Natural C-section recovery tips
The first time Eloise was placed on my chest post c-section, about 10 minutes after being born.
Everyone has different pain levels, specific body and nutrient needs, so always as a reminder: listen to your intuition and always talk with your doctor before implementing something new! These are tips to help support your recovery within things in your control.
I once heard a quote that said “those who claim that having a c-section is ‘easier’ than a vaginal birth clearly hasn’t had one”. As I have yet to have a vaginal birth, I can’t speak from that experience, but I can say c-section recovery definitely isn’t easy. In all seriousness, c-sections are very important and have helped so many moms and babies in the birthing process for years. Now 1 in 3 women are giving birth via c-section in America (1 in 10 worldwide) for a variety of reasons such as: failure to progress, breech or other difficult positions of baby, fetal distress such as baby not getting enough oxygen, mother distress, other health complications/conditions, placenta issues and the list continues.
If you read my birth story, you know that I did NOT want nor expect to have a c-section. I was listening to all of the natural birth podcasts, reading blog posts and hearing stories of other powerful mamas who were able to have successful natural, unmedicated births. I would literally skip over the ones and parts in books that talked about c-sections because I had such a mindset on how MY birth plan and process would go (friendly reminder that it is truly God’s plan after all!).
I think the part people forget about c-sections is the intensive surgery preparation and recovery. You are given a plethora of pain medications, antibiotics, lack of movement etc. before and after the procedure. Everyone responds to anesthesia differently but luckily for me, I just had extreme fatigue, nausea, and vomiting, on top of pain of course. After the procedure was completed, I was laying on the bed out of it and just wanting to hold Eloise but had to wait until I was all stitched up (which felt like forever!) then wheeled to the post-op recovery room to get everything checked out. I was feeling very tired and talking slow but doing better finally getting skin to skin with Eloise. I remember being jealous because Nick got to see her first, hold her first and get to hear that everything was fine while I was across the room just anxiously waiting to meet our baby!
For my postpartum recovery, I felt more intuitive with my body and was able to truly listen to its needs. I personally didn’t feel comfortable taking pain medication except for ibuprofen and Tylenol for pain (which was given to me in the hospital). At one week postpartum, I stopped taking all medications as I felt my pain was being well managed and I felt I was recovering well. This was what I felt most comfortable with and I usually don’t take medications on a regular basis anyway. I was still taking it very easy for the next 6 weeks+ until my post op appointment. Overall, I would say my experience went well with giving birth via cesarean and recovery due to some of the things I implemented below!
Cesarean Recovery Tips!
Eat nutrient dense meals. Food is a primary human necessity and makes up the building blocks of our body! I know I sound like a broken record, but I believe that this helped me recover so well both physically and mentally. We know the importance of nutrient dense foods doing numerous things for our overall health and bodies, so why would we neglect that powerful tool during an intense recovery period? Your body just got cut open, had possible blood loss, organs moved around and given medications that disrupt your healthy gut microbiome all while your liver was overworked trying to detox and function optimally. Give your body the best gift If it is possible, try to buy organic or grass fed/finished meats and produce as these foods don’t have harmful chemicals that can affect you and baby! This isn’t the time to start cutting calories or implementing a diet, you want to be eating all of the macronutrients. (These foods listed below would also be beneficial for those recovering from a vaginal birth as well.)
Foods I recommend consuming:
Gut healing foods:
Lots of bone broths, soups and other warm, nourishing dishes. Warm foods are healing and easier for the body to digest, absorb and break down after an intensive abdominal surgery. Bone broth is known in ancient practices to help digestion, help hydrate and provide a variety of important vitamins and minerals to the body. Very beneficial for breastfeeding mamas to stay hydrated as well.
Sauerkraut, kimchi, and other fermented foods
Warm lemon water
Ginger and garlic
Healthy fats: Healthy fats are crucial for a host of reasons, but some of the main benefits are relative to healing and pain as they are known to be anti-inflammatory and help to reduce swelling.
Coconut oil (cook in it, add to coffee, eat a spoonful, etc)
Olive oil, avocado oil drizzled on top of foods or used to sauteed vegetables.
Butter and ghee
Avocado
Fatty fish such as salmon
Full fat yogurt if well tolerated
Fatty poultry and red meat
Eat fiber rich foods: a common postpartum symptom is constipation, especially if you were given medications during labor and delivery.
Fruits
Vegetables
Complex carbohydrates (sweet potatoes, sprouted oatmeal, brown rice, quinoa
Chia Seeds, flaxseeds, hemp seeds added to smoothies, yogurt, oatmeal, salads, etc.
Foods rich in iron and B12: due to losing blood during birth, it is important to replenish with quality sources of iron.
Organic, grass/fed and finished red meat
Dark meat poultry
Seafood
Dark leafy greens
Pumpkin seeds
Sweet potatoes
Sprouted organic oatmeal
Stay Hydrated: this will help with constipation, energy, breastfeeding and help your cells communicate and support your skin repair. Aim to drink your body weight divided by 2 in oz each day and 1.5 cups more per every cup of coffee or tea you consume. Make sure you are adding minerals to your water for the most optimal absorption (this can look like adding some unrefined sea salt to your filtered water, buying TraceMinerals mineral drops on amazon to add your water or LMNT packets added to your water).
