Post c section tips for a terrified mum to be

[ReD96]

Please can everyone give me their top c section recovery tips?
I am absolutely terrified, it may be irrational but I’d say a c section is up there with my biggest fears but baby is breech and I can’t have a ECV because
mine and babies heart beats have been elevated the past 4 weeks.
it will be a few weeks before Christmas and I already have 3 kids at home and my husband only gets a week paternity leave

You’ll be fine. I know everyone is different but I found the recovery fine - just take it as easy as you can that first week. Keep on top of your pain meds and lots of lactulose. I slept propped up on pillows first few nights and then it eased off. By day 7 I walked to the local coffee shop and 10 days later was out for lunch - best of luck and try not to worry

Get a rope and tie to the bottom of your bed frame, you you can pull yourself into a sitting position.

Honestly, it isn't that bad at all. Keep paracetamol and ibuprofen with you at all times and take strictly to time at max doses. Have upstairs and downstairs bed set up for baby, ideally at cot height to minimise bending, ditto for nappy changes. But you'll surprise yourself how quickly you bounce back. Having said that, your DH is on hoovering and housework duties for at least a month, and you must take things slowly for the first couple of weeks even if you feel well. Your kids will understand and I'm sure will enjoy fussing over you!

Aww you’ll be fine! My biggest advice as someone who’s had a c section is keep up with the pain meds! I didn’t and ended up ringing an ambulance because of…. Trapped wind pain! Mortified but my excuse was I was delirious ha ha! But it’ll all be good! Xx

Oh please don’t worry too much! Everyone if different but my c section was absolutely fine! I kept on top of my pain meds and barely felt a thing. Was up on a short walk on day 3.

TAKE CARE OF YOUR BOWELS. Lots of water and veg. I didn’t feel the need to go for ages so didn’t actually know I was constipated. Really struggled for a good few months with constipation due to the meds. But as long as you drink plenty of water and eat veg and keep things moving it’s literally fine. Maybe a Laxido or 2 to aid.

Rest.
No lifting.

I know everyone is different but I recovered really well and hardly felt a thing z

I had an EMCS and honestly it was the easiest part of the whole pregnancy for me. I was up and showered by 4pm (C-section at 2am), dressing was taken off by about midday though I know that varies by trust.
keep on your ibuprofen and paracetamol on schedule, even if you feel good. By the time you’re uncomfortable it’s ’too Late’ so better to keep on a routine at least for a week to se how you feel. If they give you anything strong (codeine based) ask for lactulose alongside and some peppermint oil as it messes with your guts. I ended up needing a suppository to have a poo in the end, the constipation was no joke.
Everyone is different but I did a 5km dog walk after two weeks, drove at 3 weeks and had him in a carrier on me (7lb 8oz at birth) at around 3 weeks as husband had gone back to work and I needed to walk the dog.
Keeping your wound clean and dry is important, after a shower you need to let it dry properly. I got a small infection because I wore jeans too early and it got rubbed and sweaty but otherwise it healed very well.

My top tip with C-section is to get a few wrap tops, ideally with a bit of stretch in them. I had some as maternity wear, but they were the best thing post-birth too, it felt like they were holding me together, really supportive.

Take it as easy as you can, say "yes" to every offer of support, take painkillers round the clock, and it's honestly fine. Both my sections had an easier recovery than my laparoscopy.

If you're scared of the surgery itself, say so to the staff. They will look after you 🫂

My top tips are:

Keep on top of pain relief
Drink lots of water
Plenty of fibre (l made a double batch of jam flapjacks a few days before mine -the oats were great for rough and the jam was great for the sugar)
Getting in and out of bed is tough so do it SLOWLY
Don't do any housework -l have heard too many stories of ruptured stitches from hoovering
Take BIG knickers for afterwards. Think massive granny style that are cotton and 2-3 sizes bigger than normal

You will be fine OP I promise. I am petrified of surgery and despite that the actual experience was lovely, I have fond memories of it. My mum, who had two emergency CS in the 80s, gave me this advice

• try to get up and move a bit as soon as you can, don’t be scared
• stand up straight, don’t hunch over
• keep on top of pain relief
• have something tied to the bed to help you pull yourself up at home at first

The worst thing about it by far was the constipation, I didn’t think about that and therefore didn’t do anything about it until it was too late 🫣 other than that I was honestly fine. Out and about going for a coffee day 4, 5k dog walk 2 weeks after, running again at 6 weeks. Probably the quickest recovery from a surgery I’ve ever had and you can barely see the scar, I find it baffling how they got a baby out of there! Good luck x

Use the controls on the hospital bed! No one actually bothered to tell me this.

Keep up painkillers for 2 weeks. Don’t let them fob you off with paracetamol and ibruprofen. You want strong meds for atleast a week on top of ibu and para.

Dulcoease stool softeners. Take them post op and keep taking them for 2/3 weeks.

