Wednesday 21 March 2012

Coming home after a Caesarian


After devouring every paragraph on every page of every pregnancy book I could get a hold of, nothing prepared me for being told by the doctors at six in the morning that I needed an emergency caesarian to get my baby out. I was in shock. I had convinced myself that I could do this whole “natural child-birth” thing, only to have that shot to pieces.

After being wheeled in to theatre, being prepped for the procedure and then for my husband to materialize by my side, it seemed like a minute later I was being handed my baby. Caesarian? No big deal, right? Wrong!

We're both exhausted!

Caesarians are a MAJOR operation where numerous layers of your abdomen are sliced open. After an hour of recovery where I was not with my new baby or my husband, waiting to feel my legs again, I was finally wheeled back into my room only to be told I needed to start breastfeeding immediately. Three days later and I was literally being turfed out of hospital, hobbling along the corridor to our waiting car. Game on.


Have I ever told you how much I love my husband? He was so thoughtful in his planning for bringing his new family home after major surgery. Men are so worried that they won't be able to do anything to help us, yet their help can really benefit our experience. These are some of the things he did in preparation for my trip home (and some of the things your husband can do for you);



  • Had a straight-backed chair for breastfeeding placed in the lounge-room with the yellow pages ready to place under my feet (keeps your back straight so your tummy doesn’t hurt)
  • Bought 12 bottles of water to stock the fridge (you just can’t get enough water when breast-feeding)
  • Pulled down all the bowls, plates and glasses from the high cupboards so I wouldn’t have to reach up to get them.
  • Bought a waterproof stool for the shower and lifted my cosmetics up from under the sink so I wouldn’t need to reach down.
  • Put block-out blinds in the bedroom so I could sleep during the day when the baby was sleeping.
  • Stocked the cupboard with fresh fruit and veggies for me to snack on.
  • Placed a box of tissues in every room of the house (in preparation for the baby blues!)
  • Bought a mega-sized box of Paracetamol.
  • Put flowers in every room of the house.


My hero husband

Looking back, it was a bloody hectic time, but thanks to my adorable husband, we got through it really well. With modern medicine as advanced as it is today, we just have to make sure we look after ourselves when we leave their care.

Find out more information about Caesarians here.

If you have any other great ideas or suggestions about recovery after caesarians, I'd love to hear them. Please leave your comments below for others to read.


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