[starboard]

My catheter was inserted while I was under general anaesthetic for my first Caesar so didn't feel a thing. I don't recall it irritating me much while it was in there, it's held in by a balloon filled with about 10mls of sterile water. They deflate the ballot before removing it, I found it didn't hurt but I wanted to do a wee pretty much straight away. It was a little trickle of a wee though.
I think I had a BM about two days post op. I had Movicol every night and drank plenty of water. That was fine. I was actually dreading it but it didn't hurt. What felt a bit odd was I felt I didn't have any strength in my tummy muscles to push.

Before I posted I realised my phone had auto corrected BM to BMW.
Now that would make your eyes water and I'm guessing you'd need a lot more than Movicol to get that out. Hehe.

[Cluckyandhopeful]

Thanks so much ladies!

Another silly question...if the catheter has to stay in overnight after the op, can I ask how you are meant to sit down/lie down or sit up in bed if the catheter is inserted down there??

Applebum, you mentioned that it's held in by a balloon?? Can I have some more information about this?

[tinkster23]

Catheters are a soft flexible tube, you can lay and sit without really noticing it. The balloon is inside your bladder, so you can't feel it and it's tiny anyway.

[ubermum]

A very rare complication of birth (both normal and c/s) is urinary retention. Effectively this means you can't pee and can be caused by swelling and trauma down there. In that case, you would have to have a catheter for longer until the issue resolved.

You are unlikely to experience that, but I think it is good to know about every possible outcome, no matter how rare.

The baloon in your bladder that holds the catheter in holds approx 10ml of fluid, that tells you how small it is. It is inflated with saline once inserted, and a syringe is used to remove the saline and deflate the baloon before sliding the catheter out.

This post has been edited by ubermum: 01/04/2012, 11:50 PM

[tibs]

Thanks so much ladies!

Another silly question...if the catheter has to stay in overnight after the op, can I ask how you are meant to sit down/lie down or sit up in bed if the catheter is inserted down there??

Applebum, you mentioned that it's held in by a balloon?? Can I have some more information about this?

I had mine taken out while I was still in theatre. I was told I had to get up and do a wee within 4 hours of the op or they would put the catheter back in.

[Chedasha]

I had mine in before it just felt uncomfortable. After when they take it out you can feel numb it can be strange peeing as you cant feel but know you need to pee.

[Infinite*Hope]

I've had 3 c/sections. Catheter was inserted in theatre after the spinal block each time. It was left in until the next morning when I then got out of bed. I could barely feel it when sitting or lying and I only felt a gentle tug when it was removed.

[lovemy32]

Both time my catheter was inserted before i went to theatre. When I asked why, the lovely nurse told me it's much more private to have it done before you go into theatre then to have all the theatre staff and surgeon watching while it was done. Don't know whether that would concern me much - but the catheter didn't hurt anyhow, so wasn't a big concern.

My hubby laughed, I loved the first night after the caeser.... I had a catheter in, which meant I didn't need to get up to go to the toilet a gazillion times, and I had the "leg massager" things on my legs (meant to stop clotting I think), beautiful and relaxing, and I didn't wake up with any night cramps in my legs. Best sleep ever!

[wallofdodo]

A very rare complication of birth (both normal and c/s) is urinary retention. Effectively this means you can't pee and can be caused by swelling and trauma down there. In that case, you would have to have a catheter for longer until the issue resolved.

You are unlikely to experience that, but I think it is good to know about every possible outcome, no matter how rare.

This actually happened to me. And it wasn't picked up. So I had 3 months of using a catheter.

Don't worry it is VERY rare, even more rare to not be picked up.

It happened again when I had my gallbladder out last year, so I had to experience a catheter again (thankfully only one night) and yes it is a weird sensation, I think coming out is worse than in. It doesn't hurt, just a bit irritating.

You don't notice the balloon, they inflate it after it is in, it is like a little anchor.

You can sleep and sit. If you sit on it wrong it can feel a bit weird, like a tugging, similar to sitting on a tampon string strange. You just have to make sure there are not any kinks in the tube for the outflow and that the bag is lower than your groin, you don't want to have it all backing up! But don't worry the way they put it in and rest it on your bed, these things happen naturally. I think lying on the tube is ok. Just don't bend it but if you are concerned at all, ask the nurses.

I had one permanently for 3 weeks and never had a problem (it was changed twice in that time).