Cesarean Recovery Top Tips

Antenatal Academy • October 15, 2024
Cesarean Recovery tips

Recovery from a Cesarean Birth can be hard alongside caring for your newborn baby.


Through caring for mums who have undergone a cesarean birth, I have developed my top 5 tips that can make recovery gentler and more effective:


1. Make sure you have plenty of pillows to help prop you up in bed. An A-shape pillow can be really useful


2. Don’t push your body to do anything that feels painful. Listen to your body. Gentle exercise can start to return when you feel ready, but try to avoid any strenuous exercise for the first 6 weeks (longer if your body is telling you that you aren’t ready). Get help with household chores if you can and don’t do anything that can wait until you feel stronger.


3. Often, the hardest part in the first week is getting from horizontal to sitting up, so you could ask your partner to lever you up, with your arms around their shoulders and neck; Or you can attach a rope/strong scarf to the bottom of the bed and use that to pull yourself up.


4. Have plenty of skin-to-skin time with your baby/babies. This will help with bonding, support you to establish breastfeeding (if that is what you have chosen to do) and gives your baby exposure to your microbiome, so they can give themselves a boost to their immune system.


5. Keep an eye on your scar (or ask your partner to look for you); if it looks like it is weeping, or if it is hot or red, this can be a sign of infection.

Please seek medical attention if you are at all worried.


We always talk through cesarean birth during our classes, what to expect if you are planning one or an unplanned one happens, and how to have a healthy recovery afterwards.


Helen

Antenatal Academy


By Antenatal Academy May 8, 2024
What makes our course different to other courses? Simply put, our antenatal courses are modern, fun, educational and unique. But if you want to delve deeper.... our classes are right for you if you want.. to feel like you have been listened to during your pregnancy and birth; to feel in control and calm during labour, birth and postnatally; to know how to work with your body and mind to increase the likelihood of a straightforward, physiological birth; to know that your birth partner has a role during the birth, knows how to be your advocate and knows exactly what to do to support you no matter what happens; two experienced and knowledgeable course facilitators who have been supporting couples during pregnancy, in the birth room and post birth for many years, and have birthed 5 babies between them; so lots of real-life expertise and knowledge to pass on to expectant couples. Most other antenatal courses only have one teacher! a course packed with practical information, plus guidance on how to support your emotional needs ; interactive, modern, fun and engaging classes , but no role play (we promise!!); your birth partner to have a role during the birth, to know how to support you, helping you cope with birth and be your advocate with the medical team; to meet other like-minded soon-to-be parents - many couples will form friendships for life!; regular classes , once a week for 3 or 6 weeks, to build up knowledge and friendship, and ask all those burning questions as they crop up! peer support, and birth and postnatal support outside of class time and after your baby has been born; a course that changes with the times, so is modern and regularly updated with the latest evidence based science and information; to know your options and how to make evidenced-based decisions for you and your baby; a course that is down to earth, realistic and yet helps you to develop a positive mindset for birth and parenting. Our in-person group antenatal classes are for parents in Bury St Edmunds, Stowmarket, Sudbury, Newmarket, Thetford, Needham Market, Diss, Eye, Ipswich, Haverhill, or Cambridge and anywhere in between! You may be planning on a home birth or at a hospital labour suite or midwifery led birthing unit at West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds, or The Rosie Hospital in Cambridge or Ipswich Hospital (or any of the East Suffolk and North Essex NHS locations). Helen & Debbie Antenatal Academy
By Antenatal Academy November 8, 2023
We are really pleased to find the perfect new venue for our meet ups!
By Antenatal Academy July 27, 2023
At Antenatal Academy, we believe wholeheartedly in your right to autonomy throughout your pregnancy and birth. It is your body and your baby. In order to support you to step into this power with confidence, we want to make sure you have everything you need to make informed, evidence-based decisions for you and your baby. We hear a lot of 'I've been told I'm not allowed to.....' and 'they won't let me...', but the truth is that you always have a choice and having an understanding of all the risks, benefits and alternatives, will make you feel far happier with your decisions and the birth experience that you have. Key points to remember: ๐Ÿงก It is your body, your baby, your birth ๐Ÿ’š You can ask for time to consider the options once you have been given all the information ๐Ÿ’™ You do not have to justify your decisions to anyone - 'No.' can be a complete sentence โค๏ธ Our course will give you the tools and knowledge to navigate your way to a really positive birth experience Helen & Debbie Antenatal Academy
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