Advice on recovery after c section

[flumppootle]

Can anyone give me some real advice on what it is like to recover from a c section please? Especially those who also have other children to care for. I am concerned about things like school runs etc?

Do you mean Arnica? It's a lotion or cream that yoy get from chemist

OOps Thanks WWoB ! I did mean arnica, do you know of any paritcular brand of cream ?
I have only heard of this in terms of homeopathic remedies or is it the same thing ? Sorry a bit confused.

flump, you asked about pushing the buggy for a 10 min school run, presumably 20 min in total. My stitches were not dissolvable and before they were removed, pulled slightly when I moved. They are usually removed after 5 days, whereupon I felt like a free woman.

Assuming your school run does not involve lifting, I would feel able to do so after, oh, a week, but very gently and slowly. Having said that, I would advise still giving yourself at least 2 weeks before you start on a school run.

Mothers always try to accommodate others but I think everyone should know you are laid up for 2 weeks and normal services resume earliest after 2 weeks. So get your dh to do it. Also, every woman's recovery is different. So always listen to your body and err on the safe side

sorry don't know much about arnica, but hot baths with sea salt added really helped my scar to heal. after my first cs i needed 4 blood transfusions and did'nt drive or do much for about 5-6 weeks, but was ok after that. after my second cs i was driving after 2 weeks and felt really good. i think that your recovery will be faster if you can try and do as little as possible for the first few weeks - just stay in bed. btw i could not hoover for at least a month.

Best to ask the pharmacist, but I know it comes in a tube and is good for healing/bruising. Don't know any particular brand but I'm sure Boots will do it. Good Luck!

flump - arnica tablets available. i got mine from a homeopathic chemist but i would imagine places like boots do them. they really helped

Yes, you can get tablets but obviously the cream is for topical use on the actual scar.

Been told today that I will be having a CS on Monday. I have bought Arnica tablets and tea tree oil. What is the best way to use the tea tree oil? Is it best to add it to bath water, in which case, how much should I put in?

harry - i just started with it in a the basin in the bathroom - some warm water and a few drops - then using a washer or anything like that - pat your wound do not wipe it iyswim. I would do that morning when I got up/had shower and then evening when getting ready for bed. Also had a roll of paper towels ( had a paper towel dispenser in the bathroom at hosp) and blotted the wound dry - just folded over a number of sheets and pressed it lightly against the wound. Handy using paper towels as you can just toss them when done. No baths in our hospital so showers which is why I bathed the wound that way.

arnica in tablet form and I took it as soon as I got back to my hospital room/ward after the surgery.

All the best for Monday Harry.

Good luck Harry on Monday

Would completely agree with everyone who said Arnica - I got some super strength stuff (200c I think, instead of the normal 30c) and took that for the few days after the operation. I'm pretty sure that it helped, as I felt next to no pain after just ten days. You can get that from helios.co.uk, along with the normal strength tablets.

I also used tea tree oil in the bath for a good month afterwards, particularly if I was feeling any pulling on the scar.

The other thing to think about - and I know this sounds really trivial - is pants. Normal ones finish just where your scar is, so you need huge granny ones that come up to your waist - and I've only just stopped wearing them, two months after the c-section, so it's worth getting some good ones!

And good luck Harry on mon - I had an emergency section, and it wasn't half as bad as I thought it would be!

just re remedies - the homeopath that i was seeing before my first son was born suggested taking arnica a day or two before the birth, as well as after. and also recommends a mother tincture of hypercal (i think its hypericum and calendular) for topical application. i used the former and healed well, only actually used the hypercal for cracked nipples when breastfeeding but v effective.

good luck flump and harry

Thanks for the advice ladies.

Am going in for my first steroid injection tommorrow to make sure that baby's lungs are well developed. Anyone had these injections before - what are they like?

5 days to go!