C-Section Essentials....

[HerVagesty]

What is/was on your list?

I am booked in on the 24th September when I will be 39+4 (4 weeks today!!) unless Breechy Girly tries to escape earlier.

I know this has been done to death but what are the must haves/must do's before and after having a section?

I have a list of things packed in my bag already....

Yoga Pants (roll top)
Big Knickers
Loose fitting Tops
General Hospital Bag stuff (toiletries, pads etc)

For recovery...

Arnica Tablets
Peppermint Tea
Tea Tree Oil
Laxatives

..... Anything else you found a godsend afterwards? Anything you did in the run up to the big day to make things easier??

Many thanks in advance!

[SweetsForMySweet]

I don't have a list but some pointers for afterwards.
Keep pain meds topped up in the beginning
Loose fitting night dresses
Drink lots of water& keep hydrated)
Get walking as soon as allowed afterwards but don't over do it too much.You may not want to even get out of bed but walking will help.
No lifting (anything heavier than new born baby) for first 3 months(ignoring that can cause a hernia which may need surgery to repair)
Remember it will all be worth it when you get to hold your baby in your arms

[LittlePeaPod]

Hi Op

I took

Big loose, soft material yoga pants that came above your belly button. (I had 1 size bigger than my actual size)
Big knickers, again ones that come above your belly button
A good supportive not under wired bra
Slippers
A short, light weight robe
Food (sandwiches, crisps, stuff you like)
Plenty of liquids (water in particular but have some soft drinks you like too)
Lots of change for parking and snack machine just in case. DH and I were grateful for taking lots of change.
Mag/book - baby just sleeps/eats/sleeps

I also took the following but didn't use any of it

Arnica Tablets
Peppermint Tea
Tea Tree Oil
Laxatives
Makeup

When you get home I woulda advise you get a spare changing mat for downstairs (if you live in a multi story property) that way you don't have to keep going up and down or moving stuff every day to change the baby.

[LittlePeaPod]

No lifting (anything heavier than new born baby) for first 3 months(ignoring that can cause a hernia which may need surgery to repair)

I was driving after 2 weeks and back at the gym at 4 weeks (spinning, weight lifting etc.) with full GP and consultant approval. There advice was the sooner you get back to normal the quicker and better the recovery.

[MooseBeTimeForSpring]

Nothing heavier than a newborn they said. Not helpful when that newborn was 10lb 11oz and his car seat felt like it was lead lined!

[Surfsup1]

Totally non-essential, but one of the (few) upsides of a cs is that it is a totally non-strenuous and pre-planed process. Therefore you can get your hair done, have your lashes tinted - all all the stuff that will make you feel a bit more human afterwards and look nice when people take those photos of you and you baby and share them with the entire inter-web!

On a more practical level I would recommend you start taking a kick-ass probiotic now and make sure you keep taking it long after your surgery. It may also be worth sticking up on a baby probiotic for your bub as cs babies miss out on a lot of the good bacteria they would normally have picked up during the birth process. Topping up their levels after birth can really help their immune system.

Once I got home, I had one of those belt with batteries in it that has little tense-like pads on it which gently stimulates the abdominal muscles. I can't remember how soon I started using it, but it's supposed to help the muscles heal.

[eurochick]

Dried fruit to combat the effects of the morphine.

[Surfsup1]

Maybe your own pillow? You might be in hospital for a while.
An eye-mask so you can nap during the day if you get the opportunity.
Champagne + glasses.

What do you do with the tea tree oil?

[BikeRunSki]

Sports cap water Boyle, do you can drink lying down.
Shower gel in a bottle with a hook.
Slip on slippers (crocs are fugly but ideal, especially of your feet swell up yo twice their normal size when baby is 3 days old like mine did).

[Twinklestar2]

Lots of maternity pads.

I went through 50 in the first two weeks!

[mssleepyhead]

Night dress - you'll have a catheter at first so can't wear trousers and it's easier for checking the wound.
Dress for leaving hospital - trousers were painful until day 5 for me. Even yoga pants.
Slip on shoes and slippers
Big pants
Unscented shower gel

[TestingTestingWonTooFree]

Crocs and flight socks. I've been told to wear compression socks for 6 weeks but they only gave me one pair.

