Hooray! You survived your c-section. You're a new mom whose sole focus is on her precious baby. But wait...how do you best take care of yourself? Here are the five must-have c-section recovery essentials that every new mama needs on the road to recovery.
Having a c-section is a big deal and if you're anything like me, you're doing all the research and making all the lists to ensure that you have everything ready and in place for your recovery. As a two-time c-section mama, I'm dishing what you'll really need in your c-section recovery period.
After gathering all of these c-section recovery essentials, consider one item checked off your never-ending to-do list because you will be ready.
This post is all about c-section recovery essentials and what every new mama needs on the road to recovery.
5 Must have C-section recovery essentials
1. You will need help, especially if you have other young children at home.
Okay, so this isn't a thing you can buy, but it's muy importante—so important that it should be at the top of your list. A c-section is major surgery and like most (if not all) surgeries, your body will require time to heal.
Post-surgery there will be restrictions for your safety: no lifting more than ten pounds, limiting the number of times you go up and down stairs (if at all), etc. And while your newborn will most likely fall within the weight limit, if you have another child at home (say a twenty-eight-pound toddler who still needs lifting in and out of his crib 
), you are going to have to make accommodations or get creative.
There may be a desire to discard your doctor's advice, especially as you begin to feel better. I would absolutely not recommend going against your doctor's orders and to follow his or her guidelines for the entire six weeks. The risks are far too great—your incision opening—which in and of itself sounds horrible, not to mention it would ultimately mean more time away from your baby or babies.
As women, and, especially as mothers, we tend to not ask for help. We put our heads down, muddle through, and do the best that we can. The ecosystem of our house relies on us. So if not us, who else will do it all?
I can relate. Oh boy, do I relate.
It kills me to ask for help, but some things are beyond our control. I asked for help. And guess what? Things did not fall apart. Was everything perfect and done exactly the way I wanted? Absolutely not. But now is not the time for perfect. It's a time for giving yourself grace and space to heal.
Start to think about who you can ask to help you during those critical first six weeks. Speak with your partner about his or her work schedule and if possible, ask friends or family members if they'd be willing to come over, even if only for a few hours. Every little bit helps!
2. Prepare meals and snacks before the surgery and consider using grocery delivery services.
Okay, in fairness this is a good tip regardless of what type of birth you have. But it's especially important during a c-section recovery. You will be sore, swollen, and exhausted, and the last thing you will feel like doing is slaving over a hot stove.
Utilize gallon ziplock bags to prep and freeze ingredients for your favorite one-pot meals. Have ingredients on hand for easy meals—jars of spaghetti sauce and pasta, frozen veggies for a quick stir fry, or bagged lettuce and rotisserie chicken for a protein-packed salad. While nutrition probably won't be your primary concern, it's important to feed your body the proper nutrients to aid in its recovery.
Remember the old saying, "Failure to plan, is planning to fail?" This couldn't be more true. If you have nothing stocked, you will be 1000x more likely to order a pizza or grab fast food. And while it may be convenient in the short term, all the extra sodium will only cause you to retain more fluid. More on that in just a minute!
If your budget allows, consider using grocery delivery services such as Instacart or Walmart+ temporarily. It's true that you will pay more for groceries—items will have an upcharge and you will need to tip your shopper and/or driver—the convenience is well worth it. Most larger grocery chains have an app so it's very easy to browse, add items to your cart, and schedule a delivery. As a bonus, once you've created an account all previous items are stored in a "Your Items" tab so it's super easy to find your most frequently bought items.
In my opinion, grocery delivery is magic and well worth the tradeoff.
3. Use compression socks to manage the fluid retained in your legs.
The swelling isn't pleasant. For me, at times, it bordered on painful because it's such a weird sensation. I distinctly remember one night waking in the middle of the night to tend to my daughter and my legs ached. Sitting in the recliner I didn't know what to do with myself as I awkwardly tried to lift my legs slowly (because I was still sore from the c-section), yet somehow gently cradle my daughter.
Of course, the best solution is to rest with your feet up. Ha! What a cruel joke because life with a newborn is anything but restful. The thing that helped the most was compression socks. These socks are great because, unlike some compression socks that require you to measure your calf circumference, these go by shoe size. I highly recommend investing in a pair. Bonus: Once you're done with them, stash them with your travel stuff and wear them the next time you’re on a long flight!
4. Use Silicone Scar Sheets + ScarAway Gel to fade your scar fast.
Once your scar is healed and no longer tender (I started using these strips after my six-week checkup with my doctor) begin using these silicone scar sheets. They are made specifically for c-section scars so they are long and thin. They are reusable, but you do need to wash them. The instructions are very straightforward and they are easy to apply. I used these strips for eight weeks, applying one after my shower each night.
I also used this silicone scar gel. Personally, I preferred it because I found it easier—I didn't have to worry about washing the strips. Simply roll it on and forget about it! I used this forever. Well, not exactly forever, but until it was gone, which was well over six months.
I didn't use either of these products after my first c-section and I'm sorry I didn't. They work incredibly well at reducing the visibility of the scar making them one of my top c-section recovery go-to's!
5. Use an Ice Roller for your face to roll your scar and break up scar tissue.
This is another product to tend to your c-section scar. It may sound weird, but I became a bit obsessed with the scar tissue around my incision. After my second c-section, I noticed I had more puffiness around the scar than after my first surgery. I asked my doctor about it and she said it's a result of built-up scar tissue since I was cut in the same area (more or less) in a relatively short timeframe (within two years).
I bought these rollers when rolling your face to reduce puffiness was all the rage. Are they great for rolling your face? I have no clue...because I never used them. They sat, discarded in a bathroom drawer for ages until one day I had an idea. What if I used them to roll my scar? Quickly, I popped them into the freezer and waited for their icy, coolness.
And, wow! I wasn't disappointed. As I gently rolled the ball over my scar, the smooth, coldness felt incredible and oddly, relaxing. In my mind, I was breaking up all the fascia and scar tissue that accumulated.
Scar Tissue: 0 Justine: 1
Did they actually work? Maybe. All I can tell ya, is try it! You won't be disappointed.
I preferred the large, round ball roll to the long rectangular one, but honestly, it's just a matter of preference. Both were great!
Other things that are useful but aren't mandatory...
Depending on your body and your preferences these are items you may want to consider purchasing and/or having on hand.
A huge ass water bottle
Yes, this water bottle is obnoxious and takes forever to fill BUT it holds a gallon of water. And once it's filled, you can sip throughout the day. It's an awesome way to ensure that you're drinking the day, helping to flush out all of those unwanted extra fluids. And if you're breastfeeding, it's doubly important to up your water intake.
An over-the-counter stool softener
Most (if not all ) anesthetics will cause constipation. That, coupled with the abdominal tenderness, the thought of pushing or straining to poop is scary. Remember I mentioned drinking lots of fluid? Excess fluids will make your poops soft and fluffy and therefore easier to pass. In addition, over-the-counter stool softeners (such as Colace) are available. Natural remedies such as warm prune juice are helpful too!
A postpartum belly band
Many women love to feel compression on their lower abdomen and incision. It assists with pain relief and kinda makes you feel like everything is held together (think really high-quality shape-wear). If you request the hospital will provide a stomach binder (a belly band) to keep compression on the stomach and incision, but admittedly, they are not the best quality.
I personally didn’t like compression on my belly (I think it felt worse) but it may be because I used the generic binder the hospital provided. There are many postpartum belly bands available and many friends have sworn by this one.