At 2 weeks PP use compression briefs. These are my favourite. Buy a size up as you will still have a bump. https://www.next.co.uk/style/su956136/u28042

If you can afford it have scar therapy. Starting at 6 weeks I had Winback tecar therapy, massage, lympotouch and used silicone sheets.

After 3 months use Savlon scar gel. I tried lots of expensive silicone gels and actually this one was the best, overnight differences, and cheap as chips. Slather it on.

If you can afford it have 1-1 Pilates physio once a week for a year starting at 6 months PP to fix up your pelvic tilt and transverse abdominus.

It’s going to be fine. It will hurt. But you will be ok I promise 👌

i can understand your fear. Definitely agree don’t reduce pain meds too quickly.

Watch for bending/anything using abdominal muscles as they were really weak/non-existent for a bit.
We went out and bought a changing table for downstairs as standing was the only comfortable way to change nappies for me.

Definitely look after yourself, I got a urine infection a few days after. I’m reasonably sure it was just not drinking enough etc.

Nothing really to add that others haven't mentioned, just wanted to say you'll be absolutely fine! C-section was the last thing I wanted, but I ended up in an emcs and (now, after having experienced it) I'd do it all over again. Recovery is much easier than you'd imagine.

As others have said:

Keep on tops of your meds
Watch out for constipation
No hoovering!

Best of luck x

My advice would be to rest as much as possible, before and after. Start right now. I found my c section recovery difficult but I think I was doing too much and pushing myself too soon.

Agree with all posts with pain relief and also to take a supplement for fibre so you can go to the bathroom with ease for a few days. The doctors will probably cover all that.

The only other thing is I needed rest but suddenly newborn on hand and on meds - felt a bit groggy and overwhelmed. If you can get extra hands for the first few nights, definitely bring them in! My husband did the first nappy change and all that while I was still zonked out for a few hours. The medical staff is also on hand to help. They have seen it all before! Good luck what a lovely Xmas surprise. My DD was born not long before Xmas and now she is 3! C-section worries are long forgotten!

My dh took 2 weeks annual leave tacked on to pat leave - can ypur dh do that.

Note he can also take unpaid parental leave (google it)

Re csection
Elcs is a breeze compared to emcs.

Peppermint tea post surgery and dont be too scared about post.surgery poo. I was TERRIFIED and with both my sections and it was a total nonevent / fine tbh

Do not use hairdryer to dry wound it can introduce infection - air dry with a hand held paper fan or repurpose your baby pram fan! (otherwise you are there all week waitong to air dry)
Wait until wound is healed and then use xxl elastoplast silicone strips or similar.
Dont ignore your.pelvic floor just because it wasnt a vaginal birth. Get a PostPartum MOT from a good physio if you can.
Make a snack station / baby station upstairs as well as living room.

Bring a playlist for the surgery!

Good luck!

As veteran of two c-sections, I can tell you there really isn't anything to be terrified about. If it's all done well, you are able to do ordinary stuff you need to do within days, probably not much longer than a vaginal birth. I don't know why there is still this idea put about that you'll be totally incapable for weeks and weeks after a section, it's really not the case, especially if it's planned. Emergency ones are a bit harder to recover from because you'll likely have been in labour for some time and will obviously be under more strain. The constipation isn't inevitable, I didn't get it either time but all the same take the advice about JIC.

I'd also say that my scar is barely visible and was that way within a few years - I didn't treat it with anything.

I had an emcs with my second and an elective with my 3rd because it was a much more relaxed and relaxing experience with a significantly shorter recovery time than my vaginal birth (inc episiotomy which became infected - it's much easier to keep a c-section incision clean and dry than an episiotomy!).

I had wound spray to use on the incision to keep it clean without using anything harsh or needing to touch it. I had bamboo pyjamas because they are so soft, and stretchy enough to accommodate a lot of different combinations of breastfeeding and keeping my incision protected, allowing airflow etc

I made sure the staff knew that I couldn't take NSAIDS so they prescribed me alternative painkillers - with my 2nd I didn't mention it until I was about to be discharged and I had to wait ages for the next Dr's rounds to get a prescription, so if that might apply to you it's worth bearing in mind!

Good luck - it really is a great way to give birth even if it isn't your first choice. 💐

I've had 2. The recovery from my EMCS was actually alot easier than my subsequent ELCS but they were both fine.

Take all the painkillers. Peppermint tea and lactose. Get out of bed slowly- that was the hardest part for me. The bandages they now use are pretty good at minimising any infection. You can still successfully establish breastfeeding after a c section. Rest!

I found the walk back to the carpark after my second c section very painful and I wish I'd got DH to pull it nearer.

I had DD on the Tuesday and was out and about by the Saturday as it was bloody Easter weekend! I don't actually recommend dashing around but you can definitely do stuff if you need to.

Thankyou so much everyone for your advice and reassurance! It definitely makes me feel a lot better after hearing nothing but horror stories and the idea of being laid up incapable for 6 weeks

Some great tips, would also add Chrissi Gallagher Murphy has a n.boom called Caesarian Recovery which has lost of advice from post birth movement to returning to exercise.

