After an “emergency” (unplanned, and certainly unexpected) C-section, I was exhausted, confused, drugged, devastated, and in awe of this teeny person that I was “in charge of.” I was breastfeeding (at minimum for 45 minutes) every 2 hours, and just plain over-whelmed.
The nurses on the Mother/Baby floor of the hospital gave me a folder full of paperwork (how to get the birth certificate, etc, etc.) and a little book on baby care. I thought I’ll read that later. I was also informed that there was a 24 hour programming on the TV about baby care basics.
Later came and went, and when my baby was a few months old, I decided I’d better read that book. I was shocked to see that was a whole sections (well, a couple pages) devoted to cesarean recovery. Apparently, I was supposed to be doing some exercises, coughing, and walking around. Never did it. Could that be part of the reason why I was still feeling so sore? So stiff? So tender? I don’t know.
If I could offer advise to anyone about cesarean recovery, it would be this: Go get a close friend or relative and let me talk to them. Let’s face it — mom and dad are too tired, scared, busy, tired (did I say that?), to read up on what to do those first few days. You need someone who can help and gently remind the new mom to do some exercises, and move around (no matter how scary it is!)
ICAN has a great resource on recovery tips, but they’re re-doing their website and the link is down right now 
ICAN of Louisville has a page on cesarean recovery, but the links to the main ICAN page aren’t going to be working right now. There are other resources on there, and I encourage you to check it out.
C-sectionRecovery.com is a great site to check out.
Here’s my quick advice:
- Breastfeed as soon as possible. Give those nurses the evil eye (and worse, if necessary) if they tell you that your milk isn’t in yet. It’ll come – and putting that baby to breast is a good way to help.
- Skin to skin contact. Take off your shirt, and disrobe the baby. Hold that little child on your chest!
- Move around. Yes it will hurt. Yes, it will be scary. Do it — and with help. Do it for later!
- Take your pain meds. I hate drugs. They really affect me in strange ways. But I needed those pain medications.
- Cry. It’s ok.
- Rest. Really. Please. Just rest.
