This is all great advice. I would caution, though, after having 2 c-sections: don't push yourself. Listen to your pain and your fatigue level and don't do more than you feel you can. If you do, you will regret it later as your recovery will take even longer. With my first c-section, I was pushing myself to do laundry, take walks around the block, etc pretty early on, and I ended up having a pretty long recovery. With my second, I made sure not to push it so much at first, and it was a much easier recovery overall. The pain medication will make you feel like you can do more than you should, so really listen to other signs of pain--for me it was fatigue and irritability.
Make sure your husband/partner understands that you will need help getting up out of bed. He/she should help you sit up before getting the baby for you to nurse. Going up and down stairs is also very hard on your incision. I had a bag that I would put everything I needed for the day in, so that I could go down the 2 flights of stairs once and then stay on the first floor all day.
As for how long it takes, it really depends what you count as "recovered," and of course for everyone and every surgery, it's a little different. I think the hardest thing for me was that within a couple of weeks, I looked and felt fairly normal, so other people would forget that I couldn't walk very far or very fast without having pain or getting really tired. So just remember to advocate for yourself and speak up and remind people that you are recovering from major surgery AND you have a newborn, and you need help and rest.
Looking back on the most recent experience, I don't think I really felt completely myself until my daughter was 2 months old. And even then, there's a heck of a lot going on in your body, especially if you're breastfeeding.
About the surgery itself: 2 things I wish I had known--if you are claustrophobic, it might make you anxious (you are flat on your back, with your head lower than your feet, you're not supposed to move your arms, you have oxygen tubing in your nose, a cap on your head, and a surgical drape inches in front of your face). If that's a concern, tell the anesthesiologist ahead of time. And the second thing: I don't know how common this is, but during the procedure I had a sharp pain radiating from my sternum up to my right shoulder. It lasted for at least a week after the surgery. My OB said later that it was probably air that had gotten trapped while the abdominal cavity was open, and it took awhile to dissipate.
This is not at all to scare you, just to help you be as informed as possible, since I didn't read or hear about those 2 things anywhere, but it would have been helpful to know. I had the shakes as well, and for me holding my baby a lot helped, but they are pretty awful while they last.
Re: exercise--I felt able to start slowly after about 2 months, but generally I think you can start at 6 weeks, after your postpartum checkup. And of course you can walk as tolerated before that.
Don't worry too much about your blood sugars. You need a mental break after 9 months of intensive management! Also, you will most likely be low rather than high, especially if you are nursing. Just check regularly and adjust food/insulin as needed. Focus on recovering first.
Best of luck. Hope some of that was helpful.
