To think I can recover from a section alone ?

[Coffeeandcaffiene]

Xposted in childbirth wasn’t sure where’s best.
Getting a lot of mortified faces when they hear I’ll be alone at home after my ELCS. I’m not particularly worried it is what it is but I’d love experiences !
Section this week - I am single so I won’t have help at home, friends/ visitors will be popping in during the day evenings to see baby so I’ll have to make the most of them!
( don’t have much family and especially no one I could ask to stay )

I was wondering realistically when I’ll be able to have a short walk with the pram?
When can I climb the stairs ?
( my bathroom is downstairs so can easily sleep downstairs till whenever )

I’ve set up drawers/ changing station downstairs so no bending required
Fridge is stocked with drinks- sports caps etc

Anything else I can do to make this easier ?!
Would love your experiences from your recovery ! ( or if I’m being naive )

If it all goes smoothly you'll be fine but I would make the most of the care in hospital and stay a couple of nights if they have the capacity to keep you.

I'm single and had a c section but I did have lots of help at home as my parents came to stay for a few weeks. But, from day 3 I was managing the stairs absolutely fine and I did all the care of the baby (I was insistent on not becoming reliant on my parents) including her first bath (I put the baby bath on the coffee table for a better height).

You will be in pain though. The pain was awful my first 5 days or thereabouts.

In terms of recovery you need to play the long term game. Don't try to lift the car seat and twist to put it in someone's car for example. This is the sort of thing that you must have help with to try and allow your wound the speediest recovery possible.

By taking care not to do anything strenuous I was very well recovered and at 4 weeks was lifting the pushchair into the car boot, driving and going for country walks.

I would say you would probably be ok but definitely look to stay in hospital for 3 nights and get someone to come and sleep on your sofa for the first couple of nights back home. I had to do a lot of solo baby care post section with my 2 which i know isn't the same but here are my tips;

Take all your meds on schedule
Take a gentle stool softner every day from birth til 1 week
Drink peppermint tea for trapped wind
Have a proper changing table so no bending
Have a bedside crib
Keep bottles of water and snacks and painkillers by bed and sofa
Subscribe to Netflix
Keep your phone charged up and keep it on you all the time (v important if in house alone)
Have a moby wrap to carry baby at first so you don't have to wrangle buggy. Structured carriers can rub in wrong places. Practice using it by watching YouTube videos.
Have lots of easy food in that you can eat with one hand
Get a cleaner at least for 2 months
Get out every day even if it's only for 10 minutes.

I had elcs with my first, he was breech. I did have a husband but he returned to work the same day I came out of hospital, I still did all the cooking, washing up etc. I went upstairs to bed/toilet every day. I went for a walk with the pram when we was 7 days old I think. Its entirely doable. I would try and see if you can schedule your friends, make sure you have shopping in and make sure they pick up whatever you need on their way. Also that they hold baby while you have a shower or whatever.

Try and take it as easy as you can. I used to make a packed lunch for myself so during the day I had food and drinks to hand.

It will be hard, but you can do it. I had DH at home but I'm just literally not the type to let other people do things for me. Managing the baby was totally fine, it was DS who was 2 at the time who was trickier. If you just have the baby to look after you'll be ok.

It was definitely painful moving about etc but manageable, I was back to driving by day 10.

It's obviously not a recommended route but is is possible, if not much fun. Just keep on top of your pain medication.

Do you have a bed downstairs? I think it would be more of a struggle if sleeping on a sofa.

Oh and yes, tell hospital you have no one at hone and stay in as long as you can!

I have had 2 c sections, neither very traumatic. Didn’t have painkillers probably because the nerves around my scar are still numb 18 years later.

The only thing I found was I could not hold anything heavier than the baby. Being in hospital I needed more help for the first 24 hours than the nurses could give me. Things like I had packed everything that was needed but couldn’t get to the bag it was in.

Also at home for the first few days things that needed anything that even slightly relied on stomach muscles, lifting a car seat, pushing a pram unless on a completely flat surface was impossible.

However I was back driving a car all be it an automatic and very slowly and carefully at 10 days (no issues with insurance company).

I know some people have traumatic c sections but some have no issues.

The only thing I would say is when in hospital ask someone to put your case at arms length. You will not be able to stretch. And before you leave home make sure everything you will be eating and drinking and needing is out on the kitchen surface. Also I would say you need to have showers instead of baths at the start.

Good luck

Oh and have somewhere safe to put baby while upstairs/downstairs and remember it won't kill them to cry for 1 minute while you go to loo/make some food. Don't rush around and remember you have needs too, the baby needs you to be safe and well.

