.....

Hi S.,

I've had both and I preferred the dissolving stiches. It was just easier for me.

Good luck to your cousin!

C.

I didn't receive a choice either, but I got staples. They did pinch some when they were pulled out, but I healed very quickly after. I can only see a very thin white line that is a couple inches long where he first made the incision. I have full feeling there, even though it was very sensitive for a long time. I don't think the staples were bad at all. Tell her Good Luck with the delivery!

I had staples. I had them removed after one week and it was no big deal. Nobody asked me for a preference, this is just what Dr. used.

I had my C-Section in 2003, it was not planned at all. how nice to know about it before hand and have someone to help you should you need it. They say that you will need help the first week or two as you can not really get up and around by yourself, i had no problem though. Good thing as I lived 100 miles from anyone that I knew. LOL!
Anyways, your question, I had staples, as did a good friend of mine. I mean if you think about it, do you want all of your insides to be held inside of you by fishing line or metal? You do have to have the staples removed shortly after, and it does hurt a little. (Of course by this time you have gone through childbirth, how bad could it be?? LOL) I would recommend taking some advil or one of the painpills they will give her before having them taken out. but other than that, it is a really common thing these days with nothing to worry about. Hope that helps.

If she can get dissolving stitches - DO IT! So much easier - less muss and fuss. The staples can be difficult to get out sometimes and they pull a little. I had one that got infected because it was in kinda funny! Tell her to go for the stitches!

I can only speak as one who has had the staples, they were fine for me and I had no pain at all when they were removed.

I didn't know there was a choice. I had staples with both of mine and they just pull them out at the post-op visit. It's not painful to have them or to have them removed. However, after my first child, one of my staples at the very end of the incision had caught some skin in a weird way or something, so it hurt a bit. They removed that one staple before I left the hospital and it was fine.

I had a C section 10 weeks ago and my OBGYN gave me the choice. Because I insisted on having the least visible scar possible he used a special glue on me. No stiches, no staples. The glue is still coming off on its own and the scar underneath is amazing: just a very fine pink line.