Toddlers: 12 - 24 Months
Last minute details - C-section Thursday
I am having a C-Section on Thursday for our second baby girl. Any last minute tips, esp. for ways to ease my 22 month old daughter? Any thing you did to prepare for a four day stay in the hospital. Any tips in general welcome. Thanks!
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Re: Last minute details - C-section Thursday
Not sure if you're going to wear the hospital mesh underwear home, but be sure and get some high waisted underwear. When I got home after having a csection, I looked in my drawer and all I had were bikini panties. My mom had to go to Cvs and buy me some Hanes ones.
First of all-- best of luck!!
Now tips:
1) Bring a Boppy pillow with you. You can lay the baby on it when/if you breastfeed or are holding her. It puts less pressure on the incision.
2) Bring some small snacks! Often the hospital cafeteria closes too early, and you get hungry late at night. Some cookies or snack crackers or pretzels would be helpful to have close by.
3) Bring loose sweatpants and t-shirts to walk around in the hospital and for when you leave.
4) Bring comfortable underwear that will not rub on the incision area.
make sure to take the anti-gas meds after every meal... for many women the gas pains are worse than the incision pain (and can be all over your body).
make sure to keep the incision very dry - I didn't keep mine dry enough and it took a long time to heal - once i started to blow it dry with the hairdryer after showers it got much better... it needs to be REALLY dry.
get up and walk around as much as you can. The more you do it the easier it is... the longer you lay and relax, the harder it is to get up the next time... but do also take it easy and let your body heal, too... a fine balance
talk to your DD1 about the boo boo on your tummy and make sure she doesn't step on it, climb on it, etc. My DS1 was really good about it- he was 2y2mo when the twins were born and understood well that i had boo boo and couldn't do certain things for a while.
give DD1 tons of attention... baby is "luggage" early on- can be put down while napping, etc - then go play with DD1.... as DD2 gets bigger put her into a bumbo seat on the floor to watch you play with DD1... she'll love the audience, and the baby will love watching - my twins LOVED doing that.
good luck!!! Enjoy those first moments with your daughters meeting... it's sweet (and sometimes funny)
congratulations! I only have one, so no recs on helping your daughter transition. BUT, my suggestion is that you take advantage of your hospital stay: let the nurses help you and sleep as much as you can at night! You will be in charge when you get home, so let the hospital professionals take over! GL!
oh geez .......thought you had had a c/s before. Based on the other posters:
get as many of the hospital underwear as you can. I still have mine. A true dream.
take stool softeners right off the bat.
take pain meds, even if you feel better. Not kidding. Keep taking them. And ask for more.
Get up and moving as soon as they give you the green light.
Take a dress to wear home.
Don't be embarassed to tell the staff if you are having trouble passing gas or having a bm. They will give you meds that will help and you'll avoid pain from it.
Holding a pillow against your belly is a lifesaver if you have to sneeze, cough or laugh really hard.
Oh and ditto this. The nurse asked if I needed more meds and I said I felt fine (which I did). Yeah, a half hour later, I was taking more meds when it started to wear off.
High wasted, size-larger underwear for after you finish off the mesh panties (or if you just get tired of them). All the fluids you'll receive will likely puff you up, and the incision will make normal undies impossible.
Stool softeners. At the hospital and at home - ask for them if they don't offer. Take them ASAP. I spent an entire day after I got home in the bathroom in tears before the Colace kicked in (I didn't take it until I got home, BIG mistake). I swear that hurt more than anything else during recovery, and I felt a million times better once I was regular again.
Walk ASAP and as much as they let you. I had B at 1:30AM and was standing that night, walking with help the next day. The nurses said they had never seen a c/s patient up that fast, but I was determined. I had heard on the boards that it was a good idea, and it was. I could barely make it to the bathroom at first, but by the time I was home I could get around pretty well with no help.
Mes Petit Choux
I can't go back to yesterday - because I was a different person then. ~ Alice
Definitely stay on top of the pain meds. It's all about pain management!
Get up as soon as you can. And when you do, keep your shoulders back/stay up straight. A friend told me this, it was a good tip. Walk around as much as the nurses say you can.
Pillow for the stomach-for sure!
I actually packed a dark blue robe from Target and wore that almost the whole time. It was very convenient. They constantly checked my stomach/incision. The easy access was great. I packed my most supportive slip-on sandals, they really helped.
Long stretches of sleep will help you more than you can know, particularly with recovering from a c/s.
Maybe set up a code word with your DH and close family, something that will let them know that you need a few minutes alone, or just need one of them to stay to help you. My (male) boss came to visit, and I had a messy episode. I could see it on my feet. I was mortified. Fortunately, my mom reads me well and got him out. Ugh. That taught me to just stay in bed when people visit!
As for gas pains: everyone says this and the first poop is the worst. Knock on wood (more like banging on it until I get splinters), but this was not a problem for me. No pain. None. I was like 'this is it?' I wish the same for you (and everyone else who has a c-section!)
Shop for when you come home: high-waisted panties, tons of big pads, ibuprofen and stool softner. I spilled my entire bottle in the middle of the night. Ugh. A back-up would have been good.
I asked to keep my non-wire nursing bra (a sleeping bra from Motherhood) on during surgery. They allowed it, even though they said to remove everything. Never hurts to ask!
Pack some snacks for DD at the hospital. Maybe something special that would be a real treat?
GOOD LUCK!!!! Happy thoughts and best wishes!