C-section check list

I used lil lets maternity pads after both sections, I only bled for about 10 days and then just used normal period knickers for a week or two of spotting.

Some people get trapped wind and use peppermint tea.

The best thing for your recovery is a proper pain management plan, alarms for meds and staying active. Mobility is key to healing. Get up little and often and get those muscles moving. Lessens pain and helps recovery.

Keep your wound clean and dry, some put a pad on the inside of their knickers to soak up moisture.

Have snacks around the house for yourself too ☺️

Ohhh okay thank you

Is pain management given to buy the hospital or do I have to get my own , what did you have pleasd

Hello!!
For me I had a very heavy flow right after my c-section they will give you pads in the hospital but I definitely would get some for home. I also think a belly binder was useful all the extra skin that would hang caused me more pain on my incision. The hospital should give you one but I found the binder from the brand frida very helpful. I also felt a lot of pain laying down flat and only felt relief if I was sitting up so maybe getting an elevation pillow or something along those lines to help. I hope this helps !

Ohhh okay I did not think about anything like this thank you

For me i relied on gauze pads too. I hated the feeling of the incision rubbing on clothing so i always put gauze pads over the incision to make myself feel more comfortable.

Nursing pillow was also a big must for me. It helped me hold the baby comfortably without irritating the incision.

Loose clothing is a must. I did bleed for about a good 10-12 days afterward but it wasn't a heavy period. I had trapped gas afterward which i later learned could have been helped by chewing gum.

Stool softener may help cause in the beginning its gonna hurt to going to the bathroom and you have to be careful.

I was sent home and told to alternatr acetaminophen and ibeprofin. I was also told to take something to help ease the gas. The hospital didn't give me anything else.

I was sent home with paracetamol and diclofenac, had to take one of them every two hours. I think i was enough for a week.

I had bought maternity pads but I didnt end up using them and just used normal period pads instead. I bled for about 5 weeks and then my period started almost as soon as the pp bleeding stopped lol.

I wore big high waisted pants for maybe about 10 weeks after as they came to my belly button and didnt push against my incision.

If this is helpful to reassure you: my friend had a c section and was given codeine (NHS) she didn’t even need! She felt better within 3 days :) you got this! I have also spoken to SO many people about c section vs vaginal and everyone says it’s so much safer these days to opt for an elective c section. 🙏🏼🫶🏼

Definitely take some maternity pads. I bled quite heavily afterwards so needed the hefty pads 🤣

I second one of the comments above about peppermint tea for trapped wind. I was not expecting to get this but it was honestly so painful. I would recommend just having a cup as soon as you come out of the theatre room and maybe get some windeeze tablets?

I really recommend taking a pillow from home as well. This helps with the journey home and if you need to cough/sneeze it’s much more comfortable to hug the pillow!

I genuinely didn’t have much pain and just used ibuprofen & paracetomol x

Pads defo I bled for about 6 weeks but they did put one inbetween my legs right after surgery so they should have some there! Big pants that cover up to your belly button so they won’t rub on your wound basically all high waisted clothes x

You should be given pain relief by the hospital. I had paracetamol ibuprofen and morphine. I thought I didn’t need the morphine after two days and I was in agony. Definitely take anything they’ve prescribed you for at least the first week. You will still bleed vaginally even though you delivered via c-section. Mine lasted a few weeks and eventually turned to spotting. If you want to breastfeed don’t drink too much peppermint tea as some studies say it impacts on your supply. I didn’t actually have too much gas pains and the ones I did have turned out to be from the laxative they gave me. When I stopped taking it the gas stopped.

After my section I was told I had to stay immobile for about 12 hours after, and in that time they provided the pads. It may be different for different hospital. Just make sure you have lots of easy access to snacks and drinks as you will have to not eat before hand like any surgery. Mine was supposed to be a morning surgery and ended up being early afternoon so I didn’t eat from the night before. Also if you are breast feeding be prepared for a lot of blood clots coming out, no one warned me about this and I did a lot of research and began to panic but it’s completely normal.
I also recommend grippy fluffy socks and sliders or slippers as when you’re up they want you to move around quite a bit.
It’s better to overpack than under pack as c section recovery is different for every person.

I was given codeine and paracetamol as painkillers. I've had clexane injections too - they're ongoing for the next few weeks. I had my dressing removed the day after I got home and felt miles better. Barely had any pain relief apart from the odd occasion. I've not used any pads over the wound. You will need maternity pads or heavy flow sanitary pads (been using Mooncup ones and Always ones). Other than that, I've got a Frida Mom c section support band which I only used yesterday. Don't have it on today. I've been told to keep the wound free so no putting anything over it (eg. Pads). As for keeping clean, I've just used clear warm water from shower and dabbed dry with face cloth.

Yes some pads or incontinence diaper works,
Also belly binder does wonders! Used it with my second C-section and it made the healing process easier and faster.
I used the one I got from the hospital though.

Lots covered here in terms of medication, pads etc. I'd also get a large water bottle with straw so you don't have to get up and down to get a drink too often. Have clothes that are easy to put on eg over the head loose nighty, get some slider shoes or slip ons so you dnt need to bend down to put them on. Lactulose for the constipation afterwards.

If you are able to take pain meds ask for them tell your nurse and dr don’t let them give you ibuprofen or Tylenol you will need the hard stuff … I only needed it at night time but everyone is different

Buy those hazel witch pads i got hemmoroids even tho i delivered Csection

I had no idea about vaginal bleeding even though having a c-section

Big, loose clothes. Something quick dry. Everyone's different but I was SO sweaty after mine and kicked myself for bringing all these stupid cute microfiber outfits. I wish I just brought a few nursing bras and a big cotton robe honestly.

I like the momcozy belly binder. More options for different sizes than some of the other abdominal binders. I initially bought fridamom and it was far too small. Momcozy also has boning in the back which helps with back pain, or at least it made a huge difference for me

I had really bad haemorrhoids straight after c section. It swelled so much like a tennis ball and it took 6 weeks to go down. Hospital can give you annusol cream if you have it bad like I did.