Maybe it’s the crunchy moms I’m around but I found the stories about c sections wrong especially in the case of a planned c section. I had a planned c section and I maybe took 1 opiate the first night and then was just Tylenol. I really did not have a hard time managing at all. I was in the hospital I think three nights and could have left after two (stayed for 3 because I was struggling with breastfeeding (ugh way worse than the c section) and insurance covered it.

I felt 100 percent better by week 2. I was able to do everything I wanted to by day 4. And I was 40. I was in good shape during the pregnancy, did a lot of prenatal yoga and stretching and walking. Didn’t gain much weight either as I had GD and had a restricted diet that was generally hard to over eat on.

My advice is just make sure you have dresses or other loose around the waist clothing.

Anonymous wrote:Some of these experiences are extreme. I had 2 C sections within 17 months and yes, there is discomfort, but I supposed tears or episiotomies have their discomfort too. The PP who couldn’t leave the 2nd is unusual. My advice is to take it easy. You will know when you have done too much. You will feel a tightening deep within the incision. Enjoy your baby.

Agree- people here are rather dramatic. Im a single mom (donor conceived child) with a planned c-section due to a previous gyn surgery and the recovery was fine. I was by myself after 3 nights in the hospital and 2 at home. I wore couple pair of big drawstring pants and my pregnancy leggings. I had a cover on my incision that had a battery pack so needed the waist band to put the battery pack on.

I wish I had taken a pumping bra to the hospital.

It was way easier than expected, many of my mom friends tried vaginal deliveries first and then ended up with a c-section anyway and that seems why more stressful and exhausting.

Some of these experiences are extreme. I had 2 C sections within 17 months and yes, there is discomfort, but I supposed tears or episiotomies have their discomfort too. The PP who couldn’t leave the 2nd is unusual. My advice is to take it easy. You will know when you have done too much. You will feel a tightening deep within the incision. Enjoy your baby.

As a FTM, I too wanted a few weeks without visitors and my mom planned to visit 2 weeks after my due date. However, baby was 10 days late so my mom’s visit was just 2 days postpartum and I was so grateful to have her help. For #2, I had my mom and sister come immediately and having their support was so helpful those first few weeks. If you are close to your mother or a sister, I’d consider having them come earlier - outside help for many is incredibly helpful.

Anonymous wrote:Why will you most likely need a csection?

Baby is breech. I have tried all recommendations but nothing has worked.

Why will you most likely need a csection?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The no visitors is not a great idea unless you and baby are immuno compromised. It's extremely exhausting and isolating feeding your baby every three hours.

We don’t want visitors because it’s a lot to have people in your home when you’re recovering. We want that time to bond with baby and get into the groove of parenting. Hosting a bunch of visitors sounds exhausting to me.

The idea is not for you to host, it is for you to have help.

I have had three C-sections, and much of what I would tell you has already been said. I will re-emphasize get alllllllll the mesh undies and giant pad/sheets they will let you take. Walk as soon as you're able, just a short stroll around the floor is fine, but do it as soon as you can. Do it as much as you can without feeling tired. Listen to your body. One thing that nobody warned me about was how profoundly weird it felt. I really had this sensation as if I would just open up and my organs would start falling out. I loved this pillow https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/sandmott-cushion-bright-green-dark-blue-70584602/ Having that to rest gently over the scar feels so comforting for some reason.

I will also second the My Brest Friend or something like it. I cannot imagine post-C nursing without it.

Have a conversation with your doctor about your limits and then really pay attention to how you plan and lay things out. For most people the pain is not that severe but they really aren't prepared for the limitations.

I preferred nightgowns and dresses as much as possible for at least a month.

My family won’t be helpful. His family will. We still don’t want people in our home.

Just make sure he understands that he's going to have to do everything. You are potentially going to be unable to do things like.laundry (can't lift rhe buckets) and dishes. Cooking with be tough.

My friend had a c section and I literally showed up at her apartment, brought food, and just cleaned dishes, carried laundry back and forth from their laundry room, and left. I didn't attempt to hold the baby or anything that would potentially expose the baby to germs (I did take the baby on later visits when she was colicky and they needed a break). This is a since childhood friend who is like a sister to me.

If you have close friends think about that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The no visitors is not a great idea unless you and baby are immuno compromised. It's extremely exhausting and isolating feeding your baby every three hours.

We don’t want visitors because it’s a lot to have people in your home when you’re recovering. We want that time to bond with baby and get into the groove of parenting. Hosting a bunch of visitors sounds exhausting to me.

The idea is not for you to host, it is for you to have help.

I have had three C-sections, and much of what I would tell you has already been said. I will re-emphasize get alllllllll the mesh undies and giant pad/sheets they will let you take. Walk as soon as you're able, just a short stroll around the floor is fine, but do it as soon as you can. Do it as much as you can without feeling tired. Listen to your body. One thing that nobody warned me about was how profoundly weird it felt. I really had this sensation as if I would just open up and my organs would start falling out. I loved this pillow https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/sandmott-cushion-bright-green-dark-blue-70584602/ Having that to rest gently over the scar feels so comforting for some reason.

