Amazing Tips for a Positive C-Section Birth and Recovery

Disclaimer: Affiliate links are included in the post which can earn me commission with no additional cost to you.

This post is all about the best c-section products I used in my positive c-section birth. Start your post partum healing journey strong with recommendations and by hearing that a positive c-section birth is possible.

Being pregnant and expecting a new little life to your growing family can be such a beautiful and exciting time. Families and friends come together and celebrate you and your little bundle of joy. You get gifts for the baby and have baby gender reveals. Maybe thinking about giving birth is so far fetched that you don’t even see it coming. Sometimes, an emergency c-section is needed and I rarely see positive c-section births talked about.

I was given a life altering diagnosis for our baby – something I didn’t think could ever happen but at the same time I kept worrying about this condition. I guess you could call it a ‘mother’s instinct’. In the end, I was right and we were scheduled for a c-section. At least at this point I was able to prepare and research what a c-section is like to make sure I was really comfortable with the process. A positive c-section birth is VERY POSSIBLE. The healing journey might not be glorious – trust me, I was crying non-stop once that spinal med wore off. I was in the worst pain of my life. But I’m here to let you know that despite that, not a single thing went wrong or was unexpected (except the intense uterine contractions during pumping).

Keep on reading to learn more about me and my positive c-section birth experience, along with my top tips and products that I think might help you be more comfortable in the post partum healing process. If you plan on having a vaginal delivery, check out my post on how to accelerate your post partum journey after a vaginal birth.

The Process of the C-Section

My birth story of baby #2 was not ideal in the beginning. We shed a lot of tears, had a lot of specialist check-ups, and scheduled my c-section with the absolute best doctor. The last prenatal visit was where we discussed the process of prepping for the procedure. They told me where to go, the time to be there, how long the procedure would be, and the length of stay at the hospital to expect.

Anxiety

If you are very anxious about the procedure, let your provider know. They can prescribe anxiety medication to help you rest the night before as well as before the surgery. During the c-section the anesthesiologists can administer this too to help you stay calm during it! I took lorazepam 1mg on Saturday night, 0.5mg Sunday night, and then 0.5mg Monday early morning when my fasting period was about to begin.

---

I went into the hospital around 12:30 pm – I was supposed to start the c-section around 1:30 pm-2 pm, so my doctor told me to stop eating about 6-8 hours before the surgery (this would be around 5:30-6:30 am). This is to prevent nausea and vomiting during the procedure and in case the worst case scenario happens when they have to intubate you, it doesn’t clog anything.

When I arrived, I checked in and the nurse showed me to a bed, told me I could use the bathroom (give a urine sample), take off all my clothes, and change into my hospital gown. Once back in bed, I was asked a lot of medical questions while another nurse was trying to find a good vein to stick me with an IV for the medications. My resident OB and the surgeon (my OB) came in while doing an ultrasound to make sure the baby was in the proper position. If the baby is in a different position, they would have had to make a different incision and do a different c-section WHICH WOULD ultimately limit me to only do c-sections for future births. I was able to have a ‘normal’ c-section so I am still a candidate for a v-back.

Operating Room

Yes, the operating room is very bright. No, it wasn’t that scary. At this point, there was so much commotion, I couldn’t even focus on everything. I was listening to my nurse, the OB, and the anesthesiologist all at once. They did a little role call while I was scooted to the operating table. I had to ‘shrimp’ my back so the anesthesiologist could give me the spinal. They numb you first. This can burn and be tingly and then they do the actual spinal. You don’t see any of this. My OB was standing in front of me, holding and rubbing my hands to calm me down. Then the other anesthesiologist asked how my anxiety was – I said I could use some more meds haha.

I laid down and could still feel everything – there was no numbing or tingling in my legs, they were completely normal. This is where I was freaking out but the anesthesiologist does some poking around the body until you can’t feel it in the same way. They move the table up, down, to the left, and to the right in order to get the medication where they want it. The sheet is up so you don’t see anything and then my husband FINALLY was in the operating room. So you do all the operating prep ALONE but everyone in the operating room is very welcoming and there to help you.

Because I was really anxious and got anxiety meds, I was feeling high listening to black eyed peas and just singing along. I had one episode of nausea which I immediately told them and he was able to give me nausea meds which relieved me instantly.

I don’t remember much tugging or pulling because again, I was high and singing black eyed peas while talking to my husband who was by my side. Then there was massive pressure in my chest like an elephant was sitting on it. My anesthesiologist said this is extremely normal and that it would be over soon. Then I heard the baby cry!

Stitching and Finishing Up

It takes about 5-10 min for them to get the baby out. The stitching up takes much longer – about an hour or so. I had no skin to skin time. I saw my baby from far away and they shipped him off to the NICU. Ideally, they would let your partner hold the baby next to you and let you have some skin contact. We were a special case where that couldn’t happen. I cried for a bit because everything was overwhelming. Then I started to drift off to sleep the rest of the time. I became tired while they stitched me up. They transferred me back to my bed once they were all done. My husband went back to the recovery room and once I was done, I met him there.

I began to get itchy and felt fine – besides feeling paralyzed from my waist down. The spinal wears off eventually. It was a weird feeling to have that brain impulse of ‘move your leg’ but not having any sensation. My mind was actually freaking out. My husband went to the NICU and face timed me so I could see our baby while I stayed in the recovery room. The nurses were amazing and took great care of me – I never felt like I was alone or scared. They had to do the fundal massage but I was numb and felt nothing. This was a much different experience from my vaginal delivery.

