Most women don’t want to have a C-Section. Natural birth sounds so much easier and better but sometimes things happen. Sometimes the Doc will schedule a C-Section for medical reasons. Or something goes wrong during the natural birthing process and you have no choice.
In any case, C-Sections are not fun. After all, it’s a major abdominal surgery. It can be really unexpected when you planned to have a nice natural birth.
When it does happen the pain and recovery can be a nasty surprise.
But there’s plenty you can do to make things easier on yourself and that’s what we’ll discuss today. Better to be prepared and educated than entirely clueless and scared, am I right?
If you have a scheduled C-Section Coming up or if you’re just worried it can happen to you, then read on to learn how to recover quicker and handle this baby thing like a queen.
**Want to find out how to get rid of that C-Section tummy Pooch? Read How to get rid of your pooch without surgery
There’s a lot of great info in this article and some of the last tips are the best so make sure you read the whole thing so you can get the most out of it.
***Taking a prenatal course is the single most proactive thing you can do to prepare your body and mind for what’s to come. There’s a great online course you can take in the comfort of your home that was created by a labor and delivery nurse named Hillary. It’s very popular and the first part of it is totally free. You can sign up for free right here.Â
By the way, this post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.Â
18 Lifesaving C-Section Recovery Tips
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First Let’s Talk About What To Do While In The Hospital:
Before They’ll let you leave the hospital you’ll need to get up and walk around a bit. Pass Gas And Poop. Gross I know but they want to make sure your body is going to function properly before they let you go home.
So get up but be gentle on yourself. You just went through major surgery.
Now let’s talk about home life and what you can do to recover faster.
Keep Your Incision Clean
Obviously, you know this but it’s important to say it again. It needs to stay really clean to avoid a major infection.
If you go home with a dressing (bandage), change the dressing over your cut once a day. Keep the wound clean by washing it with mild soap and water. Often, just letting the water run over your wound in the shower is enough.
DO NOT soak in a bathtub or hot tub, or go swimming, until your provider tells you it is OK. In most cases, this is not until about 4 weeks after surgery.
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Get an Abdominal Binder
An excellent abdominal binder will help everything shrink back into place nicely.
Some even claim that abdominal binders can help close separated abdominal muscles, a condition called diastasis recti. I wore them after pregnancy and it definitely helps in my opinion. Many other women feel that they helped them as well.
Here’s a really good one from Amazon.
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Or Get C-Section Underwear
If you don’t want to wear an abdominal binder for whatever reason then you should invest in some good C-Section underwear.
They won’t help as much but they will help keep things in place and keep the fabric from rubbing constantly on your tender tummy. You can find the best ones here.Â
Make Sure You Take Your Medications
You will need your medications. C-Sections hurt so keep them close and your prescriptions filled.
You have to remember that they had to cut through layers of your body to get to your little one, so it’s not just a scar on the surface of your tummy. Your body has a lot of healing to do and that causes inflammation. So those meds are a necessary evil.
- Must Read:
- How to get through Postpartum pain without crying
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Grieving Is Important
Many women who have a Cesarean grieve over it. They have a vision of what birthing their baby will be like and they really want that experience.
They hear all the stories and watch Birth videos and that’s what they expect. But when things turn out completely different they often fell cheated and sad.
They mourn the fact that they didn’t get to push their baby out or if it was a scheduled C-Section, that they didn’t even get to experience what labor was like.
I get it. Take your time. Grieve over it but know that you did what you had to do and that making sure your babe was ok was the most important thing. You’re one tough mama.
Get Plenty Of Rest
This goes without saying. You need a lot of rest. Try to take naps when the baby sleeps and make sure you have someone helping you.
You’re Still Gonna Bleed A lot
I once talked to a gal who had a C-Section and she said that she didn’t know she would bleed like she did after her baby was born. She assumed that with the C-Section her womb would be cleared of lining and other biological material.
But instead, she bled really heavily for at least a week and if you have a C-Section you will too. You can read more about bleeding after a Cesarean here.Â
You’ll need some large pads and you’ll need a lot of them. These Poise ones are perfect and you can get them by the case at a great price. Check for yourself here.Â
Use A Lovely Healing Ointment
Once your scar is completely closed you can begin using an ointment to help it heal better and smoother. I know you want to minimize your scarring as much as possible and a good healing ointment formulated just for your C-Section Scar will make a big difference. I love the Earth Mama Organic Skin And Scar Balm.
