Tips for quicker recovery after csection?

[pinkstar01]

For many reasons I'm having a planned csection for DC2 in less than 6 weeks.

My first was an emcs and I healed quite well but this time I have a child who I'll need to do school run for so looking for tips to help the healing process.

I've heard arnica is good, what should I do with it? What form? How much?

What else?

Watching with interest - I'm having an ELCS next month.

From what I've read so far, it's a really individual thing, and not overdoing it is key.

Don't overdo it I had a ECS and felt amazing with hardly any pain a few days later really over done it long walks house work shopping ended up in agony with open would and infection getting another ECS in march will definitely be taking it easy this time.

Someone told me to just rest for the first 7 days. So that is exactly what I tried to do.

Be selfish for those first 7 days. Take all the help you can. Try to stay in bed, bond with baby. Try to get your DH to take baby when they have been fed, so you can rest.

Just be mega selfish for the first week- that's my tip. You will physically feel better and ready to go back to your selfless, super mum ways

Make sure you have lots of help and support around. So have some else to help out with the school run for the first few weeks. Sleep and rest as much as possible. Take pain killers on the dot every two hours.

I really didn't look after myself after my first c-section which was an emergency and as a result I felt dreadful for about 3 months. With my youngest, which was an elective, I actually looked after myself instead of trying to push through and felt better in no time. I was also on lots of steriods after having him which probably also helped.

Get up and get moving, even if only a little bit, within 24 hours. This could simply be getting out of bed and going for a wee, but I do believe the worst thing you can do is not move for days because of pain. Keep dosed up on pain relief as well! I had an EMCS and was walking 3-5 miles within a couple of weeks with pram

Honestly, just rest! After my 1st section I tried to carry on as normal. Wound opened, got infected and took months to heal. 2nd section, I did everything by the book- didn’t lift anything heavier than my baby, took things really easy and only started walking with the pram after 3 weeks. The difference in recovery was amazing- especially considering I’m 10 years older. Obviously this is easy if you gave older children and a partner at home, with a toddler and if you’re on your own, not so much. Take any help that’s offered! Good luck.

And yes, agree with PP about moving about early on. I think that really helped 2nd time round too.

Definitely move around yes they get you up as soon as they can in hospital anyway but also take it really easy if that makes sense

Don't over do it even when you think you 're recovered. At 5 weeks post op I thought I was fine and tried to get a 5ft Xmas tree in my car. I paid for it for days

Homeopathic arnica to help with healing

Definitely move as soon as possible - I was moving around as soon as I could feel my legs again. Take all the painkillers when they offer them and on time; don't wait for it to get sore. I think the single best thing I did was to have a shower though; I felt much better after that. And eat lots of chocolate.

You only have one chance to get this recovery right, dont do yourself any long term damage and please dont carry the baby in the car seat.

Definitely keep moving. Don't lie in bed or remain utterly sedentary. You don't need to be running around as normal but we do know you should be moving regularly to aid recovery. Stand up tall. Don't hunch over. You will want to because you will feel vulnerable and like you're pulling on your wound but you need to stand tall if you can. Drink plenty of water and eat well. The meds and a sluggish bowel will leave you prone to constipation and you'll want to counteract it so you aren't straining or in additional pain. Listen to the physio who you should see prior to discharge. They can explain how to sit up, cough etc and time frames for increasing activity.

I've had two emcs, was up within a couple of hours of each and discharged a day later each time. I was doing a school run on day 4 after my second. A lot of it was luck but it is possible to have a straightforward recovery.

I healed really well after both of mine. I do credit it with actually following the doctors orders as much as possible. so rest as much as you can in the first week, obviously get up and walk about, maybe a short stroll round the block or out for a coffee, but don’t overdo it, and no lifting anything heavier than the baby. Then no heavy lifting or anything strenuous for 6 weeks.

It was really annoying with an older child too, but I have friends that definitely overdid it at the beginning as they felt great, and then paid for it with a longer recovery. I did push myself at about 5 week as I had to take my toddler and baby out somewhere and I just felt terrible the next day, so much pain and so exhausted. Fortunately resting up that one day seemed to get me back on the road to recovery again.

Get lots of help so you can just focus on yourself and the baby as much as possible. And try and eat proper food and drink lots of water. Good luck!

The more you rest earlier on the better it will be. I am 13 weeks post CS, and WISH I'd rested for a good 4 weeks. Instead, I tried to do too much walking, putting washing on etc, and now I still feel some pain sometimes when I attempt the gym. So now I am resting all over again. Take it t easy, seriously, for more than one week as others have suggested!

Your partner will need to do the school run until you can take over.You can't drive for about 6weeks(your insurance won't cover you even if you feel fine before then).
It is major surgery,don't forget that.
Mobilise gently,helps prevent dvts.Only invite people over who are happy to do the washing up or run the hoover around before cuddling the baby.
Make sure your partner knows it is his baby too so needs to do his share(get this established during the paternaty leave).
And enjoy

@Thehagonthehill

You can't drive for about 6weeks(your insurance won't cover you even if you feel fine before then)

This isn’t strictly true as it totally depends on your insurer.

It's very individual and you won't know how you feel until it happens. I was lucky it was very straightforward and I didn't need to take a lot of painkillers or rest up much.

Following as I've a ELCS in 3 weeks time. The only other tips I have read is taking peppermint capsules and peppermint tea as the trapped wind can be very painful. You might have already had this first time round.
I've also bought some special pants to help the healing. I bought them from mothercare. They're on offer at the moment. But John Lewis and Boots do them too. Some people swear by them and others not so much. I thought that if couldn't hurt. Probably as everyone heals differently. They are expensive at around £20 for just 2 pairs.
And bio oil for the scaring.

Thanks for the advice everyone, my DH is luckily very supportive and he will be doing all the morning drop offs for as long as needed, it's just the afternoon pickup I need to sort out as he works far away. My mum and sister will be staying with me so they will be helping with my son and baby too so I'm definitely planning to put feet up and rest as much as I can.

My last was an emergency section but I recovered quite well even tho I could have rested before.

Thanks again