It’s the middle of the night, the baby woke you up, and just as leaned over to check on your bundle of joy, that wave of pain is limiting your mobility and acts as a constant reminder of your birth.

You had a c section.

Tears stream down your face as you silently wonder: “why can’t I just be like a ‘normal’ mom who delivered vaginally?

It feels so unfair that you have to heal from major surgery AND take care of a newborn. And slowly the pain of a cesarean delivery begins to overshadow the joy of becoming a new mom.

But let me tell you something you might not know yet:

You are fierce and strong. You have walked through fire for your baby.

A c section mom is tough as nails….yeah that’s right. YOU are tough as nails. Your body grew your baby for nine months and when push came to shove (no pun intended) you faced birth like a champ.

Nothing stood in your way of safely delivering your baby. The first of many, many sacrifices you are sure to make for your child.

No matter how you come to your c-section, the recovery can be tough, but it’s not as tough as you.

YOU can recover from your c section AND embrace life as a new mom.

YOU can heal completely and return to life as you once new it.

YOU. CAN. DO. THIS.

And these super clever c section recovery tips will help you get there.

C SECTION RECOVERY TIPS

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PRESS A PILLOW INTO YOUR C-SECTION SCAR

Your muscles are going to be sore, it’s going to hurt to laugh or cough. Or sneeze, or really do much of anything that moves your abdomen.

But if you can use a pillow to apply slight pressure on your incision while you cough, sneeze, or laugh it will help manage your pain! I found the most effective way to do this is to use a smaller pillow -like a throw pillow.

START WALKING ASAP AFTER CESAREAN DELIVERY

I cannot even begin to describe what a difference walking can make in your c-section recovery.

Yes, walking will hurt and you will be sore BUT walking will help!

Read more about the importance of walking after your c section here.

Make sure you talk with your doctor’s and nurses before walking.

Be honest about your pain after your c-section

Not to be super graphic, but remember that someone just cut you open and pulled a tiny human out of you.

You’re going to be in pain. Yes, you’ll be on a high from having a snuggly baby on your chest, but eventually the pain will come. You don’t need to be scared of it, but you need to be aware.

There’s really no reason to be a hero here, if you’re in pain be honest about it. And advocate for yourself!

Believe me when I say, you do not want to let your pain get out of control. So be honest, if the nurse gives you meds and an hour later you’re still in pain- say something! There’s usually something they can do to help.

Wear high-waisted underwear and pants

What to wear after a c section is a question I see new moms ask all the time in my c section support Facebook group (you can request to join the Facebook group here). And high-waisted clothing has got to be one of the most under-rated c section recovery tips around.

Your incision will probably be tender and you might find that even the thought of something touching your fresh incision sends shivers down your spine.

And when I say big underwear, I’m talking full on granny panties. And size up one or even two sizes; your tummy will still be pretty big after delivery, you’ll want clothes that fit that.

Stand up straight-ish

The tendency right after a c section is to want to stay completely hunched over. This eases the strain on your sore abdominal muscles.

The problem with this is it starts to hurt other areas of your body like your back.

Make sure you listen to your body and be safe about it. The last thing you want to do is cause more injury because you’re trying to do too much too fast.

When you do stand up, remember to consciously tell yourself to stand up as straight as you can handle. It will get easier over time as your muscles heal and get stronger. And in the mean time I highly, highly recommend a postpartum belly wrap.

rest, rest, and more rest

One more time for the skimmers:

Your body is healing from major surgery AND caring for a tiny human, it needs rest.

For me, this was always the hardest part of healing. You don’t want to rely so much on other people or think that you can’t even get up to get yourself a glass of water.

But it’s so important to give your body plenty of time to heal, so be cautious about how much you’re doing around the house.

The temptation will be to get back to your normal routine as quickly as possible. For some reason, modern society makes women believe there is some sort of prize for “bouncing back” faster than anyone else.

There is no trophy for resuming your pre-baby life sooner than your friend on Facebook.

Slow down and rest. Your body will thank you for it.

Invest in c section recovery education

You are not going to heal any faster by sitting on the couch and watching reruns of The Office because you’re too afraid to walk.

You need a plan that will help you take proactive steps.

If you’re really serious about feeling better – and fast – I recommend The C Section Recovery Timeline. The timeline is a week-by-week guide to c section recovery.

The C Section Recovery Timeline includes exactly what to expect during the first two months of c section recovery plus actionable tips to help you feel better sooner.

The C Section Recovery Timeline has helped thousands of women. I seriously get so many emails from women telling me it made a HUGE difference in their recovery.

Let your spouse/partner/family/friends help

Letting friends and family help you is by far one of the best postpartum tips in general; and definitely tops this list of c section recovery tips (even though I put it last).

Let your people help you.

The best part is your friends and family want to help! All you have to do is ask them!

C section recovery tips TL;DR

• Press a pillow on your incision when you laugh, cough, or sneeze
• Start walking ASAP after surgery
• Be honest about your pain (and stay on top of pain management)
• Wear high-waisted underwear and pants
• Stand up straight when you walk
• Rest!
• Invest in proper c section recovery education
• Let your friends and family help you

Don’t let the fear of your c section recovery keep you from thriving as a new mom. These clever c section recovery tips will help you heal and enjoy life as a new mom!

remember, I am not a medical professional. I am sharing anecdotal advice based off of my personal experience and the research I have performed. This content should not be taken as medical advice; if you have medical questions please seek the advice of a medical professional.