Tips for c-section and recovery?

[MissMoodyMoo]

Starting to get nervous now.
Is there anything you would recommend getting or doing? From body washes to clothing to medication routine afterward?

Nervous FTM

Im having a section in a couple of weeks, so can’t offer too much advice.
However, apparently huge knickers are a must to stop them rubbing on your scar area, and big comfy trousers (yoga pant style).
Also slip on slippers so you don’t have to bend down.

I’m SO nervous too! 😨

Primark do cheap giant undies and nightdresses with buttons at the top for £5 which is great if breastfeeding

Big knickers and yoga pants are a must. Take a cushion to put under your seatbelt on your lap for the journey home. Take the painkillers and take it easy. I used aloe Vera and witch hazel in my bath afterwards. Don’t know if it was because if that but my scar healed beautifully

Other than that, relax and enjoy it. It was seriously one of the best experiences of my whole life. It was calm and controlled and honestly didn’t hurt. My recovery was very straight forward and if I had another baby in the future, I’d 100% go for another section. My first was natural and I never want to do that again.

Painkillers. It's not crippling but the 'achy and a bit sore' lasts longer than you think so stock up.
Also stock up on easy foods and snacks or pre-cook to freeze and stick in the microwave.
Make sure your pillows are in good nick!

I needed a chair with arms (Ikea Strandmon) to push myself up from a seated position because I couldn’t stand up otherwise. And I needed something to pull myself out of bed with too. That lasted for 2-3 weeks.

I also needed leggings because you have to wear ugly surgical stockings for six weeks so tight legged jeans or dresses are no good.

Get a changing table or set up a changing station on the dining table because you won’t be able to bend over to change the baby on the floor.

Memorise the feeling of touching your tummy because you may not have it afterwards. Apparently it’s really common to be permanently numb from your tummy button to your bikini line but I had no idea.

I had a c-section 4 months ago and have had a very smooth recovery. Take peppermint tea and Windeze for the wind, Fybogel for your bowel movements. Start taking the Fybogel three or four days before. Don't forget to take your painkillers as directed, don't miss doses. Get moving as soon as you can, just really short walks up the corridor to begin with. I was very nervous before the section but it was a beautiful experience and I was very very pleased with how it all went.

Big pants, and pads to put over the scar for a bit of added protection.
Agree, fybogel, or I had a big tub of prunes.
Get someone to bring you the baby for feeds or whatever during the night - don't just muddle on through because you don't want to wake anyone.

Other than that, should be very calm, and good luck! I was terrified, and it was all pretty wonderful.

I actually loved my planned c section! (Had traumatic forceps for first birth)
Paracetamol and ibuprofen
Big knickers and yoga pants
Shower with no soap on scar and pat dry
I had to sleep sitting up for first two nights
Its true that the more you get up and walk around the house, the better it feels
The car ride home...I felt very bump!Not much you can do about that
I wish I'd got my partner to stay over as it was a pain asking for help with the baby.

But it was a great experience and I will opt for that again

I forgot peppermint tea! A must!

Fibrogel. Seriously and o.j. afterwards!

Be prepared for your milk to take longer to come in if your breast feeding. I had my second c-section 3 years ago and wanted to breast feed my daughter but I couldn't as my boobs didn't create enough colostrum for her to have until my milk came in, she was screaming with hunger so had to go onto bottles which she loved after a whole night of crying I'd had beforehand - was a very drained mummy!
My midwife said it can take 7-10 days for the milk to come in after a section but I wasn't prepared to wait. My baby lost a lot of weight through trying to breastfeed before having bottles.

Definitely have mint tea or similar to help with the after pains or polos etc really does help. Xx

Agree with allwalkedout
My (emergency) section 7 months ago was a wonderful, magical experience and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

No pain or fear whatsoever whilst in the theatre. Felt fully informed, cared for and involved throughout. Everyone in the room was smiling and joyful when he came out and my partner and I remember it all with great fondness.

The lovely anaesthetist even took our camera and got photos of the moment our baby was lifted above the little curtain. We weren't bothered about having photos but I am SO GLAD she suggested it as I treasure them now.

They gave v good painkillers so generally no pain afterwards. You do feel fragile and have to take it very very easy though. Agree with needing chairs with arms to brace yourself to get up. I breastfed in an office chair for the first couple of weeks at home for this very reason. There was a fleeting sharp pain occasionally when standing up or sitting down but this is from the stitches pulling apparently, is nothing to worry about and goes away v quickly.

Yes to needing a small cushion or folded shawl to protect the scar area from seatbelt.

My top tip is to take peppermint oil or windeze in your hospital bag. It is very common to get trapped wind after a section. I did and for the first few days whilst staying in hospital the pain and discomfort from trapped wind was much worse than the operation scar. I took peppermint oil when I got home (a drop or two in hot water with honey) and the wind went almost immediately. You need the oil. The Peppermint teabags the midwives might have WILL NOT do.