Just remember everyone's recovery is different and take all offers of help! I have had two emergency sections, first one my ds had to be transported to a different hospital that day for surgery so I was over there the next day and then back to my own. That went on for a couple of days. I managed, it was sore but not the worst ever.
Second one I bloody did the grocery shopping on the way home, wasn't my best idea ever! Exdh just stayed in the car......

some of these comments i was dragging a double buggy up 6 flights of stairs after my first emcs as i had no choice and live in a flat with no lift! mw and hv knew my situation and didnt provide any extra help. didnt affect my recovery. cant life a kettle you will be surprised what you can do when you have no choice. I had other kids at home, still managed just fine.

I could mobilise after the spinal block wore off and after 2 days I had to go back to normal caring for my dad and kids. I managed it. I pushed the buggy to and from school after 3 days and used the bottom to carry shopping.
I would advise delivery of heavy shopping and as soon as the stitches pull stop.
Rubbish I had to take out in little bags.
It all depends on how good you are at recovery.
I would recommend resting as much as you can.

your key is going to be do the minimum. Sort yourself out a lady to clean for a month if you can - only needs to be a short time but she can then tidy, hoover and dust but also make sure bathroom and kitchen clean. Little and often will also be useful, so when in bath clean then with a lick and a promise rather than big scrub, get wipes for the loo and do swipe round every day again lick and promise rather than super clean. Make sure you have clean bedding on before going in and when needs changing wait for a visitor and get them to do it for you. Just ask people to help with those things people really don't mind putting a sheet and duvet on or shoving a wash load on and hanging out etc. Have a chair by the washing line to put basket on to avoid stress on body, and even bring things in in small piles rather than all one go.

I had an emergency c section that wasn't a great experience and 2 weeks later had to do everything including getting on bus with buggy and baby bag to go to Dr to have stitches/wound checked.

I was lucky baby was only 4lb when we went home! If I went upstairs would put baby in sling so weight was part of me and also so had two arms free to help with going upstairs

Plan on having a big order of shopping just before you go in and include nappies, wipes etc so you don't have to order get delivered put away etc for a couple of weeks.

I used a moses basket downstairs for naps for baby as it meant less carrying around and up and down, they don't care where they are first few weeks and I was lucky to be able to use that for around 3 months.

I was with DH but he was working away alot of the time during the week so I just had to get on.

Its easier with out other children as there are no messes to clean up so if you keep tidy then no tidying to do etc. Washing I did little and often and I got myself a smaller trug for washing so wasn't heavy.

Things on wheels are useful to for transporting things around. Walking itself was generally OK so worst part was getting up from bed or chair etc, so you have to "go granny" you can get raising feet for sofas and chairs and a foam piece to go under or behind cushions just for the short term it all really helps.

”She hasn’t mentioned a prolonged stay due to recovery but I presume she will cross that bridge when I get there!”

Please don’t wait for her to do something. Tell her you will not have another adult with you and so you will need help and ask her what the plan for that help will be. Tell her really clearly your circumstances. And then tell them again when you are admitted. And tell them again on the postnatal wars. And yes, tell them yet again when they begin to talk discharge with you. You need to be proactive and you can’t rely on communication between all the people who care for you being perfect. Tell EVERYONE every time and ask for the help you will need. And ask for really clear indications d when you should seek help once discharged.

Also great tip from someone up thread about your phone on you and charged at all times. If you had a fall or something, that would be invaluable.

I’m glad you have a plan already for coming home, good stuff. Best wishes.

I've had three sections, the first was an emergency, the following two were elective. I recovered far quicker from my elective ones. After my second, DH couldn't get time off work and worked night shift for the first week, so effectively I was looking after a toddler and newborn at the time more or less by myself. As long as you don't try and overdo it, you should be ok.

Take at least three days in hospital and all the pain relief they'll give you. The second day was usually the worst pain wise for me.

If you're planning on bottle feeding, then buy ready made formula for the first few weeks so you're not constantly up and down making bottles up.

Easy to make food, lots of fruit and veg, orange juice to help with post op constipation, snacks nearby, and a few good box sets.

Take any help that's offered from friends.

Good luck op.

I did. Was single, alone and in a new town where I didn’t know anyone so completely on my own, no visitors/friends/family to help and the only person I saw was the health visitor. Tbh l I was fine (took me 10 weeks to recover fully so not very mobile but I managed). Not saying it was a walk in the park but it’s perfectly doable. I also lived in a flat with no lift so had to lug baby and pram up and down then when I wanted to leave.