2. Go for short, light walks for strength and mental clarity. It blew my mind how I went from walking a couple miles a day and doing strength training up to the day before Eloise was born to being completely wiped off my feet. I made sure to continue to work at it and start small and slow each day. The first day home from the hospital Nick, Eloise and I walked down the block (it is very flat and a cement sidewalk) a couple times a day to start to strengthen those core muscles again. Not only does this help strengthen your core and muscles, but also helps tremendously with mental health. Getting fresh air, change of scenery and getting some vitamin D (hopefully) can do wonders for a new mother’s mental health but especially for c-section recovery. It is also beneficial for you, your husband and baby to all get a change of scenery!
3. Continue taking your prenatal. Prior to getting pregnant, I viewed prenatals as having to take it a month or so before getting pregnant and then during pregnancy with stopping once the baby is here. This isn’t necessarily the case nor true as your body is constantly being depleted throughout pregnancy as the baby gets all the nutrients you are eating or supplementing with, so if you are breastfeeding postpartum, this doesn’t change! Also, your body is healing so making sure to take the prenatal is also that ‘insurance policy’ to get those extra vitamins and minerals in on a daily basis while recovering.
4. Mental Health Support: this is an area many are nervous to ashamed to talk about but it is very important. You just went through a major surgery, have an adorable new little human to care for, in addition to having your own basic needs trying to be met. It is important to continue to check in with yourself and know when to ask for help from loved ones or a therapist. You have to put yourself first to be the best mama to your little babe! Ways to care for your mental health: rest and try to get some sleep throughout the night/days, ask for help around the house, stay hydrated and nourished eating the foods listed above, get outside for a walk or even sitting on the deck in the shade, listen to an audible book, podcast and music you enjoy and see your friends and family if that is something that brings you joy, to name a few. In addition, an interesting study found that women who took a probiotic supplement throughout and after pregnancy had a decreased chance of developing postpartum anxiety and/or depression. Another reminder to always prioritize gut health!
5. Breastfeeding. This is such a big topic and everyone has such different experiences/expectations/opinions on this. In regard to breastfeeding and c-section recovery, this can be a little more difficult due to the abdominal pain and healing. What worked best for me was figuring out comfortable positions in the hospital, talking with a lactation consultant and honestly just listening to my mom-intuition. I found that the side-lying, football hold and classic cradle position with pillows propped up were the most comfortable for me. I was so grateful that Eloise latched right away and didn’t have any issues/struggles which helped tremendously with having more time to figure out the most comfortable/optimal position for both of us! I know it can be tough, especially in those first couple of weeks when you both are figuring it out, but it is SO worth it for both babies health but also releases oxytocin giving you natural feel good hormones! Side Note: breastfeeding mothers on average burn an extra 500 calories per day usually the first 6 months of babes life, so making sure you are eating enough quality foods is even more important for you and your supply!
6. Start strengthening your core. No I don’t mean to ‘get your abs back’, but your abdominal muscles were literally just cut open and there needs to be additional, specific support for this area of your body. I neglected this for awhile due to feeling so weak, I found myself unmotivated to work at this targeted area but I wish I would’ve SO much sooner! Things I searched on Youtube: postpartum core exercises, diastasis recti exercises, etc. Remember, take it slow and focus on the control and strengthen those connective tissues! I waited until the 6 week appointment to get cleared to start incorporating more strengthening workouts besides walks.
7. Rest, surrender and accept. Your life has just completely changed! For the better, in my opinion. Your days will look different and it’s okay if you are feeling different in the beginning, you ARE different. You’re a powerful, strong mama who just provided life and birthed a beautiful baby. I think acceptance and surrendering was so helpful for me to not get caught up in ‘doing all the things’ or putting so many expectations on myself during this crucial time. If you are missing certain things of your life prior, ask for help or ways to make that happen at some point! Missing going out to eat? Have your husband, friends, family, etc. bring over that meal you want, or have a picnic in the backyard. Miss hanging out with friends? Invite them over for a ‘girls night’ while you pass your little cutie around. Get creative to get all of your different needs met. Have some grace for yourself and your baby. We tend to live in a society today where something seems to always be ‘wrong’ with your baby, not sleeping enough, sleeping too much, drinking too little, pooping too little, etc. Reminder that all of this can add unneeded stress to you, which then affects your baby as well! So do your best caring for yourself so you can show up as your best self.
Thanks for reading and I hope this helps some mama’s who are currently recovering, going to be recovering soon or can help a mama who is feeling stuck and lost about having a c-section!
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Would love for you to comment below on your postpartum experience!
Finally getting skin-to-skin about an hour after Eloise was born!
This was post-op and I remember feeling so tired and talking so slow. Being hooked up with a bunch of cords was not how I was picturing my ‘dream birth’! Also, the nurse was so covered because my C0V!D test didn’t come back yet so they had to suit up as if it was positive. I couldn’t really hear anything anyone was trying to tell me.