Tips from Teresal's recovery
Contents
Some things to think about after a Caesarean section
The one main thing I would say about a Caesarean section is always remember that it is major abdominal surgery. It is said that it can take up to six weeks to heal from a Caesarean section, so don’t expect to be up and running in a few days.
Taking Medication
Straight after my emergency Caesarean section I was hooked up to a syringe driver full of morphine, personally I didn’t like the feel of it so asked after about two hours to have it removed. I was then given Co-codamol, as I’m not very good at taking painkillers, again I felt very spaced out and not in control of myself and certainly not capable of looking after my precious daughter safely.
On the second day I refused Co-codamol, but accepted Paracetamol as I was having the drainage tube removed and figured that it might actually hurt a lot (which unfortunately it did, actually made my toes curl).
I wouldn’t say I was in a lot of pain more uncomfortable, the weather was hot and with the fold of my flabby tummy going over the incision it wasn’t comfortable so I continued with Paracetamol.
I carried on taking that for a further two days then once I went home the hospital prescribed Co-codamol (why after I refused it I don’t know), we stopped and bought Paracetamol so that I had some should I need it.
Once home I didn’t take them regularly, but more at bedtime because it was uncomfortable by then, but after about a week I had stopped altogether.
Please don’t think I am being brave about the pain but I just didn’t need them and that doesn’t mean that others shouldn’t take the Morphine after surgery or reduce to Co-codamol. Personally, I just didn’t need them.
Going to the toilet
Yes a Caesarean can and does affect your bodily functions, I struggled to even pass urine. A nurse brought me a straw to blow in while I was trying to go and I thought she was crazy, I mean what was that supposed to do (it did make me laugh while I was doing it), but seemingly it helps to stimulate the right muscles or maybe it was just me laughing that made me go.
Ahh the wind, well what can I say about that, yep there was plenty of it and at rather embarrassing times, but I suppose the nurses have heard it all before. I apologised constantly to them.
As for the bowels, yes it was painful and I was scared in case I burst myself open but surprisingly that never happened. It can be difficult and some ladies may well need to be prescribed medication to help them go more easily.
Getting up the stairs
I think stairs were a bit of a fear for me once I got home, it was painful getting up. One of the midwives that visited suggested walking up backwards as you are less inclined to lean, I thought oh great maybe less inclined to lean but I will probably end up falling down. I did give it a go, but was very tense at the thought of falling so it didn’t really help me.
Keeping active
You will probably feel that it’s the last thing you want to do BUT you must keep moving and by moving I don’t mean doing the housework or exercise I mean walking around slowly and carefully. It will stop things ceasing up and help a lot with recovery.
Keeping the incision clean
My darling husband was given this task, he cleaned my incision twice a day with cooled boiled water and cotton wool, the weather was hot and again my flabby tummy was making it sweaty so he cut up a muslin and placed it across the incision to soak up any sweat/fluid. Six months after my caesarean section my incision was not only healed you couldn’t even see where it was.
After the surgery I was given the very lovely and sexy white stockings to wear, there was no way I could do this myself, so yet again this job was given to Chris, yes they are a nightmare to put on but make sure your legs are properly dry and I put talc on my legs to make them slide on easier and helped with overheating. I had to wear these for six weeks along with injecting myself once a day to help prevent blood clots.
I was also given Iron tablets to take as I had lost a bit of blood during surgery, they are not plesant at all and the end result isn't nice either, very black sticky poo (sorry, it isn't nice) but for the sake of getting my iron levels back up I took them for six weeks as well.
I was back to driving after four weeks (with my GP’s blessing) and I think due to being practical and listening to my body I healed really well and quickly.