Can only give you my experience but I would have been fine on my own (if a little lonely). I was discharged the day after my section and was up and walking as soon as I could feel my legs again. It hurt a lot but you can definitely do it. The hardest but was going from lying/sitting to standing but I can’t see how someone else helping would make that any easier. Have a biiiiiiig bottle of water that you can just refill a couple of times a day and keep it close, buy loads of paracetamol and ibuprofen now so you have them in and get plenty of snacks that you can prepare and eat one handed. I went for a short walk on day 2 with the pram and actually found it easier to walk whilst pushing it. If you’re planning to breast feed have plenty of nipple cream around the house and buy lots of maternity pads (not the type of thing you might want to ask visitors to pick up for you). Good luck and enjoy some really special time just the two of you when your little one arrives x

You’ll be fine OP. I had a cat 1 EMCS after 5 days of labour and no sleep. Was catheterised for 24 hours and then up to the loo etc on my own straight after that. The midwives won’t discharge you until you can get to the toilet on your own. I’ve no idea why some people are saying you can’t go to the loo on your own for a week or why you can’t lift a kettle? They do say don’t lift anything heavier than your baby, but my pretty average sized babies weighed 3kg, and as long as there isn’t 3 litres of water in a kettle it doesn’t weigh 3kg.

If your dad is picking you up and taking you home can you ask him to stay the first night? If he’s local can he come in every day for the first week to help?

It’s good that you have someone to help you get home as that’s a big challenge. As you’ll be unable drive you shouldn’t need to lift the car seat yourself anyway.

If you need shopping, use Waitrose or Ocado as they’ll take the shopping to the kitchen for you.

Camp out downstairs if you have a loo down there.

I've had 2 cesareans. With my first I was absolutely fine, could get in and out of bed easily, stairs were easy to manage and I was out and about within a few days. My second was a lot harder. I managed stairs fine but I could not get myself out of bed for over a week.

The thing is if you have to cope you will cope. I could have carried the car seat on day 3 but I didn’t because I was still healing, particularly on the inside. My friend is a surgeon & she told me to be really strict with what I lifted & do less then i thought i could so I followed that advice. I do find it odd that when i had my appendix out I was kept in for 5 days & on morphine but after a CS i was shipped out so quick.

I’m a single mum and had my dd a year ago. Home second day in the evening around 36 hours after cs.
all the people saying stay in hospital as long as possible, the nurses and midwives didn’t help me at all after the first night. 24 hours after the section, the nurse unplugged the catheter and said “get up and have a shower” and left me to it. The bed was really high and the remote at the end of the bed but i managed.
At home a coped fine. The most difficult but was moving from lying down to sitting so slept upright for a while and lifting baby out of the Moses basket to feed during the night. Daytime was fine. Stairs one foot and two foot together on same step if that makes sense. Went for a walk on the fourth day and slowly built up stamina. Didn’t have any appetite for a month or two so used protein shakes to keep calories going in. Didn’t have any problems sitting on floor to put baby on the play mat but changed her on a changing table. Perfectly manageable and was absolutely fine after 10-14 days. Driving at 4 weeks.

You sound like you've planned ahead well!

It's entirely individual, but for what it's worth, I struggled quite a bit for the 1st week but then things like getting up & down and in & out of bed, etc got easier & I managed a short pram walk on day 6.

By the time hubby went back to work after 3wks, I was pretty much back to normal & I started driving again at 5wks.

Good luck!!

Hi, I've not got time to RTFT but wanted to say that I have done this and it was hard but fine. I had my section, went home 24 hours later and was then alone with my newborn and to be honest I loved it . There was some pain and difficulty getting up off the couch etc. But just kept on top of my pain medication and was ok. The main thing was I don't think I really bathed as often as I should the first week after a major op because of how busy I was with my baby, but I didn't have a shower installed so didn't have that as a quick option.

I was fine to lift and do whatever chores needed doing. The advice that was previously to lift nothing heavier than baby has changed to only lift what you can comfortably. So most household things are fine, but perhaps don't decide to get heavy boxes down from the loft.

In the end I found sitting still made me feel stiff and sore, getting on with things as usual (albeit a lot slower) was much better. Don't go mad though, most chores can wait until you feel better. I'll never forget the health visitor who was criticising me for not having vaccumed 3 days after my section .

Just be kind to yourself and focus on yours and baby's needs

You need to approach it as if you were making a birth plan - how you want it to be, and what to do in less than ideal scenarios. It's dependent on luck as to what kind of state you will be in afterwards.

It's all good hoping for the best but having a baby is exhausting, as is a c-section and it's better to do your thinking now. If you can't get out of bed or cook etc, what will you do? There's no harm in asking friends if they could stay over if need be. It's what friends are for. People love being around newborns (for a limited period at least!)

Talk to your midwife about it too. There might be a charity or group nearby you could call on if need be. I really wouldn't just leave it and hope for the best.

I will be very hard on you.
If you do too much you can cause yourself damage. Take care.