HOW TO HEAL AFTER A C-SECTION
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If you were googling “C-Section Recovery” or “C-Section Recovery Essentials”-
You’ve come to the right place. I’ve never had any experience with
C-Sections myself so I asked my lovely sister-in-law, who has had 4 of
them (and has 4 lovely, healthy children) to allow me to interview her
for this article!
You can check out this article for the full list of postpartum recovery essentials.
Can you introduce yourself and describe each c-section?
My name is Amanda and I am lucky enough to have four kiddos to love. I’ve had four c-section recoveries!
Baby 1 was an emergency. After 12 hours of labour there was fetal distress to the point that it became necessary.
Baby 2 was breach right to the end. The doctors didn’t feel breach
delivery was safe and attempting to turn the baby could also carry heavy
risks. No vbac for me!
Baby 3 was elective, based on my risk factors and my chance of a successful vbac being very low.
Baby 4 was elective with a “high risk specialist” at my side, as the risks increase with every additional c-section.
How was the c-section recovery? Different or similar for each delivery?
The first c-section was most difficult to get through the first couple
of days. My body was so exhausted after a labour followed by a major
surgery. When my pain medications wore off, I was still having some
contractions, and in a lot of pain. The good news was that after those
first days, my recovery was surprisingly quick and easy!
Baby 2 and 3 were scheduled and similar to each other. I knew what to expect, and got through without complications.
Baby 4 was hard. I had some complications so my surgery was longer, I had a vertical incision, as well as my tubes tied.
My recovery was long and painful, but at exactly 6 weeks postpartum, in an almost miraculous way, I very suddenly bounced back.
What things came up after your c-sections during recovery that were unexpected?
With Baby 1, I felt great by week two! They say don’t carry anything
heavier than your baby for those 6 weeks of recovery. At about 4 weeks I
thought I was totally fine, and I carried my baby in her car seat for
about a block and then suffered in pain for a week after. When they say
take it easy for 6 full weeks, you don’t know better, just listen to
them!
You still bleed. After baby 1, I thought “well my belly looks like Frankenstein’s forehead, but I escaped all the other stuff.”
No, you still bleed afterward and I bled for over a month straight with all of my babies.
I had never had any kind of surgery and didn’t know more than the basics
about c-sections before my first. I honestly expected to be bedridden. I
was shocked to find out that you need to be up and walking around
within hours of your surgery!
The first time you get up is a shock.
With baby 1, When I tried to get up the first time, I just couldn’t do
it and I cried and gave up. The nurses gave me more pain meds and came
back in a few hours to make me try again. It took my breath away to get
up for the first few days, but every day gets a little bit easier.
I was also surprised and amazed at my body and how quickly it was
healing. Each day, I could actually notice that I was better than the
day before. It’s so crazy to be in that state one day, feeling like
you’ll never be the same again and then a week later, walking around
with your baby and getting on with life!
I had never been terrified to sneeze before. Sneezing hurts…a lot.
And so does coughing…and so does laughing. After my fourth section, my 3
year old was suddenly a full blown comedian and I would beg her to
stop. “Stop, stop, I’m gonna laugh. Stop!” And then I’d break and burst
out laughing at her. Laughing while doubled over holding my stapled-shut
stomach was a daily occurrence.
I’m not sure if everyone has this happen, but I would physically shake
after the surgery. With baby 1, I was too afraid to hold her in the
recovery room because i was shaking so hard.
You also can’t really breastfeed your baby immediately, because you are
frozen and can’t feel if you are being pinched etc. As soon as you “thaw
out” you can though, and that shouldn’t take too long. (You can still
snuggle skin to skin until then!)
What are your absolute essentials for c-section recovery?
A chair or couch that you can easily get out of, and maybe something
next to it to help you pull yourself up. You’ll need to rely on your
arms, not your abs to help you up. Same thing in bed, something to hold
onto while you get up can be helpful.
Some help! Support people to help look after your other kids, cook and clean, Especially in the first couple of weeks.
A pillow. Keep a pillow next to you. If you need to cough, sneeze or
laugh, hug that pillow tight against your incision to help you get
through.
High waisted underwear. Go get some granny panties because there’s
nothing worse than the elastic waistband of your underwear rubbing away
at your raw incision all day.
On that note, soft and loose waisted pants, or better yet, dresses / clothing without waistbands at all.
Prune juice or stool softener. You’re not gonna want to strain any time soon.
What can you do in advance to be prepared for a c-section? (Physically and mentally?)
If you have a scheduled surgery, the hospital should give you a list of ways to prepare. Do all of it!
Don’t expect your “birth plan” to be your reality. Things happen that
are out of your control. If you set too much of an expectation, you
might be disappointed. Remember that you and your baby’s health are what
matters, and if you need a c-section to hold that baby, just appreciate
that we live somewhere that can provide such an amazing an life saving
intervention. (I’m From Canada by the way). ‘
The usual prep for a baby, like frozen meals, having diapers and supplies, and having support people lined up.
What advice do you have for other moms who have one scheduled or may end up needing an emergency one?
Remember that this will be a tiny dot in the timeline of your life. When
you are going through something, remember you are going THROUGH it,
meaning there will be a point where you come out the other side of it.
Get through one day at a time. You can do this.
You have not failed!
I hear other c-section mothers say they feel like they “failed” by not giving birth vaginally.
I never felt this way, and I think women who do, could be less hard on
themselves. You grew a human! Your body did something amazing and
miraculous and if you are holding a healthy baby at the end of it, you
are one of the lucky ones! To me it doesn’t matter if you have a
c-section, or a vaginal birth, if you get an epidural or you don’t.
The delivery is just the means to getting to hold your baby in your arms.
Thank you so much for sharing all of that about c-section recovery with us Amanda!
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