Help me make your c section better

[greenfooted]

So after two emcs I am booked in for an elective in the next couple of weeks. My emcs have been ok (not crash but not pleasant either) but looking for tips for before, during and after. Here’s what I was thinking/ have done before:

• nice meal late night before with hubby
• book/iPad with something I am interested in as I won’t know where I am on the list
• headphone and playlist
• delayed cord clamping and skin on skin for duration
• packed lunch
• big pants
• dressing to keep wound dry
• ideally stay in hospital for two nights
• retreat to bed for rest of week DH and DMIL on hand to sort other DC, cooking etc !

Anything else?

Good luck. I loved my planned c sections, they were so relaxing compared to my crash one.

Take in your own pillow. There was a wholly inadequate pillow in the hospital bed.

I would say to check there will be adequate pain relief offered by the hospital afterwards. It might be worth taking your own painkillers in just in case. I was not happy to be offered only paracetamol after my last one.

I loved having my music play in theatre so am pleased to see you have a playlist on your list!

I’d add:

• pay for a private room if you can.
• bring your own pillow. The plastic coated hospital ones made me feel sweaty.
• huge soft bath sheet so you can wrap it right round you after that first shower.
• arnica for the bruising. Weirdly although the wound was way neater I was much more bruised after my ELCS compared to my EMCS.
• maternity yoga pants in a dark colour for after. Can be worn as PJs or for going home as they are presentable.
• make up bag and dry shampoo - I liked to feel a bit more “done” before having visitors.
• syringes of frozen expressed breast milk if you plan to breastfeed (to take the pressure off if you can’t feed right away).

Good luck!

Oh - and if you have a private room, or can transfer somewhere calm like a small community hospital, then stay I’d stay a third night. I did last time and I think it helped with the recovery (no toddler trying to climb on me in hospital!)

Watch them come out? It's amazing if you aren't too squeamish.

Start taking arnica and calendula homeopathic tablets now, helped me heal super fast, was driving (with very surprised consultant's permission) 10 days after my c section.

Did you @Dinosauratemydaffodils? I am not usually squeamish but chickened out. The only person I know who did is a paediatric consultant so she was very cool with the whole process. DH watched them lift our DC out and a med student who was there took an excellent photo for us (which I would love to have up somewhere but am worried it is a bit gory!)

@ProseccoPoppy With my 2nd yes. I hallucinated through dc1's eviction and it took me a long time to believe he was mine therefore seeing dc2 still attached to me was really important. It was absolutely brilliant, she started yelling before she was even half way out, lots of black hair in a mohawk stuck up with blood and gunk with this grumpy look on her face. They left the screen down whilst the cord pulsed, towelled her off next to me and then put her straight on my chest. I also got to see the scar tissue they cut out (very little) and my placenta which the midwife with us tried to make me take home with me. I would absolutely recommend to anyone.

Sounds amazing! Something I’ll definitely bear in mind if I have another. Thanks @Dinosauratemydaffodils

Wow some great suggestions - although am probably more likely to opt for the arnica tablets and pillow than watching ! Of course title should say ‘my’ csection not your!

@BradleyPooper, what strength tablets do you take and what is the dosage?