Ok so i am scheduled for a c-section friday morning and i can't wait. So until then i have been trying to get everything i can get done around the house done, run any errands pay bills, do laundry, grocery shopping, ect.. that im not going to be able to do for a week or so til i am healed from the surgery. I had a c-section with my first one so i know what to expect as far as recovery but is there anything you moms can suggest that i should make sure is done before we go to the hospital or anything that would help make coming home with baby easier. I have made a list of everything i can think of, but i feel like i am forgetting things. Thanks in advance moms.
Congratulations!
I agree with the other moms. Cuddle that sweet little girl as much as you can!
I think the freezing meals are great, but really just relax and enjoy these last few days!!
B.
RELAX!
GET SOME SLEEP!
You know neither of those things will happen for about the next 4 months at least, so take advantage of it now!
you can always fix some meals in advance..put some stuff in the freezer. However, having had 2 c-sections myself, it does take more than a week to heal!
1) Get a haircut. It might be awhile before you can even muster up the energy to make an appt.
2) Stock up on your favorite makeup/hair products. I didn't want to be without these nice little pick me ups and I certainly wouldn't trust anyone but myself to get them.
Climb into bed with your 4-year old, drink strawberry milkshakes, then read books to her and cuddle for 3 days straight!
The chores and meals can wait! (Or someone else can do them!!)
Congratulations and have a wonderful week ahead!!
It sounds like you are on top of everything as far as the house goes. Now, take these last couple of days for family. Talk with hubby so he is clear on how he has to help until you get on your feet. If he is like most men, he will need specific action oriented lists or suggestions. Make it a nice relaxing time for the two of you to snuggle as well. Then, spend as much fun time as you can with your daughter. Also, sit by yourself for a little bit and just hold your tummy and enjoy this last little time he/she is in you. I like the idea of having a one on one talk with him/her before he is born. Lastly, save out a little time for you to just do something you enjoy, whether it be scrapbooking, journaling, catching up on e-mail, etc. Just do not let yourself get too carried away with the technical things right up until you go to the hospital. Make yourself say everything is done, then make sure you enjoy yourself and relax your body and mind before the big day.
FORGET EVERYTHING!!! Just spend every second with your little one. You will treasure it later and she will too. Not to mention it will never be you and her again. There will be another to always count in. Enjoy it all --- this part is so much fun!
I think it is good you are getting prepared, but i think you should relax and enjoy your me time because it will soon be over so get as much rest as you can now before baby comes home. Good Luck!
My top two suggestions are already listed: (1) purchase and wrap a gift(s) for your daughter to give to the baby and for the baby to give to your daughter and (2) get some sleep!!
My very best wishes!!!!
If there is anything that you need to do that requires climbing up and down stairs.. do what you need to do to minimize that. I was dragging laundry baskets up and down stairs becuase while I was gone the laundry was piling up and hubby had to get back to work. It was very very painful. If you have spare time (LOL), I addressed all of my announcement envelopes and created a few thank you cards and bought stamps.. so, everything was there and ready to go.
One thing I did and am so gratefull for is cook and freeze a bunch of meals. We had a bunch of dinners frozen and ready to last for a month and it was the best thing! I started cooking and freezing them 2 months in advance so it might be late for that, but you might be able to get some done....
Good luck!
My first was a scheduled c-section and the most important thing I did was to have a long talk w/ my baby before his birth day. I told him all about being born and what to expect, and to get ready etc. Maybe it sounds silly, but I think that helped him, since I did not go into labor before his birth. Aside from that talk with your new baby, I would sit back and relax and spend some really special time with your 4-year-old. As far as the c-section goes, the current guidelines say that baby's outcomes are best if you are 39 weeks or more, so hopefully you've given your little one long enough to cook. Best wishes for a peaceful birth.
Enjoy these last few "one-on-one" days with your daughter. Her world is about to get turned upside down to! Do something extra special with her that you'll both cherish and remember.
Hello!
Congratulations; how exciting! While I do love Naomi's advice, here is one other thing that might help. Write out the bills that always remain the same (if you don't do online bill pay or automatic deduction), like car payments, mortgage/rent, etc for the next month or two. Put in envelopes, affix stamp, etc. Then put post it notes on the front of the bills for when they need to be in the mail. All you need to do is drop them off in the mail. For some reason, I had the hardest time remembering to get the bills out on time during the sleep deprived 1st few months. Better yet, sign up all your bills that you can for automatic bill pay or automatic deduction...then you have to remember nothing. Enjoy your new little one!
Purchase your 4 yr old daughter a special "present" from the baby to give her in the hospital when she comes to visit or at home as soon as you come home. She may love this newborn right away, she may not (afterall the baby will take a lot of mom/dad's attention too); a gift from baby to her can't hurt. Don't always send your 4 yr away while you are healing, keep her around playing with her new toy (board game, coloring books, etc.); purchase thank you notes you can write out during recovery. Relax and Enjoy!
Congratulations!
N.
I had a c-section with my first and planned a VBAC the second time. Of course you never truly know what can happen. The only thing I made sure of was that I had a bag packed and bills were paid for at least 2 weeks-or at least setup to pay-so I wouldn't have to worry about it. Don't fret and enjoy the next few days with your daughter. There is always an "I shoulda, coulda, woulda...".
Have you thought of a gift the baby could give to big sister to make her first visit special also?? I agree, relax and try to get some sleep as well and spend some quality time with your 4 year old! Good luck and Congrats!
Hi R.!
Congratulations!! I just wanted to tell you that you will be pleasantly surprised at how much easier the 2nd c-sect is!! It was a horribly long recovery with my first, and six years later when I had my second, it was wonderful! I walked right away, and felt great!! You should be fine!! Enjoy!!
Hi R.. Have you ever done Peapod grocery delivery? You can save a list in your account and put it