The must-have resource for mamas recuperating from c-sections
Health, Sponsors
By
on October 16, 2009
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This is Jeanne, the woman who founded c-sectionrecovery.com. Photo courtesy of Monika Townsend.
The majority of labor and delivery resources fail to cover c-section recovery in depth. They'll usually touch on the stand-bys "Don't carry heavy objects" and "Avoid stairs" but there's not a lot of boots-on-the-ground guidance for mamas to turn to after c-sections.
Jeanne (pictured here) launched C-Section Recovery in 2004 after recovering from her own c-section delivery. She's filled the site with FAQs, information on emotional recovery, and solid advice from the trenches to help you get back on your feet.
If you've sailed the high seas of c-section recovery and feel like contributing to resources to help other mamas make it through too, there's even a quick survey you can take to help shape the information on the site.
If you're recovering from a c-section or want to be prepared just in case, start your research at C-Section Recovery.
About offbeaterika
I’m female, 20-somethingish, and married to the world’s most fantastic husband for long enough to appreciate him.
Lani said
I feel like people forget that a c-section is major surgery. If you had open-heart surgery or your gallbladder removed you wouldn't be jumping around two days after. Heck, I remember having my appendix out in high school and the little three inch incision was KILLING me for months afterwards. I'm thinking they can't get a baby out through a 3-inch incision. There is a pretty good chance I will need a c-section when the time comes. My mother had to have one, my aunt had one and my nan really *should* have had one (now her uterus is falling out). I'll give natural birth the good ol' college try, but in the meantime, I'll educate myself on c-sections, just in case. Thanks for posting this resource.
nikkicupcake said
i have to laugh that you mentioned a gallbladder being removed. my gallbladder was removed exactly a year before my c-section. i was in more pain post gallbladder than my c-section. i only had laprascopic for my gallbladder too! to tell you the truth my c-section was cake compared to my gallbladder being removed.
Lani said
You mean they can't do a laprascopic c-section? lol…I heard that laproscopic surgery can be very painful – something about the gas they use to fill up your innards so they can take a look around. Surgery is surgery and it takes time to heal. Good to know that the c-section was easier. I'm honestly terrified of both c-sections and natural birth. I wish that they could pull a star trek and just transport the baby out of me painlessly.
nikkicupcake said
a c-section is a pretty big incision where laprascopic is 4 1 inch long incisions. its funny i was so scared of natural birth and was relived to have a c-section.
OffbeatAriel said
If my huge breech baby boy doesn't flip in the next 4 weeks, I'm going to be reading this website verrrrry carefully. =/
OffbeatErika said
Still thinking very flippy thoughts for you. I hope his head is smushing your bladder in no time!
Nikki said
I'm sure you already know this, but in case you don't, there are a lot of techniques that midwives use to encourage babies to flip.
OffbeatAriel said
Oh yes. Current list of techniques I'm using: acupuncture & moxabustion twice a week, inversions ala spinningbabies.com, clockwise abdominal massage, weekly yoga, visualization, hypnosis, etc x 500. I'm also reminding myself that ultimately there's only so much I can do — ultimately I have to trust that the baby knows where he needs to be.
OffbeatAriel said
Oh yes. List of techniques I've been using for the last month: acupuncture & moxabustion twice a week, inversions ala spinningbabies.com, clockwise abdominal massage, weekly yoga, visualization, hypnosis, etc x 500. I'm also reminding myself that ultimately there's only so much I can do — ultimately I have to trust that the baby knows where he needs to be.
OffbeatAriel said
Oh yes. List of techniques I've been using for the last month: acupuncture & moxabustion twice a week, inversions ala spinningbabies.com, clockwise abdominal massage, weekly yoga, visualization, hypnosis, etc x 500. I'm also reminding myself that ultimately there's only so much I can do — and crikey: I'm doing pretty much of all of it! Ultimately I have to trust that the baby knows where he needs to be.
ashby said
Teehee, we should always assume you've tried (or at least heard of) all the options. You're the most well-researched person in the world!
@Hunnydu said
What I learned from my unplanned c-section was that the objective was to have the BABY, not the perfect birth. Im not -pro c-section as a more convenient birth, but if you need one, you need one.
OffbeatAriel said
HA! Hardly … but when it comes to matters of pregnancy & birth, I've got a LOT of resources at my disposal.
QoB said
@Ariel, I'm sure you may have heard of this already, but given that you live nearish to Canada, a c-section isn't your only option for breech. here's one blogger's summary of the recent International Breech Conference in Canada.: http://rixarixa.blogspot.com/2009/10/internationa…
OffbeatAriel said
Yeah, breech vaginal births are legal in both British Columbia and Oregon. I'm just not sure I want to deal with the logistics of driving 3 hours across country or state lines for my birth…as someone raised with the concept of home birth (but who lives in a thin-walled home), it's hard enough for me to wrap my head around driving 20 minutes to a birth center!
QoB said
sure, it sounds like a trek. is breech birth really *illegal* in the US, or is it just no doctor wants to risk a lawsuit by attending one?
OffbeatAriel said
It's determined state-by-state, so it's not a US thing — but regardless, "legal" isn't the right word. My understanding is that it's an issue of state malpractice insurance policies, not laws.
Sara said
What an excellent resource! As someone who REALLY wants a natural birth, and REALLY hates surgery of any sort, I know that if I end up having a c-section there will be a lot of emotional recovery I will need to go through as well…. something doctors don't seem to always think about. I love how this website addresses the physical tips to healing as well as the emotional!
Nancy Cavillones said
I definitely had tons of questions in retrospect, questions that didn't even occur to me ask beforehand. Great resource to have alongside all those other birthing resources. I'm glad you decided to share it, Ariel!
guest said
Post-partum doulas can be a big help to women who've given birth by c-section.
A woman and her new baby are at a precious and precarious stage, and deserve as much nurturing as possible. This is especially true for women who's births included medical interventions, particularly women who have had major surgery such as a C-section.
Proper care during this early stage is crucial for developing healthy family bonds, parental satisfaction, and to reduce the risk of emotional disorders.
A post-partum doula can assist with mom's tasks, freeing some time for her to do the healing she needs to do … and doulas understand what to look for, regarding post-partum illnesses, and their understanding and merely their presence can help prevent the emotional "tough days" from developing into worse problems.
Consider hiring a post-partum doula, if you've had a c-section.
Even for a week or two, it could make all the difference in your health and happiness.
Jeanne said
Post-partum doulas are a great resource! There are a number of websites out there that can help you find one. I have a number of them listed here: http://www.csectionrecovery.com/postpartum_doulas…
I wish I had known they existed when I was recovering – but I didn't find out about them until long after my recovery was complete.
"D" theoffbeatchild said
I'm the child of a mum who had a c-section and from what she told me she didn't have a clue that it was a major surgery until many years after wards while working in the medical industry and a nurse told her. The only reason I was a c-section was I was a breech baby that wouldn't flip no matter how hard they tried and at some point the cord got tangled around my neck and they were afraid to go any further with it but I ended up a healthy if not offbeat child.