You might also want to look up natural c section tips for ideas on how to make even a section feel less medical. I would have liked to ask for like having the baby put straight onto me if possible as it felt like it was a big gap before I got to see hold him. Vaginal microbiome swabbing is something you might also want to consider.

Oh and if you're planning to breastfeed, be aware it can take longer for your milk to come in after a section so don't worry. I had a section, pain was well managed and after a rocky start went on to breastfeed successfully.

1. you are having a planned C-section. This makes a huge difference to the actual procedure and your recovery. You will not have laboured so you won't be exhausted from that. The exhaustion (and often trauma) of an EMCS makes it harder to recover from. The fact it's planned makes it easier for surgeons - there's less likelihood of something going wrong (they are performing the surgery when you aren't labouring for starters - that means neater surgery with less errors).
2. I'm not good with pain. I struggled the first 24hrs getting out of bed. But you need to get out of bed asap for various reasons. Expect the first 24 hrs to be rough. But it was manageable. I suspect a lot less painful than labour tbh. You could have all manner of complications with labour and have a slow recovery so it's not really that different. It's just in a different place.
3. I was discharged within 48hrs. I really should have been discharged earlier in the day but they couldn't find someone to sign me off. We had to stop off at Tesco on the way home because it was later than planned (i6 hours of waiting to get discharged in the end so DH couldn't just nip off to get something to eat). I walked around one of those massive fuck off Tesco Extras whilst DH carried DS. I was sore but it was manageable.
4. Keep on top of meds. As long as you do, it's fine. But yeah don't try and be a hero!
5. I went to a summer fayre five days later. Just a potter around and take it easy. Sat down when needed. This is a far cry from bedridden for six weeks.
6. I probably could have driven sooner than six weeks. I didn't because I didn't have to. Tbh I had more issues before giving birth because I couldn't get behind the steering wheel and still reach the pedals!
7. Your biggest issue is your kids jumping on you and over doing in with cooking and cleaning etc. Batch cook before and have no shame about ready meals - this is where you SHOULD use them. Your house SHOULD look like a pig sty. This is where your DH needs to step up.
8. Do lots of sitting on your backside watching mindless TV. This is ok. Do not feel guilty. Enjoy it.
9. I had no issues with constipation. In fact DS being gone solved that particular issue.

Honestly, a lot of the horror stories are about Emergency C-sections - a planned C-section is almost a different procedure because of the circumstances and risks. Don't sweat it.

Oh and I had no issue with milk coming in. Indeed I had too much milk.

Everyone is different but I genuinely didn't find it too difficult. I had baby in a wrap sling two days after my emergency c section.

I found getting up from bed a little difficult at times but other than that, it was fine.

I agree with what everyone said about looking after your bowels and resting and getting pants that come up to your belly button!

Keep a cushion handy to squeeze against the scar if you need to sneeze or cough. And take very good care of the scar so it doesn't get sore and infected.

Once out of hospital, my recovery from an EMCS was harder than the VBAC that followed it, but actually easier and less painful than my first (vaginal) delivery.

I was driving an automatic after a week, and could have managed earlier except I was worried the insurance company would think I was mad!

Also remember you can note your birth preferences for an EMCS as well as a natural birth. I chose the music, chose delayed cord cutting, made my own cord tie, breastfed the baby immediately, and so on.

My elc was great, far easier to recover from in comparison to my first birth with forceps, even though I had a 2 year old to look after with my ELC! However these are my tips!

1. Keep on top of meds, set an alarm to take regularly rather than waiting to be in pain

1. Peppermint tea for trapped wind (even if you think you don’t have it).

1. I suffer with constipation thanks to a rectocele from my first birth, but I would recommend to everyone to have a fleet/cleen phosphate enema at home for emergencies as I struggled to get one over the counter and had to wait 4 days for delivery! No glamorous but it was a god send!!

1. The sooner you get (gently) moving, the easier. By this I mean walking to the kitchen, not the shops!!

1. I found wearing a belly support band really made walking around more comfortable the first few weeks. The midwives in hospital recommended holding a pillow against your tummy as you stand up for the first few days after, which also weirdly helped!

1. You’ll naturally hunch over after, but this will do your back no favours, try to regularly gently raise your arms above your head when you remember!

I had an emergency c section 3 years ago as I was in labour for 4 days and then baby moved to an angle and they had to get him out as meconium was present and he started to get into distress. To be honest I was that tired of it all by then it was such a relief for them to take me to theatre. The operation was so quick and baby was in my arms very quickly. I had him on the thursday afternoon, friday morning I was up and walking the ward and by friday evening I was heading home!
As for the recovery I really didn't find it that bad. Yes its a bit sore on the scar after for a while and its a little painful getting up and down for a few days but my recovery was pretty fast all in all. Just make sure you follow their advice on taking care of the scar including keeping it clean and covered and just take it as easy as you can. Make sure to eat lots of fibre and drink lots of water after as opening your bowels after can be a bit interesting in the first few days!