aibu to not know what to pack for a c section? i don't have any support and my family are against c sections so I can't ask.

[sororitynoise]

hi everyone.

I'm quite new here and this is my first post (apart from comments)

I have an election section booked next month under the agreement of my psychiatrist due to sexual abuse trauma as a child from gang abuse.

My DH is the most wonderful, supportive man in the world but he doesn't know too much about sections apart from all of the research he does- which is medical not really experienced based.

My family know about my abuse but choose to ignore it and still associate with my abusers- so I've completely cut them out of my life, however my mother managed to drop in that 'elective c sections are terrible and wrong' before I managed to.

Please can someone advise me on what I need to bring to the hospital for baby and I? I plan to breastfeed.

I'm sorry to ask, I have tried really hard to research but I just can't find a coherent list I can understand.

You will probably struggle to hold your arms up for that long after a shower, you might not care about it much at that point either

Straws are useful to help you drink easily. Flip flops for shower. Keep nappy changing stuff in a plastic bag together so you can easily teach in one go. Same for snacks.

Reach not teach!

Stuff your family's attitude, what dicks

What PP's have said about clothing.
With breastfeeding I found the rugby ball hold more comfortable initially as you don't have the (in my case a big) weight of the baby on your wound.

It sounds counter productive but stand up straight when you walk after. My natural instinct was to curl around the wound but once I stood straight I could move more comfortably. My second c section baby was briefly in scbu so I was doing a fair bit of backwarding and forwarding between her bed and mine.

I had new look maternity leggings 2 sizes bigger than I needed and they were lovely and comfy. YY to a breastfeeding pillow it's much comfier after a section to have your baby lifted up a bit when feeding. Re your granny pants problem, if you have leggings over the top would that not make them stay up? We really are talking about the most gigantic knickers money can buy I could have easily tucked mine in my bra.

I second PP who say beware of constipation it is the devils work after a c section. Also trapped wind so take some Rennie Deflatine in with you. Do NOT get behind on pain meds. Take everything you are allowed and don't miss any as you will really feel it.

You can take whatever nighties you like, I sweated like I've never sweated before in hospital, it's outrageously hot. Boots maternity pads are good. Shirts to breastfeed sound good but maybe also take some really soft cotton tops as well.

You sound amazing, best of luck with your section and enjoy your squishy newborn

I had my hair blow dried as a treat before I went in for my elective section.... it lasted a good few days so I didn't need to have a blow dry. Good luck op..... I had both of mine 'via the sunroof' and both births were great..... agree with everyone about the pants, pads and snacks too.

You could well be out within a couple of days after an elective c-section (I was because I wanted to get home to my DD), so pack well, but don't take too much!

I also changed to day clothes on the second day as it made me feel more like a mum and less like a patient.

I feel bad contradicting a previous poster but lots of women have a nasty reaction to Always Ultra pads since they made them scented. I found the big Kotex pads by far the most comfortable postnatally, and they're very cheap.

I hated the pads and big knickers and instead took incontinence type pants ( they are sort of like pull up nappies for grannies). You can get them in big supermarkets and some pharmacies. They were a god send. I could just rip them off when done with them.

Cheap primark nighties are perfect! No pjs for 12/24 hrs as you will have a catheter. Then comfy clothes - massive pants and leggings with a vest and cardi worked well for me. On the pants note- after a week or so I found quite snug fitting high waisted pants best- to sort of hold my tummy in place - sloggi do some good ones. But I reckon in hospital and for the first few days more relaxed pants probably better.
Definitely ear plugs and eye mask as well to try and maximise sleeping opportunity!
And I didn't bring a bf pillow last time but will this time- I have a 'c' shaped one.

Good luck - it will be fine. Elcs is generally very controlled and calm and we were extra lucky that the anaesthetist was a brilliant photographer and took loads of awesome photos (so bring a camera!).

All I would say is if to make sure on the post natal ward you do ask for help if you need it - they are so busy that generally if you don't ask you don't get! I don't think I rang the buzzer once despite really needing help at times and certainly will be more assertive this time round!

Nice (really really nice) smelling shower gel and lots of lovely food if you are planning on breastfeeding.

Shoes without backs that you can slide into without bending/twisting. , flip flops are ideal.

Also:
Not a packing tip, but something I discovered that even the HCPs didn't seem to get Turn the fish tank cot so the baby's feet end is touching the bed, don't put the baby alongside. You can now pick the baby up with no pain as you don't have to twist your body.

I wish I'd worked it out the first time!

Oh God yes, forgot about the constipation, it's truly awful due to the pain and inability to push. So do take fybogel. They gave me lactulose in the hospital.

Dear OP, I've had 3 sections (one emergency and two elective). The electives were all great experiences - the operating staff are wonderful and really help to put you and your partner at ease. I remember music playing and lots of interesting conversations with the anathetists. Your baby is born after ten minutes - the next 40 minutes or so are sewing you back up but all your attention is on baby so you don't notice! Your partner and you can hold baby while in theatre. You then go into the recovery room (this is when the feeling comes back into your legs), and you can usually have a cup of tea, and have skin-to-skin and your first go at breastfeeding.

When you have the C-section you will wear a hospital gown. When you get up (usually after 24 hours) you can have a shower and change into your own nightwear. So if you're planning to breastfeed, wear a nightgown with buttons for easy access. This is better than pyjamas because there's no waistband to press on your wound, which may be sore. Slippers and dressing gown.

You still bleed after a C-section so you will need maternity pads or big sanitary pads. I'd recommend a selection of big granny pants that you can pull up over your dressing.

