Just had my 3rd c-section!

Houstonmom

It was SO smooth and my recovery has been better than any other c-section recovery! I was off of IV pain meds after 24 hours, catheter was put in at 12:00 am on surgery day, out by 7:00 pm same day. Walking a lot! A little bit of soreness but honestly, the pain of sleeping in a hospital bed is worse than the incision soreness. If someone invented a comfortable L&D hospital bed they would be a rich person.

My son will have been in the NICU for a total of 72 hours because of breathing issues but he's rooming in with me tonight--FINALLY!!! I was inconsolable on Friday. It's so hard to be separated from your newborn, even out of necessity.

Thanks for thoughts and prayers the other day when I asked for them

As for what I'm glad I brought with me...

Robe-very helpful when walling to the NICU

Nightgowns-I started wearing these once my catheter and IV were out and felt like a new person after my first shower

3 pairs of clean socks and flip flops-I'm never out of clean things to walk around in

Sibling gifts for my older kids-WOW! I am so glad I had these all ready and wrapped up to give them in my hospital room when they came. It's so hard for them not to be able to touch the baby (they've been able to see him in the NICU--the nurses checked their temps and they scrubbed down) but their spirits rose when I gave them their Big Brother and Big Sister gifts

Dry Shampoo-I had my hair blown out the night before the c-section (it's my bi-monthly indulgence) and blow outs almost always last me for 3 days but I brought along some dry shampoo (just the cheapy Suave or Tresemme kind, can't remember) to freshen up with every morning. My hair is so thick and it takes a long time to blow dry so a bit of dry shampoo every morning makes my hair look nice (which is good b/c my DH snaps random pics of me!)

Sleeping/Sports Bra-I'm not nursing for medical reasons so I brought an inexpensive sleeping bra (from Motherhood Maternity) to compress my breasts. What I didn't realize is that I would be SO GLAD to have it the night of my c-section because I literally had raging hot flashes all night and ended up stripping down to the sleeping bra and hospital panties. Hot flashes are gone now but the bra is still useful for breast binding (as was the Benadryl that I had to take for 2 days b/c of an allergic reaction to a new antibiotic I had to take while in surgery).

Hearos Earplugs-I started using these when I went to New Orleans and my hotel room faced the French Quarter so there was music going all night. I am SO GLAD I had these in the hospital b/c that's when I started sleeping well, which of course helps with recovery.

I WISH I'd brought:

Hand lotion (my stepmom brought some for me today)

My own bottle of shower gel (I ended up using my little sample size of facial cleanser in the shower on my body the first day and today used the anti-bacterial soap provided by the hospital today)

My mom brought a dozen cupcakes from the local cupcake bakery and 3 thank you cards for me to write notes in for the L&D and nursery staffs today. I am soooo happy she thought of that for me. #1 I have had some amazing nurses and let's face it, the first night they have to do some pretty unpleasant chores for us (not that they ever complain, but it's not something I would want to do on someone other than one of my kids) and #2 the NICU nurses have been so great to my sweet baby boy. One nurse cried as she left her shift this morning b/c she knew my son would be leaving before she came to work again, she had bonded with him so much