Hey Y’all Hey! Kijan ou Ye!
Would you believe me if I still said I can’t believe I’m a mom?
Do all new moms feel like that?
Well for me, sometimes it still feels surreal that I am a mom and that one day before I know it my little munchkin will be walking around after me calling me mom and I can’t wait!
When I use to think about giving birth it never crossed my mind that I would give birth by Cesarean and not vaginal. From the beginning of my pregnancy I always imagined that I would give birth naturally and drug free. Even my doctor was on board with that plan. My doctor actually said to me one-time women were not born with a zipper so we are only looking at a Cesarean as an emergency option only. This was part of my birth plan, to give birth vaginal and drug free like I would have received some type of trophy for doing that but that was my birth plan. I have to laugh because plenty of moms use to tell me a birth plan does not mean anything and that it goes out the window when you are in active labor. I went into labor three weeks before my due date and ended up giving birth by Cesarean (read more about my birth story here).
Let me just say…Can we stop mom shaming women that have Cesarean births please?!?! It doesn’t matter how you gave birth. All that matters is delivering a healthy baby. Also, there are plenty of moms like myself who did not choose Cesarean…my baby was coming and Cesarean choose us.
After giving birth I was wheeled off to the postpartum area for recovery. The first 24 hours postpartum was a bit hectic. I really didn’t get any sleep in the hospital because I was being woken up by nurses and doctors round the clock. During the first 24 hours I was immobile because I had a catheter. After the first 24 hours they removed the catheter and this is when recovery started for me.
Passing Gas
The first step in recovering from a Cesarean is to pass gas! Fart! It took my body two days while in the hospital to fart but after that first fart boy oh boy do you feel better and all that air in your stomach starts to dissipate. After farting we all know what comes next and it’s to poop. Pooping can be uncomfortable at first but it has to be done. I can’t tell you how much prune juice I drank but it was well worth it at the end.
Walking
My nurses encouraged me to walk. While in the hospital I would walk laps. But walking was uncomfortable and painful however it was necessary to get my body moving. The key to walking after a Cesarean is slow and steady. Although I was walking with a hunch, I made sure to get my laps around the maternity ward. My nurse provided me with a belly band to help with walking which ended up being a life saver. Till this day I still use my belly band especially when I’m in a car. It helps to keep everything in place internally.
Rest
After getting discharged I was told to make sure I get rest. After all I just had major surgery and my body needed to heal and recover. At this point pillows became my best friend. Sitting up straight was uncomfortable and laying down was uncomfortable, so propping pillows behind my back made life better.
Take it EASY
Easier said than done especially when you have a newborn to take care of but definitely take it easy as much as possible. I had to keep telling myself that my sutures needed to heal. The only way I was able to take it easy was letting my love ones HELP. My mom was the biggest help because she took care of the household chores from cooking to cleaning to laundry. And having my babies crib right next to my bed was helpful for the late night feedings.
Giving birth isn’t easy.
Recovering from giving birth isn’t easy.
Take the time needed to let your body heal. They say it takes 8 weeks to recover from a C-Section but for me I didn’t start feeling like I was healed till about 12 weeks postpartum.
Lastly, I made sure to enjoy the cuddle sessions with my little one. Those moments are always priceless.
Signing out,
Windy
I am so happy you recovered. How do you feel today? I bet your precious little angel thanks you. You know, C-Sections are very common and happen a lot in India.
Today I am great. Thank you!
Thank you for sharing your story. One of my friends had a C-section and it took so long for her to recover. Loved the part about the farting, who knew?!
After that first fart my stomach decreased immensely! It’s crazy!
Glad to hear that you have healed post-surgery. You are right, birth is birth, whether it is vaginal, caesarean, regardless what was planned beforehand. A healthy baby and mama are the only plan worth worrying about!
Recovery after any birth is hard and not easy! It took my mummy months to spring back! Congratulations and take it easy x
I still can’t believe that I am a mom too….and I know what c-section means…so hard to recover, so much pain….it was so hard to recover…
Omg I wish I read this after my son was born. After 3 days of labor I had a emergency C section. I’m glad you are being open and honest! Recovering after birth is not a peaches and cream and more women need to be honest about that! 💚
I just had my first C-section (3rd baby though) just shy of 3 months ago. Thankfully my recovery was a breeze! Glad to hear you’re doing well! Congrats on the new little one 🙂
I had three c-sections. And I can totally relate! The problem these days is that everyone thinks that they are entitled to share their hurtful opinions.
I have no doubts that a Cesarean sucks but vaginal sucks so bad too! My stitches never dissolved ( no idea why) so I had to go two weeks later to the doctor and have her remove them and I felt everything. Congrats on your baby. Welcome to being a mom. It’s the best!
Thanks for sharing.I had a C-section and it took so long for me to recover. But it was all worth it.
I don’t understand why we continue to shame moms for the way they give birth! My mother was in the delivery room with me while I was in labor, I also had a drug free/vaginal birth plan, but as my contractions progressed, I was exhausted. I couldn’t open my eyes, I literally started to give up, my body was just on sensory overload. I asked the nurse for an epidural and my mother stepped in and kept telling the nurse “no! She won’t have one!” I literally had to ask for it 3 times and told my mother if she stepped in again, she was getting kicked out. And as I was waiting for my epidural, she was so upset with me and started listing the dangers to my baby while disregarding my pain. Well, once I got the epidural, my body relaxed and I started pushing soon after. Sorry for my long comment, but as mothers, we need to do what we feel is right!! Listen to your body, listen to your instincts. I wish you the best on this journey!
Thanks for sharing such a sensitive topic! And I agree. No matter how one gives birth, it doesn’t make them any less better than another mom.
Thanks for sharing your journey! I haven’t experienced child birth, but we decided to adopt. Happy healing!