Ultimate Guide to C- Section Recovery
I’ve noticed over the years that people have a lot of strong opinions about the way they give birth. Some of my friends are huge proponents of the all-natural route (doula, water birth, home births or birth center, etc), some of my friends praise God for epidurals, and some delight in scheduled c-sections.
Before I found out about my heart condition, I had hopes of trying to labor naturally (but also not being too hard on myself if I chose to have an epidural). But, once I got transferred to a high risk doctor, I knew that my wishes and hopes needed to be held with a loose hand in order to put the least amount of stress on my heart as possible. I was delighted when I was able to have a vaginal delivery with my first after an extremely long 48-hour induction (read here, if interested). With baby #2, I had a surprise C-Section due to his position and it wrecked me (read his crazy story here). It was devastating to me, I had a rough recovery and honestly had a harder time bonding with my baby at first. The same night that I had D, the nurse told me I could be a great candidate for a VBAC, so I began researching doctors almost immediately to be prepared for number 3. Sadly, the VBAC didn’t go as planned and I had another c-section, but thankfully the recovery hasn’t been as bad as my first c-section. In the end, I am so thankful that my boys are healthy, no matter how they came into the world.
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After having 2 c-sections, here are a few practical tips for recovery:
- Get up and move as soon as you can, but of course don’t over do it. Everyone says this helps, and I definitely agree. Even though it feels like you have no abs, try to get up, try to walk around. I did laps around the hospital floor the evening after E was born.
- Stay on top of pain meds! But if you are like me and get nauseous from narcotics, just tell them NO to the hard corp stuff. I tried to tell them that the first time and even after they gave me Zofran, I ended up throwing up for 24 hours after my first c-section. It was horrible- having your stomach cut open and then throwing up just after hurts like nothing else! (tip, if you have to cough, laugh, throw up, hold a pillow against your incision). Tylenol and Motrin (alternating) work wonderfully well for managing pain.
- Use the compression band/girdle they give you, or better yet, order one from wink. I love this Ultimate Bikini one from Wink Shapewear (C Section Recovery, Post Pregnancy, Belly Wrap, Postpartum Girdle, Abdominal binder by Wink)
. I wore mine every single day for like almost 6 weeks. It just helps you feel more put together. I will caution you, they say not to wear it as much when you are sitting as it can increase postpartum swelling.
- High waisted undies (UpSpring C-Panty High Waist C-Section Support, Recovery & Slimming Panty with C-Section Scar Healing – OBGYN Recommended L/XL Black
) are a MUST! I took lots of extras of those mesh panties, as well.
- Take a stool softener (Colace Docusate Sodium Stool Softener, 100 mg Capsules, 60 Count)
, drink a lot of water and maybe add in a probiotic. I got constipated (maybe TMI) like I never had in my life after E. It was SO bad I cried. Taking a probiotic regularly definitely helped.
- Speaking of help, get some (especially if this is your 2nd or 3rd kid). They tell you not to lift anything heavier than the baby for the first 6 weeks (some say 2, some say 4). I had a 17 month old at home who weighed 35 lbs when I brought home D. Thankfully, my Mom could come and stay with us to help. When we brought home E, it was Christmas time, so my husband had some time off and then my Mom did as well. It definitely helped to have extra help, especially with 3 boys, 3 and under, living in a two story home with all the bedrooms upstairs.
- Step stool (Cosco Two Step Big Step Folding Step Stool with Rubber Hand Grip, Grey
) if you have little ones. I was SO worried about how I was going to lift both of my big boys (21 months and 3) into their cribs twice a day (for nap and bedtime). Thankfully, they thought climbing in with the step stool was a fun privilege! I also had a good friend tell me she used her daughter’s outdoor slide to do the same thing.
- If you live in a 2-story home, plan out what you need for the day and put it in a laundry basket and bring it downstairs. My doctor told me to limit my trips up the stairs to once a day, which meant my husband or mom had nap duty for the first couple of weeks. I managed it myself after, but just tried to limit my trips up stairs as much as possible.
- Silicone strips (ScarAway C-Section Scar Treatment Strips, Silicone Adhesive Soft Fabric 4-Sheets (7 X 1.5 Inch)
are amazing for helping to heal your scar! for healing scar, massage scar daily (make sure you wash it daily for the first couple of weeks with antibiotic soap)
- Grieve that it didn’t go as you had hoped or planned. The first time, I think I tried so hard to just automatically be okay that the birth didn’t go as planned, instead of letting myself process things a little bit more. Add in another extremely fussy baby after everyone told me, “Oh since your first was so hard, your second will be so easy” (side note, don’t say that to anyone, ever), and I definitely battled some post-partum anxiety and depression like symptoms. Find some other moms who had c-sections and ask them questions. I felt so alone. I only had one friend who had not delivered vaginally. And try to keep in mind, the MOST important thing is healthy mama and healthy baby (read E’s birth story here; God allowed something to happen to help me gain some perspective).
Remember, you are not alone. The day D was born, this just happened to be posted on Desiring God, and a few friends sent me the link. I wept as I read it. I had felt so forgotten- so many of my prayers about his birth gone unanswered (or answered differently than I had hoped), and when I read this post, I felt so seen. Read it here, you won’t be sorry!
And if you are struggling in those early newborn days wondering, “Is motherhood really this hard?” I feel you. Check out this post: I wrote these words when C was just 6 weeks old: My First 6 weeks as a Mom (spoiler alert, it’s way HARDER than I thought!)
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