C-Section Essentials

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I didn’t expect to have a c-section. For some reason I thought that would never be me. So I never thought much of it. I knew recovery would be difficult, but I had no idea what it would really be like or what I would need. Here are the top most useful things for my c-section recovery.

Comfortable Clothes

I think any woman who has given birth will attest to the fact that comfy clothes are best. But when you have an incision across your abdomen, you really don’t want tight or uncomfortable clothes on. I didn’t want pressure on my incision, of course, but the skin around the incision felt strange. Not numb, but like I couldn’t quite feel. It was a bit unnerving.

I wore maternity pants and high-waisted leggings for nearly two months before I dared try on normal pants. I was more comfortable and less worried about my post-baby pudge. Plus, maternity pants had the added benefit of keeping my stomach from feeling too floppy.

A belly binder

Speaking of floppy bellies, I was given a belly binder at the hospital, and it was a godsend. I lived in that thing until the Velcro stopped working. It made me feel more put together. It made my limited use of my stomach muscles more bearable. It made it easier to sit up. Mostly, it made me feel human again.

I also found it easier to sleep with the binder on, especially after I started trying to sleep on my side again. The belly binder kept everything in place and kept gravity from pulling on my incision.

Ice packs

The hospital had these awesome ice packs! Take as many home as you can. I wish I’d asked for more than the two I got. They were long rectangles made of some kind of material that is waterproof on the inside. They fit nicely across the incision and the ice lasted so long. Unfortunately, after a few weeks my two started to wear out and leak. I tried Ziplocs and reusable ice bags, but nothing compared to the hospital ones.

I may not have needed to ice as much as I did, but it seriously made me feel so much better. Like I was doing something to help. I even slept with ice on my incision and kept the second ice pack full of ice and ready in the freezer for when I woke up in the middle of the night. I also found this ice pack that looks perfect for c-section moms!

A Recliner

Okay, so you can get by without a recliner. And I really wouldn’t recommend buying one just because of a c-section (unless you plan to get one anyway). But we had one, and it seriously saved me at night. I tried sleeping in bed my first night home. It was rough. I had to have my husband help me in and out of bed every time, and it still hurt like crazy. I couldn’t even straighten out all the way without feeling tugging at my incision site.

It took me a few nights to find my best positions in the chair, but with a pillow, blanket, and my trusty ice pack, I was comfortable enough to sleep there for nearly six weeks.

Menstrual Pads

Yes, you’ll bleed even if you don’t give birth vaginally. Fortunately, I only bled lightly for a week and on and off for a month when I did too much. But pads are also great for your incision. I had this not-so-awesome flop of skin hanging over my incision. My midwife recommended placing a pad against the incision to keep it clean and dry. It wasn’t the most comfortable and didn’t always stay, but I kept trying for several weeks.

I didn’t have a list of must-haves when I had my c-section. I had heard things here and there and got recommendations from family and friends. These things were the most helpful for me. I’d love to hear what else was helpful for you!