Dealing with post-Cesarean pain – Works for Me Wednesday!

I guess this is my summer to get all of this “birth stuff” out of my head and onto the blog and the Works for Me Wednesday Forum seems to be a perfect forum to share them. I hope my girls and my nieces can find some future use for this stuff!

I had my first cesarean in 1989. I was amazed at how painful it was to cough or (God forbid) sneeze! as I was recovering from the surgery. As I walked around, hunched over, carrying my baby with one arm and guarding my sore abdomen with the other, I remember thinking that a third arm would have really come in handy!

With my second Cesarean ten years later (with three vaginal births in between!) I remember making such a comment to one of the nurses, who promptly came back with an abdominal binder! What a difference. The binder supported my abdomen and really reduced the pain factor. I wondered why this wasn’t just routinely given to new Cesarean moms as part of routine postoperative care?

With my third Cesarean three years ago, I made sure ahead of time to have an abdominal binder with me and I remember having Mr. Pete help me into it as soon as soon as I could.

Just a simple velcro binder supports the postpartum abdomen, and helps reduce the number of pain pills needed in the day. It also gives you the use of both of your arms and helps to give moms the freedom to cough and sneeze without pain and fear, which is very helpful in keeping lungs healthy after surgery. If your hospital won’t supply them (be sure to ask before you go into the hospital) you can bring your own. They’re fairly inexpensive.

Celebrity spokes person Brook Burke has recently been selling her own binders for moms who even have natural births as a way to get back into shape sooner.  Her wraps are around $60.

I never wore one after my regular births, but it seems that anything that would give your back a little help while the abs are getting back into position and work, couldn’t be a bad idea.

Works for me! 

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