Advice to pass on please

pinitbaby

Hi there, my sil has placenta previa and had been admitted twice already for heavy bleeding. Shes 30 weeks.. They said if she goes in one more time they will be taking the baby out..she has 10 more weeks til her scheduled c-sec but they way shes been bleeding we don't think shes going to make it.

This is her first baby and shes scared to death of surgery, you can only read so many books and I know everyone is different but is there any advice from anyone that you think may help afterwards to heal? I've heared of placing a pillow over the abdomen when coughing to reduce the pain? I myself have never had a section so I feel useless but shes worried and sometimes we just need some reassurance.

Thanks in advance Good luck to everyone xo

Disneygeek77

Well I have had three so this is my advice 

- Stay on top of the pain medicine and  take  it when you are  scheduled.  Don't think " Oh, I'm fine  now, I don't need to take it" because once you start feeling the pain, it will be too late and might take hours for  the pain medication to start working again.

- get up and walk as soon at the hospital will let you.  Try not to overdo it too much, but do try to walk a bit.  It helps with the recovery.

-use your heels and your fists to sit up in the bed and not your abdominal muscles

-ok this is TMI but for me constipation was the worst part of the c-section and I tried everything to keep things moving.  I had a bunch of stool softeners, tea, juice, water, salad, raisin bran etc.  It did nothing.  The only thing that worked was a suppository.  I got relief in 30 minutes.  I am so glad I used one instead of having to wait hours  or days for other methods to work.  Next time, I wouldn't hesitate to take a suppository. 

Let me see what else

Oh get high waisted or granny panties.  Other panties will irritate your incision.

Do what you have to do to make things easier for you once you are home.  If someone offers to come and help ( and you know they will help and not be a bum on your couch) then take them up on their offer.  If friends and family offer to bring you food, then take them up on their offer.

Buy disposable plates, cups, bowls and silverware.  This way you won't have to worry about doing as much dish duty.

Buy bottled water because if you are on the couch with the baby, you don't want to hurt your incision when you lean forward to get a drink of water. 

Oh I also forgot.  When you are on the operating table and are feeling nauseous, tell the anethesiologist right away.  There is medicine they can give you to help. 

treble_clef

It's really not that bad!  She will be fine:D

mommytoconnor

Reassure your SIL.  I can tell you that I don't think it's that bad.  I would recommend that she get up and walking as soon as her nurse allows her to, usually 6-8 hours after surgery, this will help in recovery and each time she walks it will get better and her pain will be less.  Also stay on top of pain meds, stool softeners, etc.  Also plan on having some help when you go home, such as someone to do cleaning, cooking, etc.  Daddy or friends or family are great helpers.  Don't let her do this stuff on her own.  The first 6 weeks or so she should really only be taking care of herself and baby. Sleep when baby sleeps and accept help when someone offers it.

imimahoney

When she coughs, sneezes, laughs or even hiccups make sure to hold a pillow to your incision. That will help a little bit with the pain. 

Daisy22

I have had one unplanned and planned. Both were easy recoveries but my planned one was the easist. She needs to stay on top of her pain meds, move as soon as she can, and I start colace about 3 days before my c/s date so that I don't have issues afterwards.

l_elizabeth

stw_77:

Well I have had three so this is my advice 

- Stay on top of the pain medicine and  take  it when you are  scheduled.  Don't think " Oh, I'm fine  now, I don't need to take it" because once you start feeling the pain, it will be too late and might take hours for  the pain medication to start working again.

- get up and walk as soon at the hospital will let you.  Try not to overdo it too much, but do try to walk a bit.  It helps with the recovery.

-use your heels and your fists to sit up in the bed and not your abdominal muscles

-ok this is TMI but for me constipation was the worst part of the c-section and I tried everything to keep things moving.  I had a bunch of stool softeners, tea, juice, water, salad, raisin bran etc.  It did nothing.  The only thing that worked was a suppository.  I got relief in 30 minutes.  I am so glad I used one instead of having to wait hours  or days for other methods to work.  Next time, I wouldn't hesitate to take a suppository. 

Let me see what else

Oh get high waisted or granny panties.  Other panties will irritate your incision.

Do what you have to do to make things easier for you once you are home.  If someone offers to come and help ( and you know they will help and not be a bum on your couch) then take them up on their offer.  If friends and family offer to bring you food, then take them up on their offer.

Buy disposable plates, cups, bowls and silverware.  This way you won't have to worry about doing as much dish duty.

Buy bottled water because if you are on the couch with the baby, you don't want to hurt your incision when you lean forward to get a drink of water. 

Oh I also forgot.  When you are on the operating table and are feeling nauseous, tell the anethesiologist right away.  There is medicine they can give you to help. 

All of this. Especially the parts about insisting on walking as soon as possible after surgery, staying on top of pain meds, and constipation issues.

Both my c-sections were great! I was never in an ounce of pain with either one, EVER. Not before, during or after. I took medicine as directed, was driving by day 4 or 5 both times. The biggest issue was constipation. She'll do great! 

stemms8810

Ditto everyone else's advice.  It's important that she let other people take care of her for a couple weeks afterwards.  While she may feel better, overdoing it can set you back healing wise.  So tell her to take it easy and enjoy the down time with her baby.

C-sections don't have to be scary and entail a painful recovery.  All the above advice will definitely help her

RoxBride

Walk small amounts as often as possible once you are given the go ahead. Go easy on food, and start taking stool softeners now.

pinitbaby

Wow thanks soo much everyone! This is great advice, I've had all vaginal deliveries but didn't think about constipation with a section would be worse? As well as the walking as soon as allowed. Again thank you and I will definately be passing this great info on

F15Wife

Start taking stool softeners IMMEDIATELY after the section. Even before if she's worried about it but the constipation was aweful. Nobody told me and I ended up not going for 10 days! Yikes.

MrsSR

treble_clef:

It's really not that bad!  She will be fine:D

This....after being in labor for days, I'd take a c-section anyday!

jb2rn

- drink lots of water to help with swelling.

- walk every day, even a  little

-get help from family and friends if they are nearby

nikki2246

All of what PP says....and walk as much as she can when she gets home, drinks plenty of water . I had a friend who told  me to squeeze my feet into sneakers and walk to get rid of the massive swelling and sure enough it worked. I was very surprised about the swelling...

denise_m

Everything above is great advice.

If she does deliver early, the NICU can be a scary place.  With ds, he was there for 4 weeks.  It was nice when people offered to help drive me when dh was at work, or who helped get the last touches on the nursery.

Keeping a pen and paper next to the phone at all times was helpful to for when the NICU called with the morning updates.  I could write it all down and digest it later, and have a list of questions to ask the doctor.