Take Collagen Powder
By now I’m sure you’ve heard of Collagen Powder. Everyone is taking it and it’s really trending right now.
It’s so popular because it’s great for your skin, joints, and everything else. It’s also awesome for postpartum mamas, especially those who’ve had a Cesarean because it can help you heal faster and better.
It will also give you more energy and make you look better and what postpartum mama doesn’t need that? Vital Proteins is the leader in the industry creating quality products that you can trust. It’s what I use and I think it will help your body recover much more efficiently. Have a look here.Â
Massage Your Scar
Massaging the scar after it’s on its way to healing will also help bring vital blood flow to the area. This will help minimize the scar once it’s healed completely. Gentle massage is a must.
Eat Well For RecoveryÂ
Eating well will help your body heal quicker and you’ll feel better too. It will also help keep things moving in your plumbing department. That’s super important for a mama who’s had a C-Section which is what I will talk about next.
Moving on…
Drink A Lot Of Water To Avoid Constipation
You need to stay on top of your water intake. Aside from eating a healthy, fiber-rich diet, this is one of the most important things you can do.
Because the last thing you want to do is get really backed up. This will cause pain and a whole lot of discomfort. Drinking plenty of water will keep things moving well.
Take A Stool SoftenerÂ
This would be your next step in keeping things comfortable. You will avoid unnecessary pain and grief if you keep a stool softener on hand and take it for the first 6 weeks.
Here’s one that I highly recommend and you can find it on Amazon along with everything else.
Use Gas Medication
One more thing you’ll need to keep your tummy happy during this stressful time is a gas medication like GAS X. It’s a common and unfortunate side effect to have a lot of gas trapped in your abdomen after a cesarean.
It can really be painful and reach all the way up into your neck and shoulders. Not fun. That being said, gas medication is a must. Get one here.Â
Get Probiotics Too
After a surgery like this, your body is very out of whack. A good probiotic will help rebalance you after all those pain meds and antibiotics.
It will help keep you regular and you’ll feel like your old self again sooner. Good Stuff. Here’s the best Probiotic you can get.
Refrain From Sex For Awhile
You may be wondering when to have sex after a C-Section and if you can sooner than if you’d had your babe vaginally. Well, it turns out you should still wait.
Although you may experience a little less bleeding with a cesarean section, it will still take about six weeks for your cervix to close completely. Some women may feel ready to resume intercourse sooner and that’s fine, but make sure you talk to your doc beforehand and see what they say.
Get Ready To Heal Your Core Walls
Once you are healing well and feeling strong your doc may give you the OK on exercising. I know you may be thinking about how to get your stomach back in shape and as flat as possible compared to what you looked like pre-pregnancy.
This is one of the biggest worries mamas that have this procedure think about. You’ll have scar tissue and cut muscles so it’s important to train right with a program that addresses your exact concerns.
The Postpartum Cure is a plan that helps you fix and heal your core region. It also helps you lose the baby weight without losing your milk supply.
It’s the best program of its kind and many, many women find great success with it. It’s all online so you can do the program at your own pace at home. Find out more about the Postpartum Cure right here.Â
Breastfeeding Can Be Difficult
C-Section definitely makes breastfeeding more difficult. Women often find that their milk comes in a little later due to the stress of the surgery and perhaps because of not having that skin-to-skin contact right after birth.
But there are ways around these problems. Getting the right breastfeeding position is key as well to avoid pain.
I highly recommend the breastfeeding course MIlkology. It will teach you how to breastfeed like a pro and it goes over all these situations too. It is especially useful if you end up getting a C-Section and you really want to breastfeed. You need to know what you’re doing so that there’s no more added stress.
You can click the banner below to check it out. She’s also got a great pumping class you can check out here for $19.
If you have a scheduled C-Section or you are worried you may have to have an emergency one then I hope this was helpful. If you loved this post or think it could help another mama it would be awesome if you’d share it with your friends. You can save it to Pinterest below with the special images I created or you can share with one of the buttons to the left, top, or bottom.
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