Those who had a C-section, what were you able to do for baby while recovering from surgery?

[blessedbythebest88]

@primarymay Husband will be home in paternity leave for 2 weeks and he will work from home 1-2 weeks after that so at least those 2 weeks he will be 100% focused on us. After that his attention will be divided but I'm hoping to be feeling better, based on some of the other comments.

 

[primarymay]

@blessedbythebest88 It really wasn’t so bad after I got out of the hospital! For sure uncomfortable but I didn’t take anything other than Advil. Just try to be cautious around the stairs

 

[blessedbythebest88]

@primarymay Will do. Thanks!

 

[missestexas]

@blessedbythebest88 I am six weeks postpartum FTM, I had a scheduled C section coz the baby was breech.
I was able to do everything for the baby except giving her bath. I didn’t do any house work for 2 weeks. My husband cooked and cleaned which was very helpful. I just took care of the baby. It was difficult to get out of bed and I was sleeping on my back for one week. Things got really better after the first week.

Good luck and have a safe delivery

 

[lmarieh]

@blessedbythebest88 I’ve had two c-sections pretty much a year apart. Both times as soon as I got moving on day 2-3, I felt much better and moving around was easier. By the time I got home on the 4th day, I was moving, but slowly. I still went up and down stairs, I carried my baby, changed diapers and showered myself.

By week 2-3 I was pretty much moving normally, except getting up and down from bed and in and out of the car. If I didn’t feel I could do something I didn’t, but that wasn’t much of an issue because I felt pretty good fairly quickly. My doctor encouraged movement and moving around. See how you feel, follow your docs guidelines and you’ll be pretty mobile and independent within days. I do not recommend not doing much.

My first time around I was afraid to move and really walk the first few 2 days. I couldn’t take it anymore because sitting hurt my ass way more than the very small incision made. The fear of feeling that pain in my ass and legs made me get moving much faster the second time. Jesus! It was horrible. By the second day I walked for a good hour because sitting down was painful on my back and ass! My husband walked through the door to see me walking around like normal and was so shocked! I felt sooo much better after moving and walking. It’s hard the first time getting up but once you push past that initial pain and get moving and have your first shower, it’s like amazing freedom at last!

 

[herochao]

@blessedbythebest88 I’ll be real, he carried 99% of the load for the first few weeks. All I could do was breastfeed and hold the baby with lots of pillow support. It took about 3 days to be able to walk without support. One week to stand up straight without support. It took a month or so for me to be able to change diapers and get the baby in and out of the bassinet. Really for the first month you need to rest and recover. Your job is to take care of yourself and that is a big job. Worry about division of labor after your incision closes up. Until then it’s your job to prevent infection, gain mobility, feed the baby, and sooth the baby.

 

[gomer51]

@blessedbythebest88 I did it all but was in a lot of pain. By week 8 I felt tremendously better.

 

[thullqst]

@blessedbythebest88 I didn’t have C-section but had 3rd degree tear and other complications even though I had vaginal delivery. The first 2 weeks, my husband did everything (changing diapers, chores, prepare for formula, prep/order for food except for feeding (breastfeed & formula) since I can’t walk properly and carry the baby as I’m in pain. We also stayed in our living room for few weeks until i finally recovered. I contact naps with my LO a lot and he sleeps with me at night since he hates his bassinet. When he turned 4 weeks old, we caved in and got Snoo and moved to our room upstairs and now he sleeps 5-6 hrs.

 

[mariet9]

@blessedbythebest88 Changing the baby was easy- but I couldn't do it on the floor because I couldn't get back up again- I needed a changing table.

I took care of the baby fine after my section. We often went on walks but I needed dad to sort out the pram.

