Cesarean Recovery Essentials
(Some links are affiliate links.)
Hanro Pure Essence Sleeveless Nightgown • Hanro • $132
Kotex Overnites 28-Count Double Pack Pads • $6.29
Post surgical abdominal binder
SoYoung Bunny Tile Ice Pack • $12.95
Advil Liqui-Gels minis 80-Count 200 mg Solubized Ibuprofen Capsules • $9.49
Therapedic TruCool Body Pillow • Therapedic • $69.99
Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play Sleeper in Aqua Stone Fashion • $79.99
Calvin Klein Underwear 5-Pack Signature Cotton Bikini Bottoms Women’s Underwear • Calvin Klein Underwear • $32
A cesarean is no joke. It drives me nuts that so many people discount the recovery as anything important. I have heard and seen everything in regards to what random people think the recovery should be. Many people are shocked you would use painkillers afterward! My third child was very large and they had to cut wider than normal to get her out. You bet I was using painkillers after having a 15 inch long incision across my entire pelvis. the surgery involves more than just cutting and sewing up skin. When you add up muscles, fascia, uterus, fat, skin, etc., there are seven layers that need to be carefully separated and then put back together in various ways. Not to mention the moving your organs all over. My husband has watched each of my surgeries and each time he is surprised again at how violent it seems. They are not gentle.
And really, ignoring that this is a MAJOR abdominal surgery does a real disservice to everyone. Far too many women think there is something wrong with them when they are still feeling really awful only a couple weeks after surgery. While the little pamphlet from the hospital says six weeks to recover, it isn’t really true. You will not be “recovered” to take up a rigorous power-lifting regimen at six weeks. You will not be able to do much of any ab work at six weeks. If you have fascia adhesions, just simple stretching at six weeks can be very painful.
We are encouraged to be far more active and go without pain management much sooner after a cesarean than pretty much any other surgery. I was given four times more painkiller prescriptions for the surgery on my broken leg, than for my c-sections. I was also given lots of instructions on proper rest and nutrition for healing. If your surgery is just for removing a baby though, suck it up you wimp. I always felt something was a little wrong with both society and the medical community in regards to how I was treated after my cesareans, but I couldn’t really put my finger on it. Once I saw how my husband was treated for just having a couple wisdom teeth extracted, and how I was treated when getting hardware surgically installed to bolt my leg back together, I figured it out. Information and support for cesarean recovery is highly lacking in this country. It leaves women feeling inadequate and encourages ignorance in others. This leads to mistreatment and literal pain.
So now that I am done with my soap box preaching, I want to finally get to my personal list of cesarean essentials. This is nothing close to comprehensive, and it obviously won’t apply to everyone. However, each of these items played a big role in my personal well-being in recovery, not to mention, helped me recover far better than any of my friends and family who also went through c-sections.
What You Need for Your Cesarean Recovery
A Nightgown
I know, nighties are dated. We all want to run around in leggings and cute nursing tops right from the get-go. Trust me. You want a nightgown. Preferably a short one. One misconception about cesareans is that you don’t bleed vaginally after the birth since you did not birth vaginally. Hahahahahaha. How do people think all that blood and uterine tissue comes out? I bled for eight weeks straighter after each c-section. A lot. I still needed to mesh underwear from the hospital with those pads the size of your thighs. And then on top of that have a ton of stitches that need to air out, but also need an ice pack on them 24/7 for weeks just to feel human. Seriously, the short nightgown is so much more convenient those first couple days. Especially when nurses and midwives come in to press on your belly and check under the hood to see how well you uterus is contracting down. (Isn’t the pushing around for days afterward the worst?) Hanro Pure Essence Sleeveless Nightgown
Extra large pads
I know I just mentioned the pads, but for real. Stock up on some extra long overnight menstrual pads the size of your arm. You still bleed after a cesarean. Your uterus still needs to shrink and expel tissue. Kotex Overnites 28-Count Double Pack Pads •
Surgical Belly binder
After having a baby in any way, you kind of feel like your insides are jiggling about. They are. It takes a bit for the muscles and fascia to shrink back up. Belly binding is very popular with some women. I didn’t bother with my vaginal births, but with a cesarean, the pain of the jiggle is excruciating. I actually don’t recommend one of those expensive stylish binders They are too stiff and could cause issues for your incision. My advice is to just get a simple post-surgical binder. They are usually less than $35 and can adjust forever. By the time the elastic is all worn out, you shouldn’t need it anymore. The hospital usually has these anyway. If they offer you one first, great, If not, ask for one! But I still recommend buying one on amazon and packing it just in case your hospital experience is less than stellar. Plus, the hospital might only stock 2XL size, which means you might have lots of annoying excess fabric dragging around if you need a smaller size. This cheap one on amazon is preferred. You want all four panels.
The belly binder also holds your ice pack in place!
Large gel ice packs
I buy the blue rectangle ones at Walgreens. They are about a foot long so they cover the whole incision, plus the gel makes it flexible which is more comfortable. I prefer to have at least three in circulation. Icing is very important if you want to feel human. The medical staff really man-handles your uterus, belly, and intestines during surgery. Everything will be sore. And swollen. I ice for two solid weeks after a cesarean. I really believe it plays a role is feeling better more quickly. The blue ones at Walgreens are great. Although these are certainly cute. SoYoung Bunny Tile Ice Pack
Ibuprofen
Enough said. Lets be real, acetaminophen doesn’t do crap. In order to kill pain, you need more than enough to kill your liver. That’s why it only works when paired with narcotics. Have a bottle of ibuprofen in liquid gel caps for fast dissolving action. Advil Liqui-Gels minis 80-Count 200 mg Solubized Ibuprofen Capsules • $9.49
Body pillow
I actually use several regular pillows, but always wish I had a body pillow. The wound on the loose belly hurts and a pillow feels great for supporting the flesh to avoid pain. Therapedic TruCool Body Pillow
Sidecar sleeper or rocker for baby
Getting up to get the baby when your abs are pointless and in horrible pain makes life miserable. Have that crib lined up with the bed and easily accessible without getting up. Have a raised bassinet or Rock N’ Play next to the couch. Something that is level to you so that you don’t have to hurt your incision and lose your icepack while grabbing the baby for a feeding. Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play Sleeper in Aqua Stone
Large waisted underwear
I am so not kidding. Underwear rubbing on your incision is physically uncomfortable for a long time. I know women who had their cesarean 20 years ago and they still cannot stand to have underwear rub on the scar. When the incision is fresh and gooey and gross, it needs to be as dry as possible and to not get irritated. Infections are not joke. Tight, low rise underwear will be hell. Forget your cute undies you haven’t been able to wear since the second trimester. They can wait another few months. Get some unattractive cotton bloomers two sizes too big and get over it. Besides, you need those giant pads anyway, and they won’t fit into lace cheekies. Calvin Klein Underwear 5-Pack Signature Cotton Bikini Bottoms Women’s Underwear
*These are all items handpicked by me. Some of the links above are affiliate links. If you click on an affiliate link or purchase through one, it might lead to a few cents thrown my way. Thank you for supporting Just Add Cloth.