So, JourneyMan and I went to the Ceasarean birth class yesterday and it really brought everything clearly into focus. I am not allowed to drive for 6 weeks. I can't lift anything over 4-5kg's for 12 weeks (yikes!). Recovery is going to take a while. They went through the whole day of surgery plus the next 48 hours and whilst is scared the hell out of me, it also allowed me to visualise how and when I will see JBB for the first time and what will happen from then on. JourneyMan takes it all his stride, nothing seems to phase him though I do note that he is not the one who will be having major abdominal surgery. I have had operations before but this will be the most major and with the longest recovery time but thankfully I will have little JBB to take care of and take the focus!!
I think I mainly felt scared because I am not prepared yet. The house has not been finished, the house hasn't been baby proofed, we haven't bought hardly anything and what we have been given, I am not sure of whether it complies with Australian standards. I sat down today and started making some lists, so now I feel a little better though there is a lot to do and only a little bit of time left, we are going to need to get our skates on!!
I heard JourneyMan talking on the phone to a prospective employer yesterday (before the class!) and he was talking about what time he would need to take off for the birth of the baby and said one day - holy moly, I said I would need him home for at least a week - I think that he realised that though after the class. Luckily, my mum only lives around the corner and my MIL is not too far away either and both of them have offered their help (which I am sure I will be availing myself of!). I had lunch with my older sister today (who has 3 boys) and she has advised me that if anyone asks if they can do anything to help, let them!! I think that is good advice but it will also take some practice I believe.
Every day I get more excited (and nervous) - time seems to have sped up like you wouldn't believe - so much to do, so little time!!
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I may have been incredibly, freakishly lucky but I found the whole c-section experience to be way less awful that any of the descriptions and information I had made it sound. I also may have blocked it ou because I was pretty focused on my daughter's being born early and dealing with those issues. But it was really not as bad as I thought it would be.
ReplyDeleteThe only part that sucked that I wish someone would have prepared me for was that if they use staples having them removed is very, very crummy. My husband drove me to that appointment and I told him that after the IVF, epidural, surgery, catheter, and recovery from surgery the only part that really freaked me out was having those dumb staples removed. I don't think it has to be that freaky - I'd just recommend timing pain meds to be at their most effective before the appointment and bring someone for hand holding if that helps you.
Then again, maybe you guys are smarter in Australia and staples aren't as popular as in the U.S. :)
It helped me immensely to know what to expect from a C-section but it seems that different people recover differently. I know the whole range from those who didn't have to take any pain medication at all to those who needed the big guns. I was somewhere in the middle and for me breastfeeding was more difficult at the beginning. My advice is to try to move around as soon as you feel well enough and you will know what you need.
ReplyDeleteI had the staples, too, and although I didn't feel anything when they removed them, I hated looking at them! It's a bit creepy to see all that shiny hardware embedded in your body.
JourneyMan is so lovely!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like a very useful class. In 2007 (when I was really green and in my first month of TTCing), I went to a class that did not have much nice to say about c-sections. I am thankful that you have shared these details - it will be a useful start for more research!
ICLW
No words of advice but I hope it all goes smoothly.
ReplyDeleteHappy ICLW!!
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