So far, this was a positive c-section birth. From the amazing providers to the procedure itself. Everyone took care of my baby and I felt taken care of from start to finish.

---

What You Might Expect When the Spinal Wears Off, Even During a Positive C-Section Birth

It will get better. If you have an extremely traumatic experience, recovery might also be extremely traumatic. You will SLOWLY feel better. It’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. If you’re feeling all the emotions and pain you will start to feel a little bit better within a few days to weeks.

When the spinal wore off for me, I thought I was dying. There was no mind muscle connection to my core (like many other women have talked about). It really does feel like nothing is holding your stomach and organs in place. To be honest, I am terrible with pain and any type of procedures that cut through my skin but this was another level of intensity for me.

Walking was difficult, being in the hospital bed is terrible for a short person. Not having my baby in my room was terrible. Thankfully my parents were at home to take care of my first born and my dogs. I was able to have my husband solely focus on me and I needed it.

Pain and Emotions

My emotions were all over the place once the spinal med wore off (I finished my procedure around 2pm Monday and it was already kicking in the next morning). I took pain relief medications around the clock to beat the pain. You always want to be in front of the pain, so take the pain medications because eventually you will go back to normal and not need as much help. The best way to describe the pain is a porcupine balled up in my lower right side of my stomach. The reason for this is that the surgeon started to stitch me up on my left and finished on my right. When he finished on the right, that’s what gets the most stitches. It also keeps everything in place. If you get one side with more pain, take note of which side the surgeon was on.

I decided I would pump. It’s extremely beneficial for NICU babies (typically preemies) to get breastmilk. The pumping was another issue with pain. The uterine contractions I got were about equivalent to my labor pains in my vaginal birth. I would be in tears, clenching my teeth, doing shallow breaths, while pumping the first few days. Again, it GETS BETTER.

Uterine Contractions When Pumping

All of this pain was expected except the pumping contractions. I contacted all the people I knew who had a c-section, researched videos on people who had it, and knew that I would be in a lot of pain. Even though the pain and recovery the first 1-3 days were excruciating, I would still count this as a positive c-section birth. If the recovery was as easy as the procedure itself, I would honestly recommend it to everyone BUT that recovery is no joke.

---

Tips Going into a C-Section to Hopefully Have a Positive C-Section Birth

• Get a provider or doctor that you TRULY TRUST
• Make a list in your notes on your phone for any questions that pop into your mind
• Realize that not every c-section will have the same results
• Research and hear other women’s stories about the good and the bad
• Ask your provider about anxiety medications or when you can start using gas-x medications prior to delivery
• Take your pain meds around the clock the first few days. It’s difficult to get ahead of the pain once you stopped taking your medications
• Add a belly binder ASAP to help you get out of bed and moving more.
• Move as soon as you’re able to. It’s terribly painful. I didn’t start walking until after 24 hours post surgery because it’s a scary feeling. Movement DOES accelerate your recovery.
• Don’t be afraid to tell your anesthesiologist during the procedure that you are uncomfortable or nauseous. They will give you meds asap.

---

Products I Recommend to Help Post Partum Healing

• gas relief medications – there might be trapped gas anywhere in your body after the c-section. Trust me, you will want to have this on board
• Fiber or stool softeners – it will help your bowel movements to be easier
• pain medications – Tylenol and ibuprofen as prescribed by your provider
• pumping parts – you can get free pump parts through insurance or place them on your baby registry!
• hands free pump bra – you can use this to pump or even for easy access to breastfeed
• compressed clothing – get high waisted underwear or leggings/pants. The compression will help you feel like your insides won’t spill out and give your back extra support during the post partum healing process
• underwear or pads – I swear by the disposable underwear (any brand) for the first two weeks or so if you don’t want to use pads. Pads are great if you’re pairing them with compression underwear
• belly binder – the hospital will provide one for you. Get your nurse to show you how to wear it, it’ll make a HUGE difference in your ability to get up and walk. You can also buy one online, but I just used the hospital one for about two weeks on and off until I was comfortable moving without it.

---

The Recovery During my Positive C-Section Birth

I waited too long to use the belly binder. Start wearing this ASAP for the ultimate support on your stomach and lower back. You want to make sure you are up and walking as soon as you can to help with your recovery. Walking to the bathroom is usually the first few steps you will take. My husband was there to help me use the bathroom and put my underwear on and off. He helped me wipe and stand up. Make sure you have a support partner or person you trust to get you through this insanely wild process of recovery.

Slowly over time I was able to build up the confidence to walk a little more and use the bathroom on my own. After discharge I found that recovery was much easier because I was able to get into bed much easier and be in my own home with my first born again. I still had to visit the hospital daily in order to see my baby boy, so I used a wheelchair until I took my first few steps with the stroller. The belly binder came in handy with this transition from wheelchair to walking with the stroller. It also helped with getting in and out of the car.

I’m currently three weeks post surgery when writing this post and I am wearing my compression underwear with pads (still bleeding) and sometimes more compressive pants. My sleeping is still pretty much flat on the bed and it’s still hard to sleep on my side or get out of bed. But it gets better and recovery will look different for everyone. It might feel like you’re pressured to recover quickly or in a certain time frame but give your body the rest it needs and deserves. You will slowly feel like yourself.

If you’re reading this and know someone who is going to have a c-section or maybe you will —— I wish you all a speedy and safe recovery. You will have highs and lows but you’ll pull through.