So you now have a new bundle of joy and the battle scar to prove it! Following the beautiful moment of bringing a new life into this world via cesarean section comes the dreadful moment we realize we have 8 weeks of recovery to get through.. on top of being a new mom. But don’t worry, recovery isn’t as hard as it sounds. In fact, I feel I could handle going through multiple c-sections over a regular delivery any day of the week (although I don’t plan on it)! Here are some things I wish I knew beforehand:
- Make sure there will be someone there with you at ALL TIMES. My husband left around dinnertime the day after the baby was born and returned the next day to pick me up from the hospital. I tested positive for COVID (although completely symptom free) and was only permitted to have 1 person with me – no visitors. Hospital policy was that once my husband left, he was not permitted to come back. The issue was that he was expecting to come and go as he pleased and therefore did not bring a bag of extra clothes, which is why he left on the night of day 2. That night, my baby woke every hour and I was constantly getting in and out of bed to tend to him.. terrible for my recovery. I am surprised my incision stayed intact!
- If you test positive for COVID, expect daily injections into your stomach! I tested positive for COVID and was given anti-coagulant injections into my stomach every morning I was there. Now I’m not sure if every hospital does this, but I was informed patients with COVID were at higher risk for blood clots which is why it was given to me.
- You will most likely be nauseous from the anesthesia. I’ve heard many women state they felt the nausea start as soon as they were given the medication during the c-section but mine started about 2 hours after baby arrived. Every sip of water I drank, every nibble of food I ate came right up within minutes. My stomach emptied EVERYTHING that went into it. I finally felt better around midnight (surgery started at 8:15 AM).
- You really don’t need to invest in granny panties. The hospital will give you some cheap ones for free, but the surgical incision is so low, I’m taking below the pubic hair line, that even my low cut undies sat well above my incision.
- Belly binders are not worth the hype. I saw so many people recommending these when I was preparing myself for the c-section and I am so glad I didn’t spend the money purchasing one. There is no way in HELL you would have gotten me into one of those binders. Comfort was my priority.. baggy clothes and loose sweatpants. Even better, a loose nursing gown.
- You won’t need heavy painkillers. Well, take this with a grain of salt as everybody has a different pain tolerance. I was given controlled substances on day 1- the day I had surgery, and given Tylenol for 2 days after. By day 4, I was not taking any medications at all asides from a prenatal supplement. I felt no pain at all if I was relaxing. The discomfort I felt was getting into and out of bed or tossing and turning throughout the night. I could not justify medicating myself for those brief moments.
- You will need to sleep/rest on your back. I had become so accustomed to sleeping on my side during pregnancy that I naturally resorted to this position after the c-section. Let me tell you, it will be painful if you try to do this! Each time I tried, I felt a pulling pressure on my incision. Laying on my back was the only position I could rest.
- Avoid the giggles. This includes coughing or sneezing too. It is good to laugh, but it WILL hurt if you do! Try to hold off for a few days if you can!
- You will still bleed, so make sure the nurses stock you with maxi pads. The bleeding I experienced was no more than a heavy period but it did last for about 3 weeks. This is different than a vaginal birth as I was told the surgical team will clear the uterus of excess fluids during the procedure.
- If you are planning on breastfeeding, keep in mind that it may take longer for your milk to come in compared to a vaginal birth. It took me about 4 days to see milk and I needed to supplement my baby with formula as I was not producing enough colostrum to satisfy him. Consistent pumping did not help it come in any sooner.
Overall, I hope you find these tips helpful as there is a whole world of information on c-section recovery out there! This is just what I wish I had known, specific to me, and I know there are women out there that can relate. I felt pretty normal at about the 4 week mark with minor aches and pains and felt completely healed at 6 weeks, but everybody is different. That’s what makes us unique! Happy healing, ladies!