Tips to make csection recovery easier?

[wjg65ka]

Hi,

I had an ELCS with my DS 21 months ago, he was a big baby and I have severe keloid scars, so they wanted to avoid the risk of tearing. I found the recovery really difficult initially (also think I was really naive assuming it wouldn't be so bad)

I had no complications following the csection and my scar has healed, albeit a giant keloid but I expected that

Does anyone have any ideas on what to expect or what can help me recover the second time round?

DS2 is due in less than 5 weeks, he's measuring big but not as big as DS1. This time he's breech and I have placenta previa so that, along with the scarring issues is the reason for this ELCS.

Any helpful tips? I'm getting quite anxious this time around even though I know what to expect, it's a strange feeling.

Can you teach ds to get safely up and down the stairs so that you aren't carrying him? Obviously with you holding a hand while he's bum shuffling, not entirely unsupervised!

Buy a grabber stick on-line and also one of those car cushions that helps you turn in your seat in order to get in and out.

Also a big triangular pillow helped me to stay upright in bed (even better if you have a grab hoist above your bed to pull yourself up but that's usually not available outside hospital).

Any chance of your partner or mum getting some time off work to help you? Or friends cooking for your freezer?

Get help? DH had 3 months off & parents & childminder helped with older dc.

We got cook meals delivered but my CS wasn't planned as such. Batch cook meals.

Batch cook meals now. Make sure you partner can take at least a month off and if he or she can't then have someone on hand to help, even if all they do is take your ds off your hands for a few hours a day. Would you be able to afford dropping him at a childminders for a few hours a day if you have no family or friends that could help? What about getting a cleaner in once a week or outsourcing laundry?

Don't underestimate how long it takes to recover, fingers crossed you will feel fine but remember how many internal layers need to heal so don't push yourself.

@Findahouse21 DS can get up the stairs safely (with me behind him) we haven't worked on getting down yet, I hadn't even thought of that

@minniebin I have help, I have 4 weeks off university and DH is taking 4 months mat leave so I will 100% have more help than the first time round, but I'll have less time at home this time so I want to make sure I can recover safely and within 4 weeks

There's a book called Caesarian recovery by Chrissie Gallagher Mundy that has a lot of tips on how to move pre and post section for best recovery.

@UnaOfStormhold thank you!

Just really rest then for the 4 wks if you need to back at uni after.

peppermint tea/water for trapped wind