It was a bit scary to take the dressings off the first time as I wasn't sure what it would look like. However, I was pleasantly surprised how neat and it all was, not horrible at all and v easy to keep clean.

The area was numb for a few months but back to normal now.

Sorry for the essay! I wish you all the best and hope you have as positive an experience as I did.

Try and get some c-section pants not just big pants. They will support your tummy and prevent the overhang lip so common after a c-section.

I had a c-section and my milk came in fine! Colostrum was ready right away and the mill came about a day later after lots of feeding.

I wrote a shopping list for my Dad after some research on the best foods to prevent constipation as I didn't wanna be dealing with anything like that. So you might want to do the same.

Just take it easy and don't worry about any fnacu soaps or whatever. I just used usual shower gel and made sure I didn't get it too close to my scar. Healed amazingly well.

Took me longer than I wanted to be preperly mobile but it definitely helped to move around.

Oh!! And it's hard to explain but to sit myself up from the coach or bed, I would lift my leg and hold onto it and then use my leg to sort of pull myself up. Meant I didn't have to use any stomach muscles. I figured this trick out after about a week and it massively helped.

Sorry that was meant to say don't bother with fancy soaps

And the leg thing... Just put your hands around the knee area and then lower you leg.. It's like using yourself as a counter balance.

I actually noticed my 7 month old doing this to sit herself up!

I also had a very good recovery and didn't do anything special, I did ask to be discharged 20 hours later and they let me, I made sure I was up and about the evening of the birth (section was 2pm) and had a shower and then a wander to the tea room with the baby when DP has left as I think it helped a lot getting up and about, obviously we are all different though, pain wasn't as bad as what I was expecting it just hurt getting from lying to sitting. They didn't give me any pain meds following the section on the ward although I did get a prescription for codeine when I left to take home with me

Oh & just incase you didn’t know, you will bleed after so still pack maternity pads. X

I'd be prepared in case there is a bit of a lag with milk coming in. By that I mean I would make sure I had a lot of time in the first few weeks to work on establishing breastfeeding. Visitors, clean house etc can wait. Lots of skin on skin, lots of time on the breast. If you do need to give formula because the baby loses too much weight, make sure you're pumping milk at every feed, and trying the baby on the breast before giving formula each time.

And big pants.

Chewing gum is supposed to be incredibly helpful for the trapped wind and to restore normal gut function

www.netdoctor.co.uk/parenting/pregnancy-birth/a28314/chewing-gum-caesarean-section-postoperative-ileus/

My tips would be...
To prepare as much as you can. But that’s just for childbirth in general, non just c-section. You (and partner if there is one) should bulk cook some meals. Divide them up into single portions to freeze. Or if you are both non-coolers fill the freeze with easy ready meals to feed yourself.

Get yourself registered with one of the supermarkets that do online food shopping. They normally have a minimum spend of £40. If you need stuff within a few days and finding it difficult to get out then with nappies, wipes etc it’s easy to bulk up a low spend shop.

Really hard to do this one...
make a list and pop it on the fridge of all the odd jobs that would be helpful for guest to do. So people ask “is there anything I can do” point to it and say “these are things my midwife has said I should try to not do for a while”. On the list you can put... hoovering, putting on laundry/handing up washing, changing bedsheets, cleaning bathroom, stacking dishwasher. If people question it say it’s due to the bending and physical effort you’ll need to go through 😉

Yes washing is good. With nothing to it body wash. Nothing worse then stuff getting in and making the section sting.

Just give yourself time. You’ll heal. But not if you are trying to do a marathon every day. New borns don’t need very much. They don’t need long out door time to tire them out etc. They need you, they need changing, they need milk, they need sleep. All that can be provided for while on the sofa. So relax a bit.

Good luck! And enjoy it all xx

Forgot to add - if you're keen to breastfeed, as pp said, your milk can take a little time to come in. Google 'antenatal expression of colostrum' - you can hand express colostrum and store it, so that you have something to be going on with. Or even just learn to hand express - that was enough for my little one right at the start.

A kind woman on the ward (I was in for complications before the section) told me that you don’t feel the anaesthetic being injected (you really don’t) and they check that you can’t feel anything before they start (they do, a lot) — hope this helps you as much as it helped me.
I watched some YouTube videos of sections beforehand, might not be the right thing for everyone but it was for me. At some point they seem to lean on your stomach really hard and it’s good to have an idea of what’s going on.
I felt horrific for the 24 hours post-section but much better very rapidly after that. I bought the big pants etc but didn’t find I needed them.
The trapped wind is excruciating but walking around is the only thing that really helps.