Just four months ago I had my third baby boy by caesarean – my second c-section, my third assisted delivery. Despite being someone who recovered incredibly well from her first section, I was under no illusion that things would go the same way this time and I wanted to be prepared for anything that might crop up. I’m that little bit older, that little bit more stretched, tired and everything in between from having two children already. I’m fully aware my body might take longer to recover this time and that’s ok.
But, to make my life easier, I’d been thinking of what practical products I could have to hand that would genuinely make my life at home post caesarean that little bit easier. I’m not talking about all the usual things such as high waisted knickers and big sanitary towels to cover your wound with, I’m talking real products that will provide real relief when you’re trying to recover from such massive surgery. These are things I’ve come across and know that they’re a better option than we used last time, these are things I have already tried and tested and there are a couple of things which are just a suggested alternative.
Shnuggle Bath + Stand
We’ve tried all the bathing gadgets you can think of; a standard baby bath, a foam support in a normal bath, a bath chair and even a rolled up flannel. Before I go any further, this is not me saying that those products aren’t worth their weight in gold, nor am I saying they aren’t worth the money (I’ve actually bought a foam bath support to use for a bit later on) but for a post c-section mum the most practical product I could find was the Shnuggle bath.
I actually won this in a competition earlier this year and, after looking into it a lot more, it seems like a really good option for those of us who will struggle to bend over or get down and back up again.
Admittedly, the kitchen sink is a much cheaper option but personally I’d rather just invest in this than have a newborn baby share a sink with my dirty plates and cutlery for the first few weeks/months.
There is the option to purchase a stand for the Shnuggle bath which I think is lovely if you want portability as an option; you may prefer to bath baby in their nursery or in the living room with a bit of ambient lighting – especially if you want baby to see bath time as ‘wind down’ time. However, you can also set this up responsibly on any level surface that works at a good height for you. It saves bending over and it saves the ‘crook of the arm’ hold you usually need to use in the bath. They’re much smaller and lightweight than a standard baby bath too, but no less effective.
A Cuddledry Towel
Typically a lot of new baby towels come with hoods which you end up having to either lay out flat on the floor, or awkwardly place all the way across you only to put baby in backwards first and turn them around and all that faffy stuff, right?
Cuddledry’s original handsfree baby towel eliminates the need for any prior laying out of a towel. It’s like an apron which means you’re hands free for bathing baby.
It does up round your neck and means you can lift the baby out in any position and have enough material to cover them without having to manoeuvre them about too much.
These towels are incredibly soft, absorb water really well and it makes for a much better option post caesarean. Plus it’s nice to get a bit closer and have that post bath time snuggle, isn’t it?
Drugs
Please, please, please make sure you keep on top of all the drugs the hospital give you. Whether it’s co-codamol, diclofenac or good old paracetamol, just make sure you take them and take them on time. Once they’ve run out I’d make sure you have a good stash of paracetamol in the cupboards in case you need to take the edge of but hopefully by the time they’ve run out you won’t need to be dulling too much pain.
An Essentials Basket
One thing that was suggested to me recently by Hannah from Hi Baby was an ‘essentials’ basket. I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before but having a basket with everything you need to hand will be much like a lifesaver when your day is going tits up. If you’ve got as much ready and to hand as possible; think nappies, wipes, cream, topped up drinks bottles, snacks for you, snacks for the kids, any games or activities you can do with the other children if they need your attention immediately (you know it’s going to happen!) then it’s all there in once place.
You could go one step better and have one for downstairs and one for upstairs – you just need to replenish them once a day. Whether you do that first thing in the morning, or whether you do it the night before ready for the next day, you won’t regret getting into a routine with something like this.
SnuzPod*
With Toby I had a Moses basket which worked really well for us at the time due to space and the way he was delivered. With Ted, we also had a Moses basket which kind of worked but there were definitely better options. Unfortunately due to spacing issues we couldn’t fit much down the side of our bed at the old house which made the post c-section recovery just a little bit harder.
I only came across the SnuzPod once it was a little too late to get one but this time we have the SnuzPod 3 and I can not begin to tell you just how much of a game changer this has been and here are a few reasons why.
- The SnuzPod is incredibly robust. Not only is the SnuzPod secured to your bed, it’s set on it’s own frame and is almost impossible to pull over. This is particularly important because I know the way my boys rush into my bedroom every morning they’d end up knocking over something like a Moses basket.
