C-Section Tips
Take it from someone with experience! I just went through my fourth c-section and the fourth one definitely took the cake considering it was during a pandemic. Read on for helpful tips that I hope will make your experience easier.
It’s OK to be filled with anxiety!
I have been through 4 c-sections and 2 stomach surgeries due to Crohn’s Disease. To be completely honest it doesn’t get easier in terms of anxiety. I was a nervous wreck waiting for my C-section to begin. My doctor squeezed me in on Veteran’s Day due to high blood pressure. The waiting process was torture.
As soon as you hear that baby cry your worries go away!
I always wait for the moment when the baby cries and the anxiety just escapes from my body. Hearing that first cry and knowing that the baby is out and ok makes the rest of the C-section manageable.
Shaking is normal!
Every C-section caused me to shake like crazy. My teeth were chattering so badly I could barely hold the baby. This is normal and will stop once you are in recovery for a bit. I have read that it is due to either hormones or the spinal.
It will take days for your milk to come in.
I wasn’t able to breastfeed with my first three children due to the medication I was taking for my Crohn’s Disease. I decided to try with Gabriella, but she was struggling to latch and my milk didn’t come for a few days. Moms… if you don’t breastfeed it is OK! If you do breastfeed it is OK! Do not let anyone guilt you into one way or the other. I felt guilty for not breastfeeding, but due to my children’s severe allergies it wouldn’t have worked out anyways.
Get up right away!
I was determined to get that catheter out right away to do that I had to move. I will never forget the feeling when I tried to stand up after my first c-section. It was excruciating. I do have to admit that every c-section after the first was so much easier! With the first c-section I was induced and then it turned into a c-section. That was a lot more painful than the scheduled ones following. When you get up and move everything starts healing!
Your bleeding will pick up the more you move.
During recovery you may find that your bleeding will pick up the more you move. Especially once you come home. If you start bleeding more you are doing too much and need to rest. Take it as a sign! Tip… Your bleeding may randomly pick up about 4 weeks postpartum. This could be normal and it could just be the scab coming off the placenta. It will calm down!
Follow the guidelines during recovery!
A c-section is a major surgery. Even with three other children at home I was super cautious about over doing it. The last thing I wanted was to be back in the hospital. Do not pick up anything heavier than the baby and accept help! It is not worth the consequences of harming that incision.
