C-Section Mamas…This One is for You
April is, among other things, C-Section Awareness Month. I’ve written about how B.G. was born via C-Section before, especially in Top Ten Things I Wish I Knew Before I Gave Birth.
When my midwife recommended I have a c-section, I had been in active labor for about twenty hours, had prodromal labor for a few days beforehand, and had been pushing for four hours. Unfortunately, B.G. was stuck. Her head was big and my pelvis small and she seemed to have inherited my sense of (no) direction; she was trying to come out at an angle. In short, my labor had stalled and my body was wearing out.
I could see that it was the best option for us, but it was far from the birth I had imagined. To begin with, I was terrified of anesthesia and being cut open. I was also feeling—obviously irrationally—as though it was a failure on my part to not be able to birth her naturally. These feelings were enhanced by postpartum hormones and emotions that were all mixed up.
Anyway, my medical team did the c-section. I did need a transfusion, which is slightly scary to think about how much blood I lost and makes me grateful to be in a place where hospitals have blood ready to give. (Side note: my husband donated blood a few weeks ago, as a kind of karmic giving back. If you are able, donate blood! It saves lives.)
In the days following the surgery, especially when I was still in the hospital, I was surprised at how much pain I was in. I mean, they cut through multiple tissues, organs, and muscles. I couldn’t sit up or stand up on my own. I couldn’t pick up my baby. My body did heal in time (mostly, I still have tenderness around the scar).
These are the things which helped me the most:
Belly band. It’s a velcroed piece of stiff cloth that wraps around your abdomen and gives it support.
Scar tissue massage. This involves gently stretching the scar tissue to keep it from getting too stiff. Because mine still hurts from time-to-time is probably a sign I need to do more of this.
Staying hydrated. If your body is to heal, it needs water.
Eat fiber. You don’t want to get constipated when your abdomen is recovering. (Eating fibery foods in the hospital helped me with the first bowel movement after my surgery immensely.)
Coughing/sneezing/laughing is the worst thing ever. If you have to, hug a pillow to your abdomen first.
Go for walks. Start around the room or down the hallway. Get outside and go around the block. Add a little more when you feel ready.
Take care of you! Of course, your whole concern is all about taking care of your new baby, but you are important too! Lean on your partner or other support people. Your baby also needs those times of stillness; when all you can do is lay in bed, hold her skin-to-skin. Don’t be afraid of contact naps. They are sweet and fleeting.
When they first handed her to me after the surgery, I didn’t feel strong enough to hold her. C-section mamas, this article is for you. We did what we had to for our babies. And that is a strength like none other.
