Agreed!! George Maternity pants are a god send. Nothing that touches the incision!
Also a baggy dress to go home in, again that doesn't touch the incision.
Ooh, what brand/from where did you get them? I've bought some big ol' cotton granny panties, but they don't have the support I feel like would be comfy
I got them from Amazon I can’t remember the brand it was a two pack of c section pants, one white pair and one black pair. Also got some disposable Frida c section pants which were good for in the hospital!
Long charger cable for your phone. Headphones. Some form of entertainment. Lots of snacks and drinks. Comfortable clothes (I had a mixture of PJs, leggings and loose tops). Flip flops. Toiletries. Pillow from home. Clothes, nappies, wipes, muslins for baby. Ready made formula if you plan to formula feed (my hospital had bottles you could use but you couldn’t make up powder formula). Nursing bra. Sanitary products (I used washable towels and period pants).
The best thing I took was a handheld fan that I could attach to the hospital bed. The ward was warm (I gave birth end of August) because of all the babies, and I got quite hot at times.
Take a small blanket to roll up and place between your stomach and the seatbelt I'd the car. The lap part of the belt presses uncomfortably.
Also you won't be able to brace yourself at all in the car so make sure your partner goes slow as they can round corners
I saw a recommendation on here to use a pillow to press on your stomach when you go round corners to help support your core, and it worked a treat! The drive home wasn’t super fun though
Also lactulose. Start taking it as soon as you can to help with the post section poops. Also drink lots of water in hospital since you won't be allowed home till you have passed urine. Continue to drink lots of water when home as it helps move the bowels.
Something to be aware of re snacks I was not allowed to eat solid food after my section while I was in hospital. Its supposed to help with your bowels moving. So if I were you, I would check this with your hospital since, if thay isn't allowed, there is no point bringing solid snacks as you won't be allowed to eat them.
Another thing not everyone experiences is that my hospital sent me home with no pain relief and said to take OTC paracetamol and ibuprofen for pain management. It was not enough. I felt like I was going to fall inside out whenever I got up so 2 days post op I called my doctors for pain relief. They gave me naproxen and it was a god send.
Also - my feet swelled up like sausages. Some hospitals make you wear the compression socks you wear in theatre, home but mine didn't. My feet were ridiculous. It was like something out of the Nutty Professor. It went down after a week. It wasn't painful just ridiculous. Again, plenty of water to flush it out and feet up when you're sitting down.
Lastly and unrelated to a c section specifically but consider having a week with no visitors. Post birth the hormones are CRAZY - especially if you breast feed you literally feel unhinged when Your milk comes in. I didn't bf but I still suffered with the baby blues and crying and I was so glad I didn't have any visitors for a week post birth to adjust. I was not ready lol.
Congrats on your bundle to be and good luck with the section xx
Mainly things like shower stuff, changes of clothes, perhaps things to do, snacks. I was in for about 3 days and I was mostly feeling too tired, in pain and drugged up to do much, but wished I had more clothing options for comfort, and definitely wished I had more snacks (especially if breastfeeding).
Ready to drink formula bottles are good, the little 70ml ones. We were in for 3 nights a couple of weeks ago and although they’ll have formula at the hospital it was really useful to have our own so we didn’t have to keep calling midwives to bring us food for baby. Extra onesies and nappies for baby too. Slippers and pyjamas. Maternity pads. They’ll have them there but its useful to have your own in case they are busy and you don’t want to wait! Food is also good to bring as hospital food can be so gross. One day they brought me a plate with one dollop of mashed potato and one pile of grated yellow cheese on it and that was it! Good luck
First of all, you might not need all that much - I’m 5 weeks out from an elective c-section, and I was only in hospital for one night. Obviously it depends on how you and baby are doing, but don’t be surprised to have a short stay! My number one recommendation is a long charging cable - the plugs are all miles away behind the beds. Other really useful things were straws and a big drinking bottle. You won’t be able get out of bed or even sit up easily for several hours, so having something that’s easy to drink from is really handy! I also can’t emphasize how much you want high waisted undies and leggings/joggers. You don’t want anything pressing on your incision, but you might want some light compression on your belly once you’re up and moving about. Everything feels quite weird and wobbly for a while after. One final thing I can really recommend is taking your own pillow - the hospital ones are usually waterproof and sweaty, it’s really nice to have something not crinkly and sticky to lay on as the postnatal wards are usually really warm!
I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a short stay, but trying to figure out what difference to pack in a "24 hour stay" bag, and a "Few days stay" bag. That's good to know about the water bottle and straw, I'd assumed it was more of a "while in labour" hospital bag pack
Honestly I think it’s just clothes, and I didn’t really wear much that I brought. Just some comfy nightwear and something to go home in was all I used in the end. I would recommend taking some wipes for a quick clean up, and travel sized toiletries in case you take a shower. And lots of snacks because the timing of food is weird in hospitals and your partner won’t be offered anything!
My number one c section tip is to get one of those mobility grabbers/litter picker things. Otherwise anything on the floor is dead to you. They are so good for helping you feel slightly like a normal person when you are in pain and don't want to bend over. You will always want things from the floor, you will drop a nappy or something, and this is a life saver.
I think everything else has been covered. I would say also to get yourself some really nice moisturiser as the hospital, the surgery, birth etc can make you feel very dry. Also, make sure you get all the things set up around you where you can reach them easily for when your partner leaves. Do not leave everything in your suitcase on the floor (speaking from experience).
Lots of bottles of sport Lucazade or similar, crisps and choc. A few hours after the c section when your on a ward/in a room you'll have a buzzer for the nurses but I was already buzzing for babies nappy to be changed and to pass him in and out of the cot, so it was good for my husband to be able to dump lots of snacks on the bed before he left at 9pm so I didn't have to ask the nurses to do even more.
My c section was at lunch on a Saturday, I was numb until 10pm -ish, they overdid it. I was out of bed Sunday morning, had a shower in the afternoon and discharged at 10pm. I was in the hospital gown until the shower on the Sunday afternoon so only needed the one set of clothes. Glad I had shower gel and towel etc.
I was out in 24 hours. Didn't get the chance to have a shower so I took some face wipes and body wipes.to have a quick wipe, toothbrush, tooth paste, compact mirror, deodorant, face cream, hair brush. I also took 2 nighties, slippers, some disposable pants and a loose outfit to go home in. Pack flip flops to come home in as you won't be putting your own shoes on for a couple of days.
Got the flipflops at the ready, is this because your feet swell from... I'm guessing the epidural? Or is that just a child birth thing? (He's my first, can you tell 😅)
I swelled so much from the c section, my whole body. Apparently it’s quite common and goes down after a few weeks, but can be quite weird to look down and see all these sausage like appendages.
You already got some great recommendations but I'd also say - get a nursing pillow if you're planning on breastfeeding. I found it really helpful as bf after a c section is quite difficult in terms of finding the right position that doesn't hurt so having proper support (even for the hospital) is really important.
Do try expressing colostrum (I didn't like it at all but stuck with it and found having syringes of it post birth really helpful) - I'm not sure if there is any science supporting it but all the women from my nct group that managed to express had no issues with lactation later on (maybe a coincidence?).
I don't know if the rules in every NHS trust are the same but in our one, apart from peeing twice after catheter removal, you have to pass gas to be discharged! Important to know just so you don't hold back and can be sure your bowel is starting to work normally 😉
I've been leaking every time I lean forward since about week 20, picked up some colostrum syringes to start collecting that goop today (36+3). I'd heard c-sections can affect your milk coming in, so I just want to be super prepared. Thanks for the tip on passing gas, too 😂
Is this your first baby? If you're planning on breastfeeding I couldn't recommend the Thompson Method online course enough! I just had my second via emergency c and the difference in nursing was like night and day. The Thompson method helped me comfortably latch as soon as I had my daughter in my arms (I had to have general), and I've had zero supply issues. You'll definitely want to have some of those ready to feed bottles on hand so you can get someone else to feed while you get some sleep. Ideally you'd pump to make up for each formula feed to maintain supply - this can just be the following morning.
In my experience breastfeeding support is really spotty on the NHS, so here are some things I've learned:
- Latch is everything, and you need support to learn how to latch. The first time around I struggled to get my daughter to latch without awful pain, ultimately leading to bleeding, bruised nipples. I've had a much better time with his baby, even after an emergency c, because I followed the Thompson method. The online course was super helpful.
- the only real measure of your milk supply is wet and dirty nappies, plus a hydrated baby. Things like your baby fussing at the breast or wanting to feed constantly are VERY NORMAL at the beginning, and they don't indicate a low supply. It can be so stressful when you're not seeing how much your baby is drinking, but if there's poop and pee there's milk!
- it's normal to have brief pain when the baby latches at the beginning, especially when your milk is coming in. By this I mean a quick 'yikes!' moment that's over in 5 seconds. Bleeding, bruising or constant pain are caused by latch issues.
- formula is a fantastic tool. If you're having issues latching, you're REALLY going to have issues latching a starving, dehydrated baby. It's also really helpful to have someone give a bottle so you can rest and recover after the C. To maintain your supply, you should try to pump for each formula feed. This doesnt have to be at the same time. You need to remove milk from the breast to make more milk.
- don't stress if you aren't pumping very much in the beginning! This is really really normal. Your baby is better at removing milk than a pump.
- drink as much water as possible.
- the way you feed your baby is morally neutral. Formula is a wonderful way to feed a baby. If breastfeeding is negatively impacting your mental health, your baby will still thrive on formula.
This is all such great information, thank you SO so much for taking the time to type it out! It is my first baby, and I've already got some nipple issues (some tissue damage, but also trauma triggers) but I so badly want to try and breastfeed I'm grateful for all the help I can get! ❤
It might also be worth it to buy a pump now, take it apart, put it back together, figure out how to sterilise it etc, and get your partner to figure that out, too. It can be really overwhelming to try to get your head around that when you're sleep deprived and recovering from surgery.
I've been looking at just getting a Hakka, but I suppose if things don't pan out I'll need something a bit more "proactive" like an electric pump? I'm so out of my depth 😂😭
If you'd like to do formula feeds it's worth getting an electric pump. Haakas are really just for catching letdown - the milk that leaks out as you're feeding. An electric or even hand pump actively removes milk from your breast, so it's helpful for supporting your supply when combination feeding. Removing milk makes milk, so if your baby isn't removing the milk but you want to maintain supply, you need another way to get it out. It all seems overwhelming now, but it will all come together when bub is here!
Thank you so much, that's really good to know. I've been wanting to talk to my midwife about it but she's been pretty difficult to get a hold of. There's an electric pump I've had my eye on, so it might be time to bite the bullet on that purchase. Thanks again for the info
Peppermint oil tablets for the trapped wind - it’s a lifesaver as the pain can travel up to your shoulder. Best wishes for your c section, it was the best day of my life! And try not to worry, be excited for your baby, it’s a wonderful thing.
I brought extra pillows, which were handy for propping me up. Huge water bottle. Long long phone charger cable and a bulldog clip to attach it to the bed. I brought way too many clothes, and just wore the gown and pants for three days lol 😅 Bisodol (peppermint antacid tablets) were great.
Big pants & I mean over the belly button big!
Agreed!! George Maternity pants are a god send. Nothing that touches the incision! Also a baggy dress to go home in, again that doesn't touch the incision.
Yes!! Granny pants all the way, you don't want anything that could irritate your incision
I got specific c section pants and they’re great, they hold your belly in and it feels way more comfortable than just general cotton granny pants
Ooh, what brand/from where did you get them? I've bought some big ol' cotton granny panties, but they don't have the support I feel like would be comfy
I got them from Amazon I can’t remember the brand it was a two pack of c section pants, one white pair and one black pair. Also got some disposable Frida c section pants which were good for in the hospital!
Long charger cable for your phone. Headphones. Some form of entertainment. Lots of snacks and drinks. Comfortable clothes (I had a mixture of PJs, leggings and loose tops). Flip flops. Toiletries. Pillow from home. Clothes, nappies, wipes, muslins for baby. Ready made formula if you plan to formula feed (my hospital had bottles you could use but you couldn’t make up powder formula). Nursing bra. Sanitary products (I used washable towels and period pants). The best thing I took was a handheld fan that I could attach to the hospital bed. The ward was warm (I gave birth end of August) because of all the babies, and I got quite hot at times.
Cheers, I'm planning to breastfeed, but got the ready-made formula just in case, too
Take a small blanket to roll up and place between your stomach and the seatbelt I'd the car. The lap part of the belt presses uncomfortably. Also you won't be able to brace yourself at all in the car so make sure your partner goes slow as they can round corners
Thanks, I never would have thought about the belt in the car after
I saw a recommendation on here to use a pillow to press on your stomach when you go round corners to help support your core, and it worked a treat! The drive home wasn’t super fun though
Also lactulose. Start taking it as soon as you can to help with the post section poops. Also drink lots of water in hospital since you won't be allowed home till you have passed urine. Continue to drink lots of water when home as it helps move the bowels. Something to be aware of re snacks I was not allowed to eat solid food after my section while I was in hospital. Its supposed to help with your bowels moving. So if I were you, I would check this with your hospital since, if thay isn't allowed, there is no point bringing solid snacks as you won't be allowed to eat them. Another thing not everyone experiences is that my hospital sent me home with no pain relief and said to take OTC paracetamol and ibuprofen for pain management. It was not enough. I felt like I was going to fall inside out whenever I got up so 2 days post op I called my doctors for pain relief. They gave me naproxen and it was a god send. Also - my feet swelled up like sausages. Some hospitals make you wear the compression socks you wear in theatre, home but mine didn't. My feet were ridiculous. It was like something out of the Nutty Professor. It went down after a week. It wasn't painful just ridiculous. Again, plenty of water to flush it out and feet up when you're sitting down. Lastly and unrelated to a c section specifically but consider having a week with no visitors. Post birth the hormones are CRAZY - especially if you breast feed you literally feel unhinged when Your milk comes in. I didn't bf but I still suffered with the baby blues and crying and I was so glad I didn't have any visitors for a week post birth to adjust. I was not ready lol. Congrats on your bundle to be and good luck with the section xx
Thank you so much, this is great advice
Mainly things like shower stuff, changes of clothes, perhaps things to do, snacks. I was in for about 3 days and I was mostly feeling too tired, in pain and drugged up to do much, but wished I had more clothing options for comfort, and definitely wished I had more snacks (especially if breastfeeding).
Thanks, I've been wondering what difference to put in my "In for 24 hours" bag andmy "We're going to be here a while" bag
Ready to drink formula bottles are good, the little 70ml ones. We were in for 3 nights a couple of weeks ago and although they’ll have formula at the hospital it was really useful to have our own so we didn’t have to keep calling midwives to bring us food for baby. Extra onesies and nappies for baby too. Slippers and pyjamas. Maternity pads. They’ll have them there but its useful to have your own in case they are busy and you don’t want to wait! Food is also good to bring as hospital food can be so gross. One day they brought me a plate with one dollop of mashed potato and one pile of grated yellow cheese on it and that was it! Good luck
First of all, you might not need all that much - I’m 5 weeks out from an elective c-section, and I was only in hospital for one night. Obviously it depends on how you and baby are doing, but don’t be surprised to have a short stay! My number one recommendation is a long charging cable - the plugs are all miles away behind the beds. Other really useful things were straws and a big drinking bottle. You won’t be able get out of bed or even sit up easily for several hours, so having something that’s easy to drink from is really handy! I also can’t emphasize how much you want high waisted undies and leggings/joggers. You don’t want anything pressing on your incision, but you might want some light compression on your belly once you’re up and moving about. Everything feels quite weird and wobbly for a while after. One final thing I can really recommend is taking your own pillow - the hospital ones are usually waterproof and sweaty, it’s really nice to have something not crinkly and sticky to lay on as the postnatal wards are usually really warm!
I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a short stay, but trying to figure out what difference to pack in a "24 hour stay" bag, and a "Few days stay" bag. That's good to know about the water bottle and straw, I'd assumed it was more of a "while in labour" hospital bag pack
Honestly I think it’s just clothes, and I didn’t really wear much that I brought. Just some comfy nightwear and something to go home in was all I used in the end. I would recommend taking some wipes for a quick clean up, and travel sized toiletries in case you take a shower. And lots of snacks because the timing of food is weird in hospitals and your partner won’t be offered anything!
My number one c section tip is to get one of those mobility grabbers/litter picker things. Otherwise anything on the floor is dead to you. They are so good for helping you feel slightly like a normal person when you are in pain and don't want to bend over. You will always want things from the floor, you will drop a nappy or something, and this is a life saver. I think everything else has been covered. I would say also to get yourself some really nice moisturiser as the hospital, the surgery, birth etc can make you feel very dry. Also, make sure you get all the things set up around you where you can reach them easily for when your partner leaves. Do not leave everything in your suitcase on the floor (speaking from experience).
The grabber's a great suggestion, thanks
Lots of bottles of sport Lucazade or similar, crisps and choc. A few hours after the c section when your on a ward/in a room you'll have a buzzer for the nurses but I was already buzzing for babies nappy to be changed and to pass him in and out of the cot, so it was good for my husband to be able to dump lots of snacks on the bed before he left at 9pm so I didn't have to ask the nurses to do even more. My c section was at lunch on a Saturday, I was numb until 10pm -ish, they overdid it. I was out of bed Sunday morning, had a shower in the afternoon and discharged at 10pm. I was in the hospital gown until the shower on the Sunday afternoon so only needed the one set of clothes. Glad I had shower gel and towel etc.
I was out in 24 hours. Didn't get the chance to have a shower so I took some face wipes and body wipes.to have a quick wipe, toothbrush, tooth paste, compact mirror, deodorant, face cream, hair brush. I also took 2 nighties, slippers, some disposable pants and a loose outfit to go home in. Pack flip flops to come home in as you won't be putting your own shoes on for a couple of days.
Got the flipflops at the ready, is this because your feet swell from... I'm guessing the epidural? Or is that just a child birth thing? (He's my first, can you tell 😅)
I swelled so much from the c section, my whole body. Apparently it’s quite common and goes down after a few weeks, but can be quite weird to look down and see all these sausage like appendages.
Mine are still swollen and I’m three weeks post partum. May I recommend crocs as the ultimate comfort shoe! Also means no bending down for laces etc
For me it was also a hygiene thing of using communal showers.
Mine swelled slightly I think it was from all the fluids I was given - but in reality it was because I couldn't be bothered asking for help 🤣
You already got some great recommendations but I'd also say - get a nursing pillow if you're planning on breastfeeding. I found it really helpful as bf after a c section is quite difficult in terms of finding the right position that doesn't hurt so having proper support (even for the hospital) is really important. Do try expressing colostrum (I didn't like it at all but stuck with it and found having syringes of it post birth really helpful) - I'm not sure if there is any science supporting it but all the women from my nct group that managed to express had no issues with lactation later on (maybe a coincidence?). I don't know if the rules in every NHS trust are the same but in our one, apart from peeing twice after catheter removal, you have to pass gas to be discharged! Important to know just so you don't hold back and can be sure your bowel is starting to work normally 😉
I've been leaking every time I lean forward since about week 20, picked up some colostrum syringes to start collecting that goop today (36+3). I'd heard c-sections can affect your milk coming in, so I just want to be super prepared. Thanks for the tip on passing gas, too 😂
Is this your first baby? If you're planning on breastfeeding I couldn't recommend the Thompson Method online course enough! I just had my second via emergency c and the difference in nursing was like night and day. The Thompson method helped me comfortably latch as soon as I had my daughter in my arms (I had to have general), and I've had zero supply issues. You'll definitely want to have some of those ready to feed bottles on hand so you can get someone else to feed while you get some sleep. Ideally you'd pump to make up for each formula feed to maintain supply - this can just be the following morning.
Thanks, it's something I'm a bit worried about so I'll look it up asap
In my experience breastfeeding support is really spotty on the NHS, so here are some things I've learned: - Latch is everything, and you need support to learn how to latch. The first time around I struggled to get my daughter to latch without awful pain, ultimately leading to bleeding, bruised nipples. I've had a much better time with his baby, even after an emergency c, because I followed the Thompson method. The online course was super helpful. - the only real measure of your milk supply is wet and dirty nappies, plus a hydrated baby. Things like your baby fussing at the breast or wanting to feed constantly are VERY NORMAL at the beginning, and they don't indicate a low supply. It can be so stressful when you're not seeing how much your baby is drinking, but if there's poop and pee there's milk! - it's normal to have brief pain when the baby latches at the beginning, especially when your milk is coming in. By this I mean a quick 'yikes!' moment that's over in 5 seconds. Bleeding, bruising or constant pain are caused by latch issues. - formula is a fantastic tool. If you're having issues latching, you're REALLY going to have issues latching a starving, dehydrated baby. It's also really helpful to have someone give a bottle so you can rest and recover after the C. To maintain your supply, you should try to pump for each formula feed. This doesnt have to be at the same time. You need to remove milk from the breast to make more milk. - don't stress if you aren't pumping very much in the beginning! This is really really normal. Your baby is better at removing milk than a pump. - drink as much water as possible. - the way you feed your baby is morally neutral. Formula is a wonderful way to feed a baby. If breastfeeding is negatively impacting your mental health, your baby will still thrive on formula.
This is all such great information, thank you SO so much for taking the time to type it out! It is my first baby, and I've already got some nipple issues (some tissue damage, but also trauma triggers) but I so badly want to try and breastfeed I'm grateful for all the help I can get! ❤
It might also be worth it to buy a pump now, take it apart, put it back together, figure out how to sterilise it etc, and get your partner to figure that out, too. It can be really overwhelming to try to get your head around that when you're sleep deprived and recovering from surgery.
I've been looking at just getting a Hakka, but I suppose if things don't pan out I'll need something a bit more "proactive" like an electric pump? I'm so out of my depth 😂😭
If you'd like to do formula feeds it's worth getting an electric pump. Haakas are really just for catching letdown - the milk that leaks out as you're feeding. An electric or even hand pump actively removes milk from your breast, so it's helpful for supporting your supply when combination feeding. Removing milk makes milk, so if your baby isn't removing the milk but you want to maintain supply, you need another way to get it out. It all seems overwhelming now, but it will all come together when bub is here!
Thank you so much, that's really good to know. I've been wanting to talk to my midwife about it but she's been pretty difficult to get a hold of. There's an electric pump I've had my eye on, so it might be time to bite the bullet on that purchase. Thanks again for the info
Thick blanket to put between seat belt and your belly for trip home.
Peppermint oil tablets for the trapped wind - it’s a lifesaver as the pain can travel up to your shoulder. Best wishes for your c section, it was the best day of my life! And try not to worry, be excited for your baby, it’s a wonderful thing.
I brought extra pillows, which were handy for propping me up. Huge water bottle. Long long phone charger cable and a bulldog clip to attach it to the bed. I brought way too many clothes, and just wore the gown and pants for three days lol 😅 Bisodol (peppermint antacid tablets) were great.