My recovery with my first child was pretty quick and pleasant. I felt that I healed in good time, was fit to get out and about, had no infection and didn't suffer much discomfort and certainly no pain. Or at least pain that was agonising or unable to cope with. My second recovery has not been quick at all. Six months later and I am just about feeling normal but still very aware that my body is tired and taking its time to heal. Things have still been fairly straightforward, I've been out and about since the early days, had very little discomfort or pain and no infections, although, I did have a slight issue with a rogue suture. It was quickly and painlessly removed and i just had to keep a careful monitor of it to make sure it didn't get infected.
 |
| Obligatory baby pic to capture your attention ;) photo c/o the amazing Bella and Duck |
So here are my top tips that helped my recovery and might be useful for you:
BIG PANTS
You will have an incision very low on your abdomen, which in fact, in time (if you have had a good surgeon) will be barely noticeable, yay! However, g-strings and lacy knickers will be staying in the underwear drawer a little while longer. You don't want anything rubbing on your wound, it will hurt and the wound may leak or get infected. You really do want parachute proportion panties for ultimate comfort. I even sent my husband to the shops to stock up on more for me while I was in hospital, if that's not a passion killer for you, i don't know what is! I bought mine from Primark. In my first pregnancy, i stocked up on M&S knickers but honestly, i think they are rubbish and the cheap ones served me much better and i didn't feel any shred of disappointment binning them at a later date.
You may also want to stay wearing maternity leggings for a little while longer and also stock up on big sanitary towels. Not too big, I once picked up adult nappies by mistake - let's just say, they made walking very awkward. I bled for about 10 days after my first section, and about 6 weeks after my second section fyi. TMI?
ARNICA TABLETS
Arnica is said to help bruising, swelling and aching. As a homeopathic medicine, it's difficult to prove it's effectiveness but having had a fairly smooth recovery both times, I do think they helped plus I will give anything a go as long as it is safe - which it is. I bought Nelson's Arnica tablets from Holland & Barrett.
DRINK WATER
It goes without saying really, water will help flush out toxins in your body and will help ease any bloating or swelling. I will never forget laying in a ward with another c-section mum who was drinking bottle upon bottle of full fat coke! She kept complaining of tummy pains and i couldn't help but think it was from all the gas in the coke which would be incredibly sore when you have wounds to heal from.
MOBILISE
After my first section, I was mobilised after 6 hours when my spinal had worn off and my catheter was removed. I had a severe case of jelly legs but it was so good to be standing and moving (well, shuffling) around the ward. I was able to go for a shower almost right away which is another thing i would recommend, don't be afraid to go for one, your wound will be covered in a plaster so nothing to fear. This time around, I was mobilised after 6 hours with assistance but policy had changed and my catheter had to be kept in for 12 hours so although i got up and down to my baby's cot to pick her up, I didn't leave the ward, but that was because of my own personal feelings regarding the catheter. As soon as it was gone, i was doing laps of the ward! Those first few steps are tentative ones as you work out the best way to position yourself but you'll get the hang of it in no time.
TAKE YOUR MEDS
Self explanatory. You will be sent home with painkillers and and anti-inflammatories. Take them. As and when prescribed. Don't forget/refuse to take them then tell everyone you are in agony over being cut in half. You'll never win a medal for it and you will only put the fear of life into someone who has yet to experience a birth of any sort. Be kind to yourself and to others.
KEEP YOUR WOUND CLEAN AND DRY
Take heed. I showered morning and night (easier said than done, especially when you already have kids). I would gently pat my wound clean using Aveeno body wash - which has no nasties or fragrance, and I always used a fresh clean towel for every shower. I was absolutely meticulous about this. I was desperate to avoid infection. You must keep your wound dry. This is easier in the beginning as you will have a plaster over the wound but around day 5 the plaster is removed (I removed my own which I would recommend and the MW was happy for me to do so). I took extra measures to keep it dry once the plaster was off - I would pat dry with a clean towel, lay down to air dry (again, this is easier when it's your first baby), and my new tip because I had another child to look after - the hairdryer on cool setting! Now, please beware of this tip, as some midwives will recommend it and others will tell you there is a risk of blowing infection bugs onto the wound this way. Thankfully, it worked well for me.
LOOK IN THE MIRROR
Check out your wound in the mirror. I bet you will be terrified the first time you go to look then be pleasantly surprised at how small and (hopefully) neat it is. I would look at mine everytime I got out of the shower, to make sure it didn't look red or pussy - as I said, I was obsessed about avoiding infection. I ended up having a rogue suture left behind after my second section but it only became noticeable after the midwives had signed me off so had I not been checking, I may not have noticed and it would have been a breeding ground for infection.
J-BREATH
This is a game changer ... the J-breath used in hypnobirthing to deliver your baby... well, you now get to use it for delivering your first post birth poo. It works, trust me.
Those are my main tips for aiding recovery and they really worked well for me. There's not much if anything I would do different. Other things that helped me was breast feeding - apparently it helps with the healing process but if anything it forces you into resting up. Also, accepting help. As a mum, it's hard to take up the offer of help but do it. People are dying to help new mums out and all offers are genuine so take them up on it!
What have I missed? Any other c-section mamas have any tips they would like to share?
