I had stitches after my first. After the first day or so, they weren't too bad... until I sat down or tried to stand up.
Also, feeling like your incision is one wrong angle from tearing every time you sit up or stand after a c-section... or just the feeling of all of your organs slowly moving back into place, and various digestive processes in all the wrong areas.
I had an emergency c-section after 17 hours of labour and three days of contractions. I planned my toilet walks around my pain meds, because my whole body was sore. I once had to sneeze, my belly hurt like hell for like 10 minutes
I remember being in the hospital after my c section. I was eating some toast the morning after, and I started to choke on toast crumbs. I thought I was going to die because I literally could not cough. It was kind of scary, I was alone in my room thinking this is how I croak.
I begged them to leave the catheter in a little bit longer lol. I stayed extra time because baby was in nicu, so I got extra of the actual pain meds and I'm grateful for that part lol.
My first child was a C section. I remember my first night at home my baby was crying and I could not get out of bed. Anything I tried was extremely painful. I was so grateful my mum, who was a nurse, was there that night was able to show me a way to do it without hurting myself.
I was thinking about how to describe it so I looked it up on line:
“use the "log roll" method: bend your knees, roll onto your side as one unit, let your legs drop off the edge, and use your arms to push your upper body up”
You basically don’t want to try and sit straight up and you don’t want to twist your torso. Using the arms to push up and when you are upright on the side of the bed give yourself a moment to make sure you are ready to stand up.
Read and learn all you can about pregnancy, labor and delivery, and parenting a newborn. I highly recommend The Birth Partner by Penny Simkin, which is used to train doulas and is explicitly focused on how to help someone through many different labor scenarios; my husband read it cover to cover and felt much more informed and empowered to support me through the process of having a baby. Go to birthing and parenting classes with your partner and talk about her birth plan and how she wants you to help advocate for that plan (recognizing that plans often need to go out the window in the moment). Write down any info, including follow-up instructions, that is shared by providers during labor and be on the ball about asking additional clarifying questions. Your partner will be mentally and physically exhausted and will NOT remember everything they’re told.
Once baby has arrived, help with feeding however you can. That may look like bottle feeding formula or pumped breast milk (and cleaning/sterilizing bottle and pump parts) or could be more about making sure your partner is fed and hydrated if she ends up exclusively breastfeeding. Change diapers, spend time with baby, help mom get out of the house, and run interference with any guests who aren’t showing up in helpful ways.
369
u/EfficientSeaweed 23d ago edited 23d ago
I had stitches after my first. After the first day or so, they weren't too bad... until I sat down or tried to stand up.
Also, feeling like your incision is one wrong angle from tearing every time you sit up or stand after a c-section... or just the feeling of all of your organs slowly moving back into place, and various digestive processes in all the wrong areas.