How to prepare for at-home recovery of a csection?

If you have had a section before, then the experience is usually easier the second time around. You know what you are in for, and your body has done it once before.

When you get home you will need a supply of pads for bleeding, and some meals cooked and frozen and ready to pull out will be a big help. The hospital will instruct you in terms of dressing the wound and will give you some supplies.

Do not allow yourself to lie around. Absolutely do not get yourself diapers and plan to wear them because getting to the bathroom is too hard. You need to push yourself to be up and moving at least as often as you need to pee. Lying around will increase your risk of surgical complications such as blood clots. You will also have a decrease in strength and stamina for every day you spend lying in bed. It actually slows your recovery to lie around after a surgery - a big part of the reason why hospital stays have gotten shorter and shorter. People just don't benefit from lying around in a bed for days.

That said, a c-section is major abdominal surgery so you do need to rest and recover. Nurse your baby, and take care of your basic needs, but get help for everything else. No need to be doing the laundry and the cleaning for several weeks. Get your partner and your family or friends to help out as you need it.

It sounds as though you had a tough time healing last time, and perhaps allowed yourself too much rest and not enough activity to help you recover. It is a balance and it is important to do enough activity, but not too much. You can request that your doctor refer you to physical therapy after the birth (while you are in the hospital), and they can instruct you in how you can properly transfer in and out of bed, get around your home, and what exercises you can do (yes, you can do some simple exercises immediately after surgery to help you heal) so that you have an easier recovery. There are ways to do all of these things that will minimize your discomfort.

A good book to consider looking at is Essential Exercises for the Childbearing Year, which is written by a physical therapist who specializes in perinatal issues. It has a good section on recovery from birth, including c-section, and has some exercises you can do as well as some guidelines about activity. Good luck.

The hospital gives you full care instructions. I'm not sure how you are pushed into an emergency csection. Emergency sections are given only in life or death emergency. My daughter's heart rate was dropping and I had no choice. If I wanted my baby to live I had to have it. I was in the operating room within seconds.

A birth plan is planned with the doctor or midwife usually around 30wks or so. I'm not sure why you didn't have a birth plan. During my 3 pregnancies my doctor & I wrote it out along with the midwife. Since I was having a VBAC that plan was needed even more.

Being unable to get our of recliner for 5wks is not normal. You must have had some kind of medical reason for this. It took my sister about 2wks to heal after her csection. Most women are able to workout after 6wks.

Your doctor should help you plan what you need and what kind of home care you need after the csection. Since this one is planned you & your doctor can work together.

I'm not sure why you think you need diapers. You have to be up walking around after a csection. My doctor had me up walking about 12hrs after that and I was walking to the restroom less than 24hrs later. Are you sure you understand what a csection is?

Your should remember the care kit your doctor sent you home with last time. Here read this and it will help out. You seem very confused for some reason. Diapers after a csection? The idea of that is just crazy.

http://www.babycenter.com/0_recovering-from-a-cesa...

Your husband will be there to help you out. He can plan his leave ahead of time.

i havent had a c section but from what research i have done its the same as a normal vaginal delivery stuff for you nighties or pjs toileteries also feminine hygiene also and for the baby a going home outfit nappies/diapers cotton wool formula if not breastfeeding babygrows vests etc. for at home stock up on diapers/nappies cotton wool formula if not breastfeeding also you could freeze some meals for hubby to eat whilst youre still in hospital make sure youre cell phone/mobile is fully charged up

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