C-Section Recovery : Tips & Tricks

With my third c-section coming up in less than two days, I have been thinking a lot about the recoveries I've had. With my first it was an emergency c-section. I had wanted a natural birth and had my birth plan and it just didn't go the way I had planned. Just in case you end up having a c-section or have one scheduled, I wanted to share some of the tips and tricks I have learned regarding the healing process.

*Belly Binding Belt: Of some kind. The hospital gave me one after I delivered my second by Cesarean. That made a WORLD of difference in my recovery. I bought one myself this go around from Amazon.com. The trick is to put it as tight as you can stand. It holds everything in and makes it MUCH easier to move around. It gives incredible support and smooths your stomach [as an added bonus!]

*Overlap Pain Killers: Do NOT let your pain meds "expire" before you take your next dose. The medications your doctor prescribes for pain, make sure you take your next dose before the last dose wears off. Not by a whole lot, obviously, but you will be glad you did not let it completely leave your system before you take your next dose. Trust me. I could have escaped some unnecessary pain if I had listened when others told me that.

*Get Moving: I know it's painful, but moving around a bit helps. Moving around too much is bad. You don't want to overdo it. You have a precious baby to take care of so you don't want to overly exhaust yourself. I learned by the second go around that my recovery was MUCH quicker since I moved around a bit more. There's another reason to move: bowel movements. In order to get your body functioning again, moving around gets things moving!

*Stool Softeners: They give you one Post-Op, but I asked my doctor at my pre-op appointment last week if I could start taking them a couple days before and she emphatically said yes! I'm not talking about a laxative [not safe for pregnancy]. A stool softener like Colace, is what I mean. Also, during recovery you can try other things if that's not working: Prune juice, orange juice, coffee, teas, tons of water, flax seed, apples, bran, bananas, honey [three tablespoons/day]. Those are some of the more natural ways to help that aspect of healing.

*Limit Visitors: In the beginning of recovery, limit the amount of friends and family that stop by. My hospital has just implemented an immediate family members only for the first 24hrs. I am thankful for that because so many people want to stop by. While I appreciate their excitement, I know that I will be so exhausted and in pain and won't want to deal with a rotating door of visitors once I deliver and all day. I have let people know that we will call them when we are ready to take visitors the next day and that after that it will be a couple weeks before we will have visitors at home.

*Ask for Help: Even though you want to limit visitors, you don't want to be completely alone either. There's a middle ground. You're going to need help moving around and help with baby. Maybe a friend or family member could get a meal for you or do the dishes for you. Do not freak about getting chores done. Recovery is your goal, not a spotless house!

*Avoid Comedies & Comics: This sounds silly, but I'm telling you I was in tears after my first because my father-in-law and a friend of ours are pretty much comedians. I always yell, "DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH!" It hurts to laugh...or cry...sneeze or cough! So either watch that funny movie now or wait a week or two after delivery. I told everyone to go ahead and tell me your best jokes now...it won't be so funny to me in a couple days!