I will also second the My Brest Friend or something like it. I cannot imagine post-C nursing without it.

Have a conversation with your doctor about your limits and then really pay attention to how you plan and lay things out. For most people the pain is not that severe but they really aren't prepared for the limitations.

I preferred nightgowns and dresses as much as possible for at least a month.

My family won’t be helpful. His family will. We still don’t want people in our home.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The no visitors is not a great idea unless you and baby are immuno compromised. It's extremely exhausting and isolating feeding your baby every three hours.

We don’t want visitors because it’s a lot to have people in your home when you’re recovering. We want that time to bond with baby and get into the groove of parenting. Hosting a bunch of visitors sounds exhausting to me.

The idea is not for you to host, it is for you to have help.

I have had three C-sections, and much of what I would tell you has already been said. I will re-emphasize get alllllllll the mesh undies and giant pad/sheets they will let you take. Walk as soon as you're able, just a short stroll around the floor is fine, but do it as soon as you can. Do it as much as you can without feeling tired. Listen to your body. One thing that nobody warned me about was how profoundly weird it felt. I really had this sensation as if I would just open up and my organs would start falling out. I loved this pillow https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/sandmott-cushion-bright-green-dark-blue-70584602/ Having that to rest gently over the scar feels so comforting for some reason.

I will also second the My Brest Friend or something like it. I cannot imagine post-C nursing without it.

Have a conversation with your doctor about your limits and then really pay attention to how you plan and lay things out. For most people the pain is not that severe but they really aren't prepared for the limitations.

I preferred nightgowns and dresses as much as possible for at least a month.

Anonymous wrote:The no visitors is not a great idea unless you and baby are immuno compromised. It's extremely exhausting and isolating feeding your baby every three hours.

We don’t want visitors because it’s a lot to have people in your home when you’re recovering. We want that time to bond with baby and get into the groove of parenting. Hosting a bunch of visitors sounds exhausting to me.

The no visitors is not a great idea unless you and baby are immuno compromised. It's extremely exhausting and isolating feeding your baby every three hours.

Walk as soon as you can. Go slow but walk and pace your own home if you can.

I felt better by the end of the walk.

I couldn’t get in and out of my own bed the first few days and slept in a chair.

Don’t look at yourself in the mirror. I did at the hospital before a shower but not at home (friends advice) and I think that helped.

Let yourself have all the emotions.

Don’t let the shower water hit the incision so back to water and take a little longer.

I had two csections living in a townhouse so walking up

1) they really aren’t nearly as bad as people talk about.
2) get up and start walking as soon as possible in the hospital. Walking as much was possible in the hospital will dramatically improve your recovery.
3) get a pillow to hold against your stomach whenever you cough or sneeze, and it will also protect you from baby kicks in your stomach.

Anonymous wrote:I remember my doctor said after two weeks I would feel 70% better and I found that to be spot on. At 14 days post op I felt pretty good! The first two weeks is tough but it gets better fast, so don’t be discouraged

+1 within 2 weeks I felt pretty much fine but of course no heavy lifting and still be careful / don't over-exert. If this is your first baby + DH is there you should be fine. He can drive you to appts as well.

Stay all the nights in the hospital that insurance will cover (I stayed 4 nights each time). It's just easier and better to go home when you're feeling more up to moving around and you can get more monitoring in the hospital just in case.

We didn't prepare at all bc my first was a month early. If possible you should set up all the baby stuff in advance and buy some frozen meals etc.

If people offer to drop off meals, take them up on it. Get a biweekly cleaning service. You’re not going to want to rely on you or your H cooking every night, even if it’s an easy meal, at least not right away. Trade off night feeding duties with your H. The best thing we ever did in the early weeks was to split the night into shifts so we each got some sleep. I slept 8pm-2am, he slept 2-8am. We still usually got some sleep when we were “on duty” but wasn’t a big deal if baby just didn’t sleep much, because at least we each got a solid, straight 6 hours. As for the c-section itself, no one ever talks about the constipation post-op, OR the intense full body swelling- I swelled up like a water balloon post-op, after each c-section, which was upsetting and my Dr didn’t seem to have a great explanation. But it will go away within a week. My planned c-section was much, much easier to recover from than my unplanned c-section, but that said it’s still surgery avd childbirth and your body will need recovery time. There’s a lot of bleeding, as with any birth, and it’ll take awhile (a few weeks) to feel like you’re getting back to normal-ish. I’m a runner and being active throughout my pregnancy helped my recovery so much. I felt up for starting to walk immediately upon release from the hospital (took baby for walks with me), and felt fine to start up running (very gradually) within 3-4 weeks, with zero issues. Also, my Dr. said stairs were 100% fine, but I couldn’t lift anything heavier than my baby. So be sure to seek clarity and not just go by what other people’s Drs told them. Wishing you the best!