C section must haves?

[Anonymous]

Hi all - scheduled for a c section with my second in a few weeks. Will also have a two year old at home. What are the must haves for c section recovery? Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I had a abdominal binder. It felt nice to have extra support around the incision.

[Anonymous]

Take the drugs when you need them. No one is passing out any awards for being a hero and roughing it out.
Have meals prepped that are easy to heat and eat.
If you have stairs, prep two “camps” where you can spend most of the day. You might come downstairs in the morning and spend all day on the first floor. Or you might come down in the morning, get some food and then spend all day upstairs with the baby. Have your water bottle, basket of snacks, etc. In other words, limit the trips up and down the stairs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had a abdominal binder. It felt nice to have extra support around the incision.

+1. We also had the halo swivel bassinet which I thought was really helpful for bringing the baby closer to me without having to move too much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had a abdominal binder. It felt nice to have extra support around the incision.

I heard they will give you one at the hospital... is that what others have experienced or did you purchase one beforehand?

[Anonymous]

Binder is a good one. A supportive partner is the other - I needed some help going to the bathroom and in/out of the bath for a couple of days. I also had all my food/drinks brought to me for the first few days because our house is all stairs. After that second the advice to have a second baby changing/hangout station on the other level.

We had a regular bassinet right next to the bed and I never thought "I wish this thing swiveled" but YMMV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Take the drugs when you need them. No one is passing out any awards for being a hero and roughing it out.
Have meals prepped that are easy to heat and eat.
If you have stairs, prep two “camps” where you can spend most of the day. You might come downstairs in the morning and spend all day on the first floor. Or you might come down in the morning, get some food and then spend all day upstairs with the baby. Have your water bottle, basket of snacks, etc. In other words, limit the trips up and down the stairs.

Yessss. Take the drugs.

[Anonymous]

Limit guests. I ended up getting a horrible cough from a neighbor who said she was “just getting over a little bug”. Coughing is the most painful thing after a C-section.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Limit guests. I ended up getting a horrible cough from a neighbor who said she was “just getting over a little bug”. Coughing is the most painful thing after a C-section.

Oh yes. The only reason a neighbor should visit is to drop off some food and run.

[Anonymous]

Go for a laxative if taking the drugs. Stool softener isn't effective. The pain was horrible, I wanted another epidural.

[Anonymous]

I didn’t like the abdominal binder, personally. My hips are wider than my waist, and it rode up constantly. I also felt like it made me sweatier than I already was! I preferred my maternity slip shorts (something like this: https://a.co/d/eAnffWY).
Take the stool softener early and often!

[Anonymous]

I disliked the binder and never used it. I also had very little trouble with stairs and saw no need to limit trips.

Not to be gross, but I recommend preparing your DH to plumb the toilet in case your first bowel movement requires it. Also keep anyone with a hint of a cold far away. Coughing with a healing scar is not good.

Get a pedicure before you go in so you don’t have to worry about cutting your nails for a few days.

Keep lots of towels stacked around. New parenthood is surprisingly damp and you don’t want to have to bend over if you drop a cloth.

[Anonymous]

I’ve had an unfortunate number of surgeries and my c-sections have been by far the easiest. Didn’t need anything out of the ordinary, don’t overthink/go overboard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Go for a laxative if taking the drugs. Stool softener isn't effective. The pain was horrible, I wanted another epidural.

THIS! Awful time going number #2.

[Anonymous]

Plan to be in bed/limited activity, minimize moving for 1-2 weeks. Walking to and from the bathroom, general house movement is fine. Dont vacuum or load dishes or try to do stroller walks - especially on hills. Dont push anything for a few weeks. BC you are still recovering pushing tends to bear down and exacerbate PF issues. I overdid it the first time and paid for it for months afterward. Just rest and recuperate. Learn scar massage. Learn a few gentle exercises for post C-section starting in weeks 4-6. Belle Method is great for this.

Make sure you have a pillow to brace against. Keep a thick pad/cushion on your stomach if you side-lie nurse. Little baby kicks can get you!