Birth is said to be a magical thing but sometimes non vaginal births get a bad reputation - yes, I used the word 'vaginal' in the first sentence...its that kind of post! - but cesareans are pretty brutal! "Natural" births are a hell of lot longer than a quick slice and dice but are they any less painful? I think not! From all that bending to being left with a chubby little pooch, it isn't a walk in the park. Now I don't want to focus on the good and the bad more so on how to get through to the light at the end of that tunnel.
I've read so many stories of women who hated their birth and we're left traumatised from the whole ordeal and their bumpy recovery afterwards. My recovery seems to of been a walk in the park in comparison. No infection, only a handful of days with painkillers and when your baby is in an incubator there isn't really any bending down involved. Aside from these facts I still went through major surgery - as much as I was reminded of this over the last 2 months! - and thought I'd share how I coped with it and all in all, didn't hate every minute.
GET UP ASAP
I am convinced this is partially the reason for my swift recovery. The midwife came to ask if I felt well enough to sit up on the bed and then to change my pad/put some pants on. Don't get me wrong, it hurt. I was walking like a waddling hunchback when I first got up as I couldn't actually move from my 90 degree angle without fear of tearing something. The whole process from bed, to chair, to clothes, to walking took about 3 hours at least...but I did it and the next day it was 1000x easier.
AVOID SOAPY SHOWERS
Ok so this is a big confession but I didn't shower properly until the end of day 2. Yes I felt a little grotty but I didn't want to shower with a catheter or cannula in my hand so I waited. I did wash off the blood/surgical crap from my body and bathed my wound with a soft sponge and warm water every day but avoided any soap over my body until day 3. This helped to keep any suds sneaking their way into my new scar. Afterwards, I patted it dry with a towel and then blow dried it with the hairdryer to make 100% sure it was dry to prevent any infection. I also didn't wash my scar with body wash until around 2 weeks ago.
TAKE THE DRUGS
I started taking paracetamol from the get go so I was on a steady dosage from the beginning. Aside from a day where my very bruised spine hurt like a goodun, this was what I stuck too the whole way through and even cut them down after a few days. On my drug card their was also Codeine and Morphine signed off, neither of which I touched. Starting off on paracetamol seemed to do the trick. As with labour, start from the bottom and work your way up on the drug scale if you need more.
LISTEN TO YOUR INSTINCTS
Being the stubborn cow that I am, I rarely listened to the trained professionals when it came to my whole pregnancy, let alone after. If it didn't affect Theo, I didn't listen. If I've learnt anything from my 2 months in hospital it was that although I respect every member of the NHS sometimes they don't know best. Especially when it comes to my own body. Listen to what you body has to say. You will know when you've overdone it. Push yourself but rest afterwards so not to stretch yourself too thin. For example if I had an overly strenuous day I would spend the next day or so chilling out on the sofa - well as much as you can chill out with a newborn!
SET UP CAMP
When I was in hospital, each night I set up everything I needed that night within reaching distance. Milk, nappies, wipes, the lot. I set them up on my little hospital table so I could wheel them over when I needed them. The same for when I went home. If you are struggling or don't have the help, set up a little camp of everything you need for baby...and you! This helps with the not bending to much aspect. As much as it may effect your life for a few weeks, if your really struggling set yourself up in one room (within reach of a bathroom/loo obviously) which requires minimal effort to eat/drink/sleep - for both of you.
Obviously I'm not a medical expert but these are the things that helped me. I hope at least one helps someone out there if they end up having a birth that was less prepared for! If anyone has any questions about c-sections and their recovery you can find so much information online but also feel free to drop me a line - contacts at the bottom of the page :)
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