 

[rogertheatheist]

@blessedbythebest88 I had a planned C section 11 days ago. The first day was horrendous—but I am pretty sure that was my body reacting to narcotics more than anything else. I couldn’t do anything—I would try skin to skin and vomit stomach bile. Day two, I was a different person. I think they took my catheter out that day, and I was able to try nursing, walk in the hallway, and do skin to skin. My husband did all the lifting, diapers, more skin to skin, bottle feeding. By day 6, I was able to bf while walking around my house, diaper changes, everything. I still try not to use my abs to get up (either had my husband pull me up or push myself up), and he will get the baby out of the bassinet and do diaper changes over night, but I’m basically back to normal already. It’s actually been hard to remember to slow down and not do too much bc I feel basically fine. I don’t want to pop a stitch though!

 

[hot2trot4christ]

@blessedbythebest88 I had a planned c section, and my recovery was super easy. I kept on top of pain meds the first 2 days, and outside of a random tug of pain felt pretty normal.

I think my case was an anomaly, but I was able to do everything and had to just remind myself not to lift my dog or heavy things because physically I felt fine to do so.

 

[shelf]

@blessedbythebest88 I didn’t ever fill my rx for pain meds, just used ibuprofen and/or Tylenol. I felt way better about one week pp, and never really limited my activities except for I didn’t do heavy lifting. I was fortunate to have an uncomplicated recovery. I was numb all over my stomach for weeks, and had some numbness in my left leg/butt/foot for a few months pp due to pushing so hard for so long (fun!) but other than that, my only pain came from sitting up/getting up too quickly getting out of bed or up from the couch… be reeeeally careful doing that, and I recommend wearing the binder/brace they give you at the hospital for as long as you can stand it. I wore it for a couple months bc it helped me feel secure/protected.

 

[sumsan]

@blessedbythebest88 Worst part for me was getting off the couch and out of bed. So if you have a power recliner, awesome! And getting on and off the toilet. If you have something you can hang onto there to help you, great!

 

[christianjoseph]

@blessedbythebest88 I had an emergency c-section after 34 hours of labor 12 days ago. The first few days you are pretty tender, but I was determined to be up and moving. I carried baby (who was over 10lbs, hence the emergency c-section), did diaper changes, went to all appointments, etc. Getting in and out of bed was the toughest. Like others, I took no meds besides the tylonel and ibuprofen combo and tried to stay on top of that the first few days. By day 4, I was already out for short walks pushing the stroller. Honestly, fresh air and movement has helped a ton for me, just got back from a 45 minute walk a few minutes ago! Still a bit tender now, but up and moving around almost normally.

 

[divinebeing]

@blessedbythebest88 I had a planned C-section but am stubborn as hell and was up walking in 3 hours and wanted the catheter out as soon as they would let me. I discharged on day 2 because I wanted to be on my own couch. I was fine most of the day but would get sore by night. I am in my thirties and recovered pretty quickly. Only thing is that I couldn't feel fullness in my bladder for about 6 months and would have to basically do timed voids. Only time I was in extreme pain was one time I had a surprise sneeze that I didn't brace for.

 

[suzette]

@blessedbythebest88 Once you’re a couple of days post surgery as long as you are taking your painkillers you can do most normal things like diaper changes, etc. but you will need help getting up and down from bed and chairs. The key is to have your husband be ready to do everything that can’t be done sitting down and then you just do what you feel comfortable doing and when. I was tired of laying down pretty quick, but still needed to take it easy.

You can’t carry anything heavier than baby but that’s the only restriction I remember. I would go for short walks once I was at about a week.

