Wow that sounds amazing!

Yoga pants with a high waist, OR maternity pants OR a belly band -- it feels wayy better having that support for your midsection!

For me, I was feeling quite ill after my c-section, so a stock of apple sauce, yogurt, and puddings at home was good for me, that's pretty much all I ate, one of the 3 once per day, for the first couple of weeks.

When I was told I would be c/s I packed the following into my hospital bag:

A BIRTH PLAN!! Just because it is c/s you can still make lots of choices as to type of anasthesia, music playing, photography, who cuts the cord, having skin-to-skin, immediate breastfeeding, the list goes on... The more personlised you can make your op, the more relaxed you will be, the better the outcome for you all. I googled for c/s birth options and found loads of suggestions I hadn't even thought about.

Windeze because you always get VERY bad gas after stomach surgery.

Single use ice-packs to help with the swelling. Heat pads and h/w bottles are a no-no.

Night dresses rather than PJs so they can keep checking your wound etc without you having to get undressed.

Huge knickers a couple of sizes larger so no rubbing.

Maternity pads - at first I naively assumed I wouldn't bleed because I wasn't having a vaginal birth but you do all the same!

Extra maternity pads to help protect the wound if you don't have a c/s belt. (obviously don't attach the sticky side to your belly!).

I made up a bag of spare toiletries and baby clothes etc at home for OH to bring in during my stay so that I didn't look like I was moving in when I went for the op. Bear in mind that some hospitals won't give you a bed beforehand so you might get end up carting your stuff from a/n ward to theatre to p/n ward!


For home:

I also went out and bought a freestanding changing/bathing unit because no lifting or bending (you can get cheap second hand ones on ebay - mine was £29 but would have been £90 new).

A maternity pillow to breastfeed on (Argos £20), you need the extra height.

A moses basket and stand at bed height so I didn't have to bend into a cot.

Loads of ibuprofen 'cause hospitals don't you give you that to take home (just the more
potent stuff).

Bio-Oil to help scarring.

Freezer and cupboards full of food so OH doesn't have to worry about the shopping on top of looking after me and baby!


After arranging all this you can imagine my chagrin at finding out my condition had been misdiagnosed and I didn't need a c/s after all!! I've lost count of how many birth plans I've written and times I've packed and repacked my hospital bag!!

Good luck for the op and happy familes!

If you can I would also see about getting some saline, preferably with one of the squirty tops, because with mine, it was too sensitive (painful) to wash with a cloth or anything, but needed to be washed out-- I had blood everyday and ended up coming undone!

My tips - clean the wound with water only and use cotton wool and just dab at it, and cotton wool dabbed to dry. No soap.

Have someone to help you sit up - I just couldnt at first and needed hubby to heave ho' me up.

Get up and start walking straight backed as soon as you can and keep at it.

Don't overdo anything even if you think you feel fine - this was my mistake - Now I can't even push the pram because it sets off a fresh bleed and pain.

Try and talk to someone if you start having low feelings about the birth - it can be hard not seeing your baby born.
I would ask if they would allow you to see the baby still attached by the cord - I think I would have felt better about the fact I didnt give birth naturally had I at least seen the cord - ( instead I saw a clean baby wrapped up that had been passed around and I had to wait forever and this was a healthy crying baby who scored 9 ).

With low knicks I cut the front out so they wouldnt gather under my belly on the scar - chose a nighty over pj's untill your wound is healed.

Dont panic about the staples - the thing they take them out with is painless!

Change the baby on your kitchen table - not the floor or couch, you'll do your back in and it's hard getting up from getting down.

Remember it is mnajor surgery and the painkillers will give you a false sense of how well you're healign at first - don't do anything that isnt neccessary.

Good Luck