To ask for your tips on c section recovery?

[tickyticks]

Sorry, posting for traffic. I've had to make the final decision of another vaginal birth vs c section after lots of damage following dc1's birth. It appears a section would be best in order to help prevent the long term issues another severe tear would cause.

I'm very scared and wonder if any of you ladies have any tips for recovery? DH is always very supportive, will happily do everything around the house and is taking 4 weeks off work as we have an 18 month old too.

Any tips would be much appreciated!

Rest, rest, rest, rest! Don't try to be a hero and over-exert yourself. I tried to be a hero after my first and get back to normal quickly. The result was I felt like death for months afterwards. With my second, I really took it easy and because of that was back to normal quickly.

Get DH to do everything. Sleep when the baby sleeps. Take your painkillers regularly. If you can, get someone to take your other DC out and about. We left our DS who was 2 with the childminder for the first 4 weeks when I had DS2.

Keep all your maternity clothes and knickers cos they will be more comfortable. You don't want anything that's going to rub against your wound.

Do your pelvic floor exercises. They will help your stomach muscles recover better.

Don't rush back to driving. I drove 3 weeks having DS2. I felt OK on the day, but my God I was sore the next day. This is what it's like, you won't really tell you've over done it until the next day.

Thank you all so much for your tips! Already ordered my giant pants!

I had a c section for baby 3 & was terrified so took all tips I could!!
Arnica tablets
Peppermint tea or there are some trapped wind type tablets I got from boots that I can’t for the life of me remember the name of but they were in an orange packet and I never had any of the “shoulder/back trapped wind pain” that people had described.
Don’t get up and about too much- I thought by saying get up and about people meant literally march about and a few days in I was in a fair amount of pin, but also stretching upwards slightly and not hunching especially in hospital did help!

I’ll see if I think of any more and let you know

Take the painkillers on a schedule, don't wait until it hurts - I was advised this by medical friends, and it really helped.

Set an alarm on your phone for painkillers for the first few days.

Try to get out of the habit of picking up DC1 a week or two before the section.

Changing station at waist height up and downstairs. Have spare clothes available for you and the babies.

Check your car insurance for when you can drive. They seem to vary quite a bit.

Comfy trousers with no zip fly. I did leggings first time and hareem pants and then later jeggings with the second so I’d have a pocket for my phone.

You may have to wear TEDS (flight socks) afterwards so avoid flipflops. And maybe dresses/skirts.

No nail varnish when you go in.

No sit ups for a year afterwards. Your stomach muscles have been cut and you can make yourself much worse. You need to be pulling the muscles together not pushing them apart. Try gentle Pilates once the doctor has cleared you to do exercise.

Also don't be surprised if your lower tummy is numb afterwards. Apparently it's quite common; I had no idea. It can be numb for months, for years or forever.

Take senokot 1 twice a day from the start, a friend told me this and it was a lifesaver.

Massive pants

Be careful with the "listen to your body", I felt absolutely fine, probably did too much and my wound reopened at 3 weeks and is still not quite healed at 7 weeks (no infection)

Check with your insurance company as mine said that I needed a doctors ok to drive. Some companies let you make your own decision.