Hey all,
It’s been a while since I’ve been on here. I’m already at 33 Weeks and insulin resistance hasn’t been too bad. A1C is holding steady at 6.3 and baby measured at 5.5lbs last week which is 1/2 lbs heavier than her sister at 32 weeks. No sign of pre-eclampsia so far but my C-section has been booked for Nov. 16th (39weeks) because baby girl is still sitting breach and my placenta is still sitting on my cervix.
I had hoped that I could have another vaginal delivery without an induction but it doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen and I’m okay with that. I’ve started focusing on something I wasn’t able to do with my first and hoping beyond hope I can do with my second…breastfeed!!! I have yet another NST tomorrow and keeping my fingers crossed that baby’s heart beat is back to normal without the PAC (premature atrial contractions) that was there a few weeks ago.
So what’s the best advise from you recent moms who have gone through a C-section. What made the recoup easier? How long did the healing take for ya? Oh and I’m have my 2nd umbilical hernia repaired at the same time… consequence of a 2nd big baby for me ;o(.
I had a c-section in June and was pleasantly surprised by how quickly the recovery went. I was moving normally around the apartment after about a week (my husband took the first week off work to help). I didn’t try to take longer walks until week 3-4, but it is good to move around some. They MADE me walk about 8 hours after the c-section and I do actually think it helped and it gave me confidence that I can take care of that little one.
One suggestion is to bring a bendy straw to the hospital – that made drinking water and juice much easier for the first couple days.
Hope that all will go well!
I heard that they won’t let you go home til you get up and walk. I’m just concerned because it took me a while to recoup from my last umbilical hernia repair last year but this was before I started on the pump. I’m hoping that’ll help. How’s the breast feeding coming along? That’s my other concern because I had nothing for my daughter ;o(.
Breastfeeding was hard in the beginning and some nurses told me that I would not be able to do it. But I was determined to breastfeed – so I just kept putting my son to my breast and he kept sucking (even if the latch wasn’t perfect and he couldn’t always get on – I ended up using a nipple shield for the first week, but then was able to nurse without it after that). I think that it is important to NOT restrict how much the baby is on the breast the first few days. My milk came in around day 3 and I have been “struggling” with an oversupply of milk ever since (my son is almost 4 months old). I am even donating milk to another mother now.
So don’t let the c-section discourage you. I have heard that confidence and determination are very important factors. So tell yourself that you can breastfeed and perhaps take the phone number of a lactation consultant (on the LaLeche website) with you to the hospital. If things aren’t going well, you can call for support.
I had a massive hemorrhage from a torn placenta and needed 2 blood transfusions so my body was in survival mode which is why I couldn’t breastfeed my daughter. I was so disappointed at the time and I think it contributed to mild PPD. I determined this time around and have a lactation specialist already lined up (she was my pump trainer). I also have a plan B set up and have been looking at a group in my area called Human Milk 4 Human Babies. I’m setting out to breastfeed but know from experience that things don’t always go according to plan so I’m prepared either way.
I had my c-section on a Monday morning, had the epidural removed on Wednesday morning, and was up and walking around the maternity ward (slowly) on Wednesday evening. I continued taking pain meds (Darvocet for me) for the first 2-3 weeks. I stayed down for the first few days after I got home, but felt fine to get out to the pediatrician on day 8. By day 11, I was up doing ALL of my normal chores - cleaning, bending, washing, etc. Other than sneezing/coughing/laughter, I didn’t really feel a lot of pain. It’s the inner incision that hurt for me, and that continued to hurt a little as my uterus returned to normal size (contracting) over the course of the next few weeks.
My hospital mandated that you couldn’t leave until you were walking and had been able to pass gas and have a bowel movement - I understand that’s pretty common.
Breastfeeding was challenging for me because my daughter had a relatively uncommon latching issue that took a while to diagnose, but we sought help from lactation consultants and persevered. We ultimately needed to use a nipple shield. She continued to breastfeed until 18mos when she weaned herself - and we continued to use a shield throughout.
