DAY ONE
Caught up in baby clothes and décor, baby names and possible discipline techniques, pregnant women forget to focus on the aftermath of delivery on their bodies. The belief that mom will just figure it out, flies out the window when anesthesia, morphine and pain meds make your body and mind a complete fog. Even after a natural birth, mom’s ability to ‘figure it out’ and take over complete control of baby when she is exhausted from a particularly long labor is hindered.
Day One- The Blur in the surgical room and recovery.
The excitement of having and holding baby takes place in a kind of clearing fog. Some moments will be like crystal in your memory others will be fleeting and you will rely heavily on family to fill you in. So here we go into the blur at the end one journey and start of your grand adventure.
Once baby is cleaned and ready to go to the nursery the nurse will bring him to you and put his little face right on your cheek and then by the breast if you are nursing.
Then away goes baby to the nursery and you to the recovery room. You will experience numbness from the waist down. Do not be alarmed at the rubbery feeling of your legs when you touch them. You will not remember much about these few hours. Get as much rest as possible. This is the only time you will be on your own while in the hospital, except when they take baby for checkups. How soon you leave recovery depends on how much medication you received prior to and during surgery.
On average it is about four hours. After six hours you will be encouraged to walk-not far and not out of the room. This usually happens when they wheel you into our room from recovery, you will have to get up and in the bed. Try to walk to the opposite side before lying back down. Getting mobile will help your blood circulation and your doctor will tell you it helps facilitate healing. Of course, as all things pregnancy and postpartum related, this is easier said than done.
The first feeling you will have is “my inside are coming out!” This is, of course, just a sensation and holding a pillow against your belly will help apply gentle pressure and alleviate a little pain. It will also promote more of an upright posture. It is your first time on your feet so don’t expect too much. Make slow but deliberate movements from one side of the bed to the other and get back in. At this point you will still have the catheter in, so you won’t need to get up and down just yet. Remember: Always walk with someone’s help or under medical staff supervision.
Nursing baby-
It is encouraged to nurse baby as soon as possible. If she has not had any supplemental feeding she will be hungry. If she has had a bottle because of a longer recovery time (as in my first c-section) do not worry, newborns must eat every one to two hours so she will be hungry soon enough.
Breastfeeding to start is painful, especially for women with fair skin. Added to the normal tenderness and sensitivity is the pain of your c-section. Many may think it is better to skip breastfeeding and use formula. While that is a viable and personal option; here in America we have reliable water supply and nutritious formulas, be assured that you can breastfeed.
There are techniques to aide you in this area. A great position is the football position. This involves tucking baby’s feet under your arm and holding his head in the palm of your hand –like a football player holds a football. Placing pillows in our lap to lift baby, and on your belly to shield and pad incision is a good way to use the cradle position. Plenty of pillows and rolled towels for support in any position will help you get more comfortable so you can focus on bonding with baby.
Those pillows and rolled towels will also be good for getting into comfortable sitting or sleeping positions. The most important thing today is to rest and enjoy baby. Let your friends and family take care of you, today and in the days and weeks to come.
Remember you have just undergone major surgery, take it slow! Take each moment as it comes.
Caught up in baby clothes and décor, baby names and possible discipline techniques, pregnant women forget to focus on the aftermath of delivery on their bodies. The belief that mom will just figure it out, flies out the window when anesthesia, morphine and pain meds make your body and mind a complete fog. Even after a natural birth, mom’s ability to ‘figure it out’ and take over complete control of baby when she is exhausted from a particularly long labor is hindered.
Day One- The Blur in the surgical room and recovery.
The excitement of having and holding baby takes place in a kind of clearing fog. Some moments will be like crystal in your memory others will be fleeting and you will rely heavily on family to fill you in. So here we go into the blur at the end one journey and start of your grand adventure.
Once baby is cleaned and ready to go to the nursery the nurse will bring him to you and put his little face right on your cheek and then by the breast if you are nursing.
Then away goes baby to the nursery and you to the recovery room. You will experience numbness from the waist down. Do not be alarmed at the rubbery feeling of your legs when you touch them. You will not remember much about these few hours. Get as much rest as possible. This is the only time you will be on your own while in the hospital, except when they take baby for checkups. How soon you leave recovery depends on how much medication you received prior to and during surgery.
On average it is about four hours. After six hours you will be encouraged to walk-not far and not out of the room. This usually happens when they wheel you into our room from recovery, you will have to get up and in the bed. Try to walk to the opposite side before lying back down. Getting mobile will help your blood circulation and your doctor will tell you it helps facilitate healing. Of course, as all things pregnancy and postpartum related, this is easier said than done.
The first feeling you will have is “my inside are coming out!” This is, of course, just a sensation and holding a pillow against your belly will help apply gentle pressure and alleviate a little pain. It will also promote more of an upright posture. It is your first time on your feet so don’t expect too much. Make slow but deliberate movements from one side of the bed to the other and get back in. At this point you will still have the catheter in, so you won’t need to get up and down just yet. Remember: Always walk with someone’s help or under medical staff supervision.
Nursing baby-
It is encouraged to nurse baby as soon as possible. If she has not had any supplemental feeding she will be hungry. If she has had a bottle because of a longer recovery time (as in my first c-section) do not worry, newborns must eat every one to two hours so she will be hungry soon enough.
Breastfeeding to start is painful, especially for women with fair skin. Added to the normal tenderness and sensitivity is the pain of your c-section. Many may think it is better to skip breastfeeding and use formula. While that is a viable and personal option; here in America we have reliable water supply and nutritious formulas, be assured that you can breastfeed.
There are techniques to aide you in this area. A great position is the football position. This involves tucking baby’s feet under your arm and holding his head in the palm of your hand –like a football player holds a football. Placing pillows in our lap to lift baby, and on your belly to shield and pad incision is a good way to use the cradle position. Plenty of pillows and rolled towels for support in any position will help you get more comfortable so you can focus on bonding with baby.
Those pillows and rolled towels will also be good for getting into comfortable sitting or sleeping positions. The most important thing today is to rest and enjoy baby. Let your friends and family take care of you, today and in the days and weeks to come.
Remember you have just undergone major surgery, take it slow! Take each moment as it comes.
RSS Feed