- Because of its sturdiness I’ve been able to use it to manoeuvre myself up and down when I need to, including things like sitting up to feed and getting out of bed. Lots of people have said to me “well, how will you get out of bed if it’s in the way?”. Basically, the same way I’d get out of bed with a Moses basket beside me, just with a lot more reassurance that it’s not going to fall over/collapse/break if I need to use it to weight bear.
- The SnuzPod has a zip down wall which allows for easy access, especially if you want an extension of your bed to co-sleep or if you want to be able to move baby in closer without moving too much yourself. This is particularly awesome if you’re planning to breastfeed and are able to master it doing it lying down! This means less irritation on your caesarean wound because you’re not trying to juggle sitting up along with picking baby up to feed.
- If you plan on using it downstairs, as well as upstairs, then the SnuzPod 3’s bassinet is much lighter than previous models even though it’s wider. As your wound heals you’ll feel more comfortable lifting this away but for the first few weeks you should really be asking a partner to move it for you if you feel you need it.
Pure Bliss Tincture
This is one of the products I absolutely swear helped my first wound heal as quickly and as neatly as it did. It used to be called ‘Blissful Tincture’, now known as ‘Pure Bliss’ and it’s by the Natural Birthing Company. It’s a postnatal compress solution and it’s designed to be used on stitches, cuts, tears and c-section wounds. It’s a great alternative to Savlon if you’re looking for something with natural ingredients.
I used to use a solution of warm water and a couple of drops of Pure Bliss in a small bowl. Let a flannel soak in it for a couple of minutes. Wring out the flannel and apply directly to the area you want to soothe. Pat really gently and then let it air dry.
The smell itself is really calming and I found it just worked wonders from the first application. It helped with soreness, the redness and the itchiness so is definitely worth having in the house!
Cushion For Feeding
When you’re feeding, unless you want knackered arms, I’d highly recommend a feeding cushion of some description. I’ve tried a few and tend to have a couple dotted about the house so I don’t have to drag just one around with me.
Not only does it relieve your arm if you really need it, which I’m sure I will when I’m trying to battle with two other children who will also want to be on me at all times, but it just helps to take the pressure off your caesarean wound. It can be so tough to avoid putting any pressure on it, but it’s so important you do what you can without upsetting it.
I’ve got two, one Widgey and one kidney shaped one, and they really helped during my pregnancy but I know they go far beyond pregnancy – hence why we still have them in the house for feeding!
Sling
Having two other children I know that I’m not going to get an awful lot of time to sit down and just be left in peace. Equally, I know that I won’t always just be able to put the baby down if I need to be getting on with something. One of the things I’m most excited about using this time round is a sling. I’ve used carriers in the past but I’ve invested in two wrap slings from Free Rider which looked too gorgeous to pass up.
I’m really hoping that this will be the saving grace I’ll probably need when I need to be getting on with something. Plus, because this is our last baby, I’m hoping to make the most of the bonding and close time because I know this baby is coming into an already (sometimes) chaotic house with his two brothers!
My other plan is to be able to get out on walks and kind of go ‘hands free’ with it if I need to relieve the cabin fever or just go for a bit of a light walk – rather than pulling out a pushchair which could affect my section wound. For me, getting up and about was key to my recovery as it got the blood flow going and I genuinely believe it helped me heal faster.
Shower Attachment
Another thing that I hadn’t thought of, mainly because I have a shower, is that some people don’t have showers. Let me tell you.. baths are insanely difficult post caesarean section, especially if they’re quite deep. If you don’t have a shower, then definitely invest in a shower attachment for your taps. Kat from Candy Floss Dreams suggested this and while it sounds like the most simple thing, it’s one of those things that could get overlooked.
Showering yourself after a c-section is so much better than having to sit yourself down in a bath and then get back up again. If you can stand up and just shower yourself down, it’s so much better. Don’t forget to give the scar a good air drying when you get out either way.
So ladies.. yes you will need big knickers, maternity pads and all that jazz but I think they go without saying, don’t they? THESE are the products that will help you recover better at home. I’ve put this together in the hope that you’ll use some of these products and tips without having to go over the top trying to look after your post caesarean wound. Every little helps.
Do you think I’m missing any products? Did you try any of these and found they really helped you? I’d love to know!
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