April is C-section awareness month. I've been meaning to write down things that I didn't know, until I got one, and then another one.
Your belly gets bigger and bigger and your ponder who in the world the baby will turn out to be. And sometimes they come out through our bellies.
* Depending on the spinal anaesthesia (if you get one) you will feel tugging and pulling and a certain weight on your belly. The stitching of your belly will seem like it's taking forever. You will feel legs in a different position then they will be, after they move you off the operating table.
* Afterwards you might get the shakes, the chills, and/or itching skin.
* Pain killers will be your new best friend. Just turning on your side will be painful.
* It's best if you start moving as soon as possible, first with support of course. Once you can walk, your urine catheter comes out.
* You won't be able to take care of your baby for first few days, but that doesn't mean the baby can't be with you.
* Your first bowel movement will hurt.. a lot. It's preferable not to strain. Your abdomen muscles were cut.
* You will feel gas pain.
* It's best for the wound not to be covered after the first day. Just let it be dry.
* You'll need help with everything in the first few weeks.
* Your skin around the wound might feel numb for a long time.
* Nobody tells you this, but it's important to massage your scar, it helps to break the scar tissue (this can hurt, but so do the adhesions).
* Diastasis recti is more common if you give birth via C-section. Start with gentle exercise as soon as you are able.
* You will feel many different emotions, even "C-section guilt".
* C-sections are allegedly named after Roman emperor Julius Caesar, who is believed to be born via mother's belly, but records say that his mother lived long into his adulthood, which makes this less likely to be true, since C-section were by law reserved for the dying mothers. It might be named after Latin word "caedare" which means "to cut".
