I am due with my second 3 days before Christmas. I will be having my first C-Section due to complications with my last kiddo. What is some advice/suggestions that you have to make this experience easier? I am so nervous having such a big surgery.
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I know everyone is different but when I had mine I was just pretty sore for a few days. It was hard to get my little out of the little bassinet they brought him into the room in but otherwise it wasn’t bad. I did have a pillow to hold in case of coughing and that happened maybe once or twice. But the bleeding did seem to last forever. Like for a full 6 weeks for me and that was the worst part. Of course I didn’t have another little one at home to chance after and for the first couple of weeks I didn’t do very much cooking or cleaning. I did wear pretty tight fitting yoga pants I think the added pressure felt better to me. Best of luck mommy.
Take the pain meds when offered…even if just the tylenol and motrin…it is much easier to keep pain under control than it is to get it back under control once it gets out of control (sometimes it can take 16-18 hours to get back to where you were when you were ok), use the abdominal binder, Get out of bed and walk when they tell you that you can get up on your own, walking in your room is not enough…do a lap in the hallway…try to do the lap when you are out of bed anyway…ie going to the bathroom…do a lap before you get back in bed…the getting up and down is harder than the actual walk.
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Eat plenty of fruit. The meds will make you constipated and that’s the last thing you need. Oddly I felt my dental surgery was more major. I had a spinal, was awake the whole time and it felt it took literal minutes. Do plan to stay in bed for five days afterwards and do breastfeed even if your milk doesn’t seem to have come in.
I was incredibly bruised from my C-section and ice packs were extremely helpful the first week home.
I went straight for wearing adult diapers vs pads to limit the amount of time spent bending/putting pressure on my incision during bathroom trips.
I had other complications that didn’t allow me to get up and walk for 36hrs but definitely walk around as soon and as much as you are comfortable doing. It helps so much.
Same goes for showering, do that as soon as you are able to. Getting that dried blood and everything else on your skin off the better you are going to feel.
I got these strips from my breastfeeding clinic to help wick away sweat from my incision, which of course I can not recall the name of, but those were fantastic.
Take the pain killers. Esp if you have another little to look after/chase. Take it easy as much as possible, but walk around often. Take advantage of help if it’s offered. Try to cook meals now and freeze them. Don’t worry about a messy house. Use the belly band if they give you one.
I’ve had 3 Csections! You got this mama!
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A good pair of support pants and take the meds xx
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I wore night gowns and stayed moving as much as possible. If you lay around and don’t move much it will take longer to heal and it will hurt a lot worse. I had 2 c sections and with my first I was back working as a CNA 2 weeks later. And I never took any of my meds. And I had stitches on the inside and staples on the outside and I was cut hip to hip but cause my son stayed sideways they couldn’t get him to turn right.
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Do everything the doctor says and take it easy
Ask for the vacuum bandage. It has a little pump that keeps air out and holds the bandage against your incision. The pump can be annoying but it’s so great. It doesn’t need changed the whole time you wear it.
The first time you walk hold a pillow against your stomach. Helps the pressure from standing.
It will still burn the first few times you pee so a water bottle is nice.
Try not to let them leave the catheter in for too too long because then it takes longer to pee the first time.
And if you’re gonna breast feed start trying as soon as possible and take help from the lactation specialist because sometimes it takes longer to get your milk supply going after a c section and it can become discouraging.
Good luck mama💕
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What were the complications ? Every birth is different xx
Depends undies instead of the mesh panties/pad combo they give you. Hold a pillow against your incision any time you laugh/cough/sneeze. Set up a little station where you think you’ll spend the most time with snacks and diapering things. Stay ahead of the pain. Take your meds on schedule even if you think you’re starting to feel better.
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Is your dokter say take you meds every 3 hours, you take them every 2.5 hours🤣 one big tip: DO NOT LET THE PAIN GET YOU! Before the pain start take your meds! Do not skip! This helped me allot.
Het up and moving little by little. Do not pick up heavy stuff! Rest if you can and have to! Do not push yourself too much! Take and ask for help! You got this mommy! You will be okay
Take the pain meds, don’t ware any tight clothes for a while, and keep moving even through the pain, obviously don’t over do it but less moment will make the healing process longer
Make sure you have help for at least a couple of weeks. It is sooo painful to get anything done. Make lots of freezer meals. Take your meds. It’s easier to get ahead of the pain than to try to ease it. Ask for rectal anti-inflammatory while in the hospital. I know it sounds awful but trust me you will thank me later.
If breast feeding, I found the football hold with a boppy pillow was the best position. Take your pain meds. They are a vital part of the healing process. They allow your body to rest to heal. You’ve got this!! I had 2. Don’t try to be super woman. Take it easy and don’t lift anything heavier than your baby.
Definitely use the binder or get one from Amazon and try to walk as much as possible. Don’t be forget to ask for those pain meds.
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Make sure you have clothes ready that won’t rub on the incision. More C-sections are steri-stripped now and not stitched. Do not over do it. Take the pain meds to avoid the pain. Don’t be afraid to ask for it. Rest as much as you can and walk as soon as you can. That’ll promote healing. The hospital usually gives you a wrap for your stomach but you can get better ones online. Absolutely get one.
It’s okay to be scared. Talk to the anesthesiologist (they will be next to you the entire time) and let them know how you are feeling.
Good luck! And give yourself some leeway because it is major abdominal surgery
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If you have someone that can come stay with you or that you can stay with for a while after having the baby I definitely recommend my SO had to go right back to work and I needed a ton of help I couldn’t even get the baby out of his bassinet from the pain if trying to lift him. It was really hard for me.
Give yourself grace during the holidays. Your recovery comes first. Get up and walk as soon as they say you can. Stay on top of the pain. My doctor had the nurses give anti-gas pills and that was such a help. Wear the belly band, it really does help. Congratulations and prayers for a healthy and happy surgery and recovery.
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Walk. Walk. Walk. Don’t just lay in bed. Walk.
The biggest piece of advice I can give is to make sure you have a small pillow to hug into your tummy especially when getting up/walking, coughing/sneezing or that first bowel movement. The other thing is if they use sterile strips on incision let them come off on their own even if corners are peeled. I pulled one and the outer incision wasn’t closed yet and it opened up now I have a weird scar there.
Get up n start moving right away
Loose pants, maybe sweatpants and high waisted underwear. You don’t want anything rubbing on that scar. We had a three hour drive from the hospital to home and all I had was jeans and regular underwear and it was rubbing the whole time.
Also walk around frequently but as slow as you need to. Do not push yourself. It’s ok if it takes 10 minutes to get out of bed for a while. Personally I was walking like a snail for a couple weeks.
When you cough, laugh, or sneeze, squeeze a pillow on your stomach. Bc they cut through your muscles, three simple natural things, seriously hurt.
After the first week, you’ll be feeling better
Depending on where your waist band sets with your incision put a pad in-between your incision and waist band. Also helps if your incision bleeds a little!