You will want a nursing bra for comfort and I recommend something like lasinhoh nipple cream in case you're sore while you get to grips with breastfeeding. Make sure your partner/midwives help get you comfy with pillows so you can get into a good position for feeding.

You will need shampoo, toothpaste/toothbrush etc.

You can be constipated after an operation: a snack like dried apricots is great for keeping things moving and full of iron. Lots of water or squash to sip on. Magazines/book to pass the time (newborns do sleep a lot!)

Take things easy and you will recover well. Take all the painkillers offered by the nursing staff - I was told to never let the pain build as it helps with recovery.

To travel home, wear comfy clothes. Yoga pants with wide waistband are great.

You will need stuff for baby: newborn or 0-3 month nappies, vests, sleepsuits. Mine were all born in the winter so I needed hat & outfit for them to travel home.

Congratulations on your pregnancy, OP, and very best wishes for the future. Don't pay any heed to your mother's comments. Without C-sections, both I and my children wouldn't be here. They are every bit as valid and essential as any other way of giving birth: focus on your baby and the wonderful new life you are building together

I had an unplanned section and they got me up and went for a shower the next morning!
Regular pain killers and laxatives are good. Lots of drinks and snacks on reach for 3am feeds. I have the supermarket own brand incontinence pants which are great.
My biggest problem now 10 days later is ankle swelling that is taking ages to go down! But I was swollen to thighs afterward so getting there
Enjoy your baby!

Big shirts are great.I wore them in buttoned with a vest top underneath for easy access breastfeeding and leak control(cover).
Take plenty to drink,the wards are hot because of the babies.
Congratulations.

Buy brief style panties in a size up on your normal size. That's what I did You pull them up and your tummy holds them in place so thin legs don't matter! :)
Otherwise, all the advice here generally good. Don't bother with hair dryers etc. You won't be able to use them and it's better just to tie your hair back. Honestly. Never mind anything else, there's no way I'd have had the energy to hold my arms above my head to use dryer or straightener after the c-section. Too much pressure on my core.

I find the M&S thermal leggings good. Cool when it's warm and vice versa but also very very soft and stretchy. I wore my usual ones throughout pregnancy and after. They were a bit too stretched by then so I don't wear them much any more but I do have them lying around at home of the odd evening in!

Going longer-term I found that my section wound could be painful for months afterwards depending on what I wore. Anything with a lower waistband and zips and buttons was very uncomfortable to downright painful. Comfy tracksuits and pj bottoms were most comfortable but not what I wanted to be wearing when I had visitors or was going out. I ended up looking at clothing aimed at older women and found fitted trousers with high, neatly elasticated waists (flat not gathered). They are very comfortable with over a healing c-section area but look like flattering, smart casual trousers.

I strongly recommend getting a few pairs as it's really nice to be able to look smart while being very comfortable. I also found, if I was wearing a sling, carrying my son a lot or even just out and about on my feet. That wearing spanx type underwear reduced any aching from the wound and reduced any strain on my other abdominal muscles. I have pretty bad diasatis though.

Re the knickers- marisota do some absolutely huge ones that pull up to nearly nipple height and are incredibly comfy.

Also, not for hospital, but stock up now on lavender oil and tea tree oil. A few drops of both in the bath every night once your'e hoe will really help to reduce the chances of infection. I got a minor infection but was able to sort it out by bathing with these and applying tea tree cream directly to the wound (down the line) which is great as the antibiotics for a c-section wound infection are AWFUL.

2 things -
•Flip flops or slippers as your feet and ankles may swell up (mine did!)
•Shower gel etc or a wash bag that you can HANG from the taps in the maternity ward shower - they may not have a shelf and bending down was pretty challenging for the first couple of showers!

The best thing for wind is peppermint essential oil ( it will say it's not edible on the bottle but it is fine honestly) put a few drops in hot water and drink.

Take plenty of snacks and nibbles. Hospital food is snack size portions not pregnant/ breastfeeding/ compensating for nil-by-mouth sized, and being served sandwiches for tea at 5 goes nowhere near tiding you through an exhausted night of regular feeds until 8am. High fibre fruits, nuts, flapjacks all help towards that all important first poo.

After my EMCS first time, I took a dress for coming home second time, so no worries about fit around a wound.

Flip flops not slippers. The only place I went shuffling off to was the toilet/ shower.

MoanyOldCow 's point about constipation is actually pretty much the main thing I'd advise somebody to be aware of if going in for a planned c-section. I've had 3 and being constipated afterwards is absolutely horrendous, I have no idea why it isn't mentioned by midwives running antenatal courses or doing antenatal care for a pregnant woman they are aware is booked for a section.

Take plenty of individual cartons (with straws) of fruit juice (apple, grape) and dried fruits to snack on, and yes sure lactulose if you can buy it in advance over the counter.

Men's T shirts aren't ideal to breast feed in as you'll have to lift them so far up, and I didn't want my tummy on display after my section (be aware you will still look as though you are pregnant but with a wound for potentially weeks after, due to swelling and uterus contracting slower). Two vest tops is a good option - pull one down and one up. Or something with a V neck you don't mind tugging out of shape.

Post natal wards are kept at sauna temperature in the UK for some incomprehensible reason, so dress as you would if going for a week in a tropical climate ...

I'm going to go against the consensus here and put a word in for low slung knickers, below scar. I found them comfier than the big ones. Controversial I know!

For hair, I relied on a regime of dry shampoo and not giving a shit. Put it up the morning I went into labour, it stayed there for 5 days! It would have been too much to dry it, but I did have an EMCS.

A skipping rope! Sounds odd, but tie it round the bottom of your hospital bed and use it to pull on when you need to sit up or readjust yourself in bed.