Ems:

I had my ideal birth mapped out… A water birth I had my labour playlist ready, my fairy lights for ‘mood lighting’ and my humongous bag of my fave snacks for when I was feeling peckish. 13 hours later and my baby was stuck. I had never imagined a c section and when they told me there was no other option and my baby was in distress my words were ‘please anything just so she is here and safe’. I had done NCT classes but I was not prepared for an emergency c section or the recovery and I wish I had been so here goes… Here are the things I wish I had known…

1. The scar is so low you can’t even see it wearing knickers or a bikini!
2. It really isn’t a big deal – the scar is so neat and tidy I hardly notice it. I was so scared of a massive hideous scar for life that I would have to hide and be ashamed of but this is so far from what it is.
3. Ask for stitches not staples- I didn’t even know there was a choice! Some doctors may staple out of pure laziness. Thankfully mine stitched! 🏻
4. The tugging you can feel in surgery is normal and even though you can feel it in your high tummy you don’t need to panic.
5. You may find it hard to pass wind or go for a ‘you know what’ afterwards for a few days; don’t panic like I did. I wish someone had told me this was normal post stomach surgery. I spent the following 3 days thinking they had put my intestines in wrong. For this reason, only eat plain foods for your first few days post birth because I learnt the hard way by putting a kebab in there for my first meal.
6. Lactulose will be your best friend for the next few weeks.
7. Do not miss your meds – keep on top of the pain of surgery recovery.
8. In hospital during your recovery, do not be afraid to USE THE BUZZER – don’t do what I did and try to act all brave by getting up and doing things. The quicker you heal the faster you can be back to normal so take it easy!
9. Your uterus will contract each time you breastfeed which will therefore cause pain in your scar – meds meds meds!
10. Breastfeeding- you won’t be able to hold your baby properly for a few weeks. I found the best way to feed without hurting your scar because of putting pressure on your tummy is by holding your baba like a baseball

And there you have it, top 10 ‘I wish I had known’ for an emergency c section. #alwaysbesttobeprepared