ELCS Recovery Tips

[bumpit]

Hi All,

I’m due to have a c section in Feb. For those that have had c sections (particularly ELCS) what would your best recovery tips be?

Rest!

Seriously, rest and don't feel guilty about it.

The best thing I did was keeping fit up to the date of my section (walking and swimming mainly). I really think that helped me bounce back quickly. And whilst rest is very important, gentle movement after the section is good too.

Get moving ASAP. Keep taking painkillers even if not in pain at the beginning, it's harder to get on top of than keep on top of.

Bring your own stash of ibuprofen and paracetamol.

I had an EMCS at 2200 catheter was out and I showered at 1000. I didn't have much pain at all, apart from speed bumps o the way home.

Keep on top of pain killer religiously, before the last ones wear off.

Rest (as much as possible with a new baby) as you honestly do not want to overdo it as you'll think you're fine until you suddenly aren't.

Be careful turning over in bed - you'll need to do this very slowly, but don't be surprised if you do it in your sleep and are abruptly woken by pain while your body gets used to it and is still healing.

The biggest issue I had was sitting up and getting out of bed. Have your partner give you a hand )whether that is a gentle push or pull) to help, but if on your own, I found hooking a hand behind my knee (with it bent) and pulling myself upright using the momentum of me putting my knee/leg flat again to pull my torso up, as opposed to engaging your abdomen (effectively rocking yourself upright, IYSWIM?).

After my elcs I was feeling fine and so I was trying to get on with doing normal things I'd been looking forward to such as going a short walk. However this was a terrible idea. I'd only been feeling fine because of the strong pain killers I was taking and when the effects wore off I was in a lot of pain. My tip would be take it easy, give your body a chance to recover, try to keep your legs elevated to avoid swelling. Spend the time cuddling your baby as once you are fit and well up on your feet again you'll have a million things to do.

Definitely get up and moving ASAP. I had my ELCS at 10am and was up moving around by late afternoon once they took out the catheter. First few times going to the loo were a little challenging but by the time I was discharged the following day I was feeling so much more mobile. Other than that, rest up and make sure you have giant knickers to wear!

-When you first stand up take a deep breath and stand tall, don't slouch over as it makes it worse. Read that on here and it helped me loads
-Take your own stash of paracetamol and ibuprofen with you, ask to control your own medication and then write a schedule out. Stock up on loads now as you can only buy 2 packs at a time
-Rest, rest, rest
I felt great after 2 weeks and was running around after my toddler

Thanks everyone. I’ve seen on line that peppermint is recommended for digestion/bloating
Did anyone try this?

They brought me a peppermint capsule/tablet on the ward when I was in pain with trapped wind. It really helped.

Take a extra pillow to the hospital, so you can put it under the seat belt when you're discharged. Seatbelt tends to sit right on your scar, so it's good for extra protection! X

I'd read about the peppermint thing but didn't need it as didn't have the trapped wind/shoulder pain some people seem to get. I'd also read that peppermint can affect your milk supply so was wary of using it, don't know if there's any truth in that though?