 

[kimhealth]

@blessedbythebest88 I loved my c sect! I found it difficult getting in and out of bed for the first few days, and bending over or twisting to pick up baby, but nothing too painful. I could do the laundry, carry baby up and down the stairs in the second week, just slightly sore. Now 2.5 weeks out and feel 80% back to normal

 

[lookingforward]

@blessedbythebest88 I had an emergency C section back in August. I would say to mentally prepare (both you and your husband!) to not be able to do anything for the baby but in reality you’ll probably find ways to make it work, I managed to do everything but it was often a bit slow and awkward, but I persevered to make sure I was able to heal but also keeping a semblance of being able to do it myself (although I didn’t have to!)
Keep in your mind that your recovery is a priority as well as looking after your little one, it’s so easy to forget when you’re so focused on them.
Accept help from those you love and trust.
Also, not sure if it’s mentioned in any of these comments (and it might just be a UK thing) but the first 5 days I had a dressing on my wound which was so tight I felt like I was bent in half the whole time. I only realised once it was removed and replaced with a fresh (and more flexible one) how restrictive it was. After that I felt much better! Although the removal of the first dressing haunts me more than anything else during the delivery of my baby LOL - let’s just say the nurse described it as a “free bikini wax on the NHS”

 

[dwoldo]

@blessedbythebest88 I had a planned C-section in August. I was able to do most everything for the baby. I just didn't lift anything heavier than my LO. He was 6lbs 10oz. My partner went back to work after week one and I was home alone with baby for 3 months. No issues. Also, I am 44 ... so an "old" mom. I had 3 other surgeries before the C-section. In my experience, moving is necessary to healing well. My heart goes out to the ladies who had complicated labor followed by an emergency C-section. That is so much harder to recover from and because of my age the reason my doctor felt it was best to schedule it. I guess my bottom line is don't fret. All will be well. You can move and engage with your new baby. Snuggling, bonding all of it. If you have a good support system lean on it, but know yourself as capable and strong. We women are amazing

 

[unitypeace]

@blessedbythebest88 I live on Canada, and I had an "unplanned" planned C-section 9 weeks ago, meaning we wanted to go for natural birth, but in my late 38 weeks maternity appointment, we've found out that the baby turned breech overnight. So there was a very quick decision: I was in the hospital at Thursday to assess the situation, and next Monday the C-section.

For me, the whole surgery went VERY chill. The only discomfort was that we had to go to the hospital at 1pm, and after that we waited for the OR be ready until 6:30pm. But otherwise everyone was amazing, professional and very kind.

Recovery-wise, the first night was the hardest, because I needed to come off from the meds and the spinal, which was some kind of morphine, so I literally had some wearing off side effects like a drug addict. But that night LO slept a lot, so I did not really had to breastfeed, and Husband and nurses were there to help.
Later when we went home: I just took care of the kid, and everything else was Husbands duty. I recommend the same for you guys, for us this was the first rule of thumb: I keep alive the baby, he keeps me alive. So he made sure I eat well balanced meals, and take my meds and vitamins. He drove, he carried everything, I only had to held the baby.
And for me the recovery was quite fast and non problematic. I couldn't lift heavy things and generally had to protect the scar, but it healed fast. Even the bleeding after wasn't that bad either. I expected much worse.

There was a couple of annoying side effects, but it's not a C-section side effect, more like Postpartum:
1. shivering during the night. It came very unexpected, because during my whole Pregnancy I've got hot flashes, so a couple of days after giving birth it was a brand new experience to literally shiver under my blanket in the warm room, where husband and baby slept very comfortable.
2. I am BONE DRY in my ladypart....I did not really realized this in the first six weeks as we were forbidden to have sex. And the first time we've had, it was the weirdest, painful feeling ever. Like I said bone...dry....even lubricant didn't help. This is still a problem though, so I'll bring it up in my next doctor's appointment, but as far as I heard it's very normal, and related to the breastfeeding.

And C-section mothers and babies often had breastfeeding problems: ma baby was only sleeping and did not want to eat in the first 24 hours after birth, and actually my body didn't know that ithasto start produce milk either. So we ended up combo feeding, which remained until today, ASI don't have enough milk supply for feed my boy, so formula top up is necessary.

So ups and downs, but scheduled C-sectionsare quite safe procedures today. Just make sure to take it easy in the first 6 weeks, don't lift anything heavier than your baby, take your painkillers, and eat, drink,rest a lot. Only take care of yourself and your baby. Everything else is Husband duty.