[SweetsForMySweet]

Re: lifting, 3 months is standard medical advice, my sil ignored it and got a hernia, she had to go in for further surgery and another hospital stay. If you have confirmation from a consultant or doctor that you don't have to wait 3 months then it's up to you what you choose to do. The reason they say 6 weeks before driving is so that you could do an emergency stop if necessary, most women are driving again before 6 weeks.

The compression socks are to help prevent clots, you can get them in a pharmacy or ask for spares before leaving hospital.
The tea tree oil acts as a disinfectant, you can put a few drops in your bath water or dilute some in a water bottle and wash the wound with it.
'Simple' fragrance free shower gel is good, it was very mild and didn't irritate.

[Mrsgrumble]

I lived in flip flops due to swelling afterwards
I am getting a floor grabber thing this time (you know the litter grabbers)
Colpermin for wind pain
Soda water
Very big knickers
Extra panadol
Hair dryer brush thing - all in one

( Getting dh to adapt an ikea cot to make a co sleeper )

[PassTheAnswers]

Giant knickers- not only good for avoiding the scar area but easier to get on with minimal bending.

Putting a clean maternity pad between your scar and your knickers helps it feel a bit more protected from any accidental knocks or movements.

Slip on shoes/flip flops to avoid bending for the few days if necessary. To be honest my feet swelled so much afterwards that flip flops were the only option.

Changing baby wise I found something at waist height perfect rather than having to maneuver myself onto the floor with a baby in my arms.

[LittlePeaPod]

Changing baby wise I found something at waist height perfect rather than having to maneuver myself onto the floor with a baby in my arms.

Great advise and totally true. I was the same.

[happylittlevegemites]

I had an emcs, so didn't plan much. But everyday for about two weeks I used, instead of pants, big tena lady pants. I bled a lot and they meant I didn't have to wiggle to make sure the pad was in the right spot, if that makes sense. It also gave my scar some padding.

I was going to start my own thread, but someone might know here ... last time I found it very painful to lie on my side until about 5 weeks. It sort of felt like my stomach flopped down and stretched the wound. This time I was thinking some sort of girdle might keep my stomach together more - breast feeding became much easier when I could do it in my side. Did anyone else find this or have any suggestions?

[Jaffakake]

I had a Moses basket & changing station downstairs and upstairs. I found climbing stairs awkward in the first week it so, so that was a godsend.

I also recommend really good vitamins and possibly the probiotic someone else suggested. I had a long labour before my emcs, so I was really depleted, but it taught me how important these are to my body, so I'll do better this time.

[Surfsup1]

Vegemite

Might Help

[flakeyfinancials]

A cushion to hold against tummy when standing/sitting.

[Muststudy]

What would you recommend as a kick ass probiotic?

I had awful awful constipation after the c section and NHS being NHS they only gave 5ml of lactulose a day. So take prunes or figs or fibrogel.

You definitely need a book or ipad with tv shows as the baby is asleep alot! Try and take an eye mask if you can.

A girdle to wear to hold the scar and tummy muscles in? The bullet band is great too.

[summerlovingliz]

I itched like mad after both if my sections.. Something to do with the drugs. I would recommend having something like e45 or aqueous cream with calamine to soothe skin

[Surfsup1]

Muststudy I'm in Aus, so the brands here are different, but certainly the best ones tend to be available mainly through a natropath/nutritionist or similar practitioners.

[happylittlevegemites]

Thanks surfsup but unfortunately in UK. Seems much more common in aus - my midwife and physio friends were shocked that I wasn't given anything. And sent home after 24 hours ...

[happylittlevegemites]

muststudy I can't find the bullet band online :(There are some on amazon but don't know what might suit!

[BalloonSlayer]

I wore the trousers I had worn when 4-5 months pg afterwards, they supported the scar nicely. I found very very loose trousers uncomfortable.

IME you don't get enough to eat in hospital so I would recommend a bottle of squash, and some biscuits (I used to like those savoury cheese sandwich ones for my "dinner" and normal biscuits for my "pudding") because if you are still numb/catheterised you won't be able to get out of bed to fetch yourself anything.

Flip flops for manky shower, anti bac wipes for manky toilet.