Recovering after C-Section

[AugustRose]

My niece had her first baby yesterday by c-section after a failed induction. As neither I nor my sister had a section I'm just looking for ideas to her assist her recovery as I am a bit clueless.

Any good vitamins/supplements, or nice bath things that are gentle on the scar, etc Cushions to use when feeding (not sure if she'll be BF) and sitting.

Any ideas appreciated thank you.

It's lovely that you're thinking of ways to help out ☺️
I think from memory she can't have a bath for 6 weeks, only a shower. So maybe a lovely gentle shower gel instead? A big pillow that she can use for feeding but also she can hold against her stomach when she coughs or laughs as I seem to remember that being quite painful for a while! Easy to eat snacks to keep her going so she doesn't have to keep getting up. A sports style bottle for drinks.

Hope she recovers quickly and congratulations on your great niece/nephew.

She may prefer showering for a week or so (scar needs to heal, and soaking it in baty may not help..). May also be very sore at scar, especially standing up and sitting back down. I had 2, and people seem v variable - I was in a lot of pain for about a week, but close to normal after 2 - some people were almost running around after a day tho!
Lifting the baby from low down may be hard for her, and she might like a higher comfy chair than most sofas, to avoid the getting up and down for a few days.

Big knickers, with elastic well above the scar, are also v useful for the first few weeks (disposable ones may have elastic that sits on the scar -aaargh!).

I believe your tummy tends to take longer to shrink back after a c section (something about the body not reacting the same due to not completing birth process..). But it will go in time, reassure her if she's worried.
Hope you and she enjoy the new baby :-).

Oh I never thought about the bath/shower thing. I going to see if she needs a feeding cushion and big knickers oh the joys of childbirth!

I'll buy her some nice snacky treats too.

Shower gel on a hook!
Slip on shoes
Water bottle with a sports cap so she can drink lying down.

Lots of things to reduce her need to bend over!

Big pants for while yet
High (or very low) waisted soft trousers or dresses (Harlem/yoga pants with the turn over top are ideal)
Some people swear by arnica for the bruising, some say its quackery. I took it post c-s because it's always helped bring out the bruising from mountain bike crashes!

If she is still in hospital, ask for a physio to come and see her and show her how to get out of bed without pressurising her scar.

6 foot charger cable (amazon) makes having the phone/tablet plugged in without having to bend in funny positions sooo much easier.

2 V-shaped pillow, but flattish ones. One for behind the back, one for resting baby on when feeding.

Refillable Litre bottle Nice juice, I was sooo thirsty. I drank gallons of water a day when ds was tiny.

And proper painkillers, don't let them fob her off with paracetamol, I was discharged with dihydrocodeine.

Arnica oil to perform massage on the scar to help it heal nicely (my Physio recommended this) I also wore a bellybandit tummy support when I started lifting at 8 weeks as it gave me some support (mothercare sell them)

Thank you for the suggestions, I'll mention to my sister about the painkillers as niece won't stand up for herself. Despite having 9 months to get used to the idea I think the birth has been quite a shock. Hoping she'll be OK after some sleep (well maybe!).

You can experience very painful trapped wind after a csection. It's sometimes felt as shoulder pain. For me that was more painful than the csection. If she does get it then peppermint will help. The hospital may provide peppermint tablets while she's in, alternatively peppermint cordial or sweets that contain peppermint oil will help.

Keep on top painkillers. Take them every 4-6 hours as recommended regardless of feeling any pain, as soon as you stop doing that is when the pain starts. I was discharged with no painkillers as they say paracetamol & ibuprofen are sufficient. Luckily I had some at home but worth stocking up for her just in case.

Lots of good suggestions already posted!

I would add (slightly curveball option):
www.amazon.co.uk/ALUMINIUM-REACHING-MOBILITY-ASSISTANCE-MAGNETIC-x/dp/B002R0005Q/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1501518637&sr=8-4&keywords=grabber&tag=mumsnetforum-21

A litter picker/grabber to help her get things out of reach/on the floor without bending. Also came in useful for me later when baby would only nap in the sling and I wanted to get the laundry done!

Lovely that you're being so thoughtful, all the best to you and your sis.

*and the best to your niece of course - forgot to read the OP properly!

ooh helly29 that looks handy, especially when Dsis and her DP have gone back to work and she's on her own.

A litter picker was a godsend for me as I couldn't bend far enough to reach the floor!