Things I wish I knew before my C-section

There are a couple of things I wish I knew about C-section before I got my baby. I was not in anyway prepared for this eventuality. Nobody in my immediate family had undergone a C-section, therefore I did not think I was going to be an exception. When the doctor told me that I needed an emergency C-section, I was mortified! I cried my heart out, I went into a panic mode. My partner was not present at the time and as we spoke on the phone I kept on crying. He calmed me down and told me it was going to be okay. My sister too told me to relax for my baby's sake and let the doctor handle it. I managed to get composed after several prayers and the pep talks. I thank god my Lil man arrived safely. That said there are a couple of things I wish I knew:



It is a delicate major surgery. Has it been done in a certified hospital by a certified doctor? Don't experiment with your baby's life or yours. 

• DO NOT DRINK anything until six hrs have elapsed after surgery. I was crazy thirsty esp for a soda at first then for water(thank God my friends told me NO)...I just recently read of a lady who drank something after surgery and she lost her life that way. 
• Day 2 of recovery will hurt like crazy! You will want to remain in a hunch position when you first get out of bed. Don't panic it is absolutely normal.
• Take your medication. Your caregiver at the hospital will give you pain medication please take it faithfully 
• Don't lay in bed all day. walk around your room or ward it aids in recovery.
• Don't take Uji/porridge! I took plenty of this and for me, it was not pretty. My doctor explained that the consumption of Uji and gassy foods were not recovery friendly especially for the first 3 months. she also added that if your baby had colic this would make it worse for him/her. Instead of uji, I took oxtail soup, water and chocolate (some people say chocolate is not good but it worked for me). I stayed away from beans (all beans), cabbage, broccoli, and porridge. in the beginning, I ate light frequent meals. 
• Laughing, sneezing or coughing will have you hurting really bad. Have a  folded towel that you place gently on your tummy in case you need to cough. It goes away as you heal. I avoided laughing or sneezing as much as I could.
• Your body will be swollen due to all the fluid it will retain from the IV fluids you will have received at the hospital. Don't panic it will go away as well. 
• When you get home, don't try to do any chores. You will need all the help you can get around the house. The only lifting you should do is that if your baby only. 
• Avoid moving up and down stairs. Do not sit up in a manner that strains you. You shouldn't strain your ab muscle at all. You could harm yourself at the incision.
•  No showers. yes, you heard me right. you have to sponge bathe yourself to avoid getting the incision wet (this not very good news for me but what to do? )
• wear your panties above your incision. wear loose-fitting clothes (you might want to avoid trousers and shorts that have the waistband at the incision point). You shouldn't apply any pressure on your wound or around it. 
• Your body will feel very sore for a while. Rest as much as you can (who cares about dirty dishes) you may not be able to sleep on both sides of your body. Don't strain to do it. It is okay to sleep on one side until you can change sides. 
• Laze around much as you can. This is not a time to play the wife of the year by fixing your house. (reliable help at this point is very important.) Your house will look messy but permit yourself to ignore until your doctor says you are okay. (around eight weeks  or more post delivery)
• A nursing pillow comes in handy since baby lies on your wound while breastfeeding if you are seated. If you want to pick the baby up and you were lying down please lift yourself slowly without straining your ab muscle then have your partner or the person helping you out pick the baby and bring him/her to you. 
• Do not attempt to drive for at least 2/3 months. You will not be able to sit properly or apply brakes precisely. 
• Watch out for infections. pay close attention to your incision wound. 
• Do not tie a leso to suppress your tummy and get it to pre-pregnancy state. It is dangerous to do so. wait until you are cleared by your doctor. (there are post-c-section tummy binders)
• Do not attempt to go back into exercising immediately after delivery. No sit-ups or exercises that will put strain your abs.

 Your hormones may be all over the place. For me, having a c-section was one of my postpartum depression triggers. In case you feel like its getting out of hand please seek medical help.

Recovering from a C-section birth takes a bit of time and you need to be very patient with yourself. As you recover you will manage to walk around please don't overdo it. use a stroller to walk around with your baby. Don't start doing heavy chores like laundry. Take it slow and stop comparing yourself to anybody. listen to your body it will tell you if something is wrong. At around 5/6 months your body will start to feel normal. Don't beat yourself up for having a C-section(you did not have it easier), You are not a failure and you definitely not a lesser woman. 

It not all dull and gloom. At the hospital, you will be groggy most of the time don't miss the chance to take photos of you and the baby and maybe your visitors( remember to have the flash off when taking the baby's pictures). you will enjoy the memories for sure. I hope you find this information useful to you.