C-sections are a significant surgery, and almost everyone will experience some level of soreness. Yet pain relief options are variable between not only hospitals, but midwives within each healthcare centre. We all get told different things, and are often offered different options. How can this be?
After I had my son (my second child) one midwife caring for me through my second night in hospital told me one tablet would be enough to manage my pain for the full 12 hours (of all night cluster feeding I might add!) When the morning shift began, the new midwife who came in was concerned by how slowly I walked to the bathroom because I was sore. After looking at my chart, she was alarmed I hadn’t been offered even a simple analgesic to ‘top up’ my pain relief through the night. I was offered different options and felt so much better within the next hour, and headed home that day (this was early but they needed the bed)
On reflection, I found it crazy I had been told such different information by different people, and I hadn’t even left my hospital room!
This confusion and conflicting information made me want to advocate for c section mums so everyone is better educated about what they need. So I made a c-section recovery course. I made it very affordable so it’s actually accessible for anyone needing more support during this incredible time. There’s a whole chapter on pain relieving strategies that includes:
How to space out your pain relief
How to ask for different options
Non-medication based movement strategies that can make your soreness much more manageable in the early days.
I’m currently listening to an amazing Dr Libby podcast about Iron, and the guest says “our culture doesn’t think about postpartum. We think about birth as the finish line.” This completely summarizes why I made this course, because birth is only the beginning. Support for the postpartum period is essential.
Check out the course and why not share with anyone with an upcoming or possible C-section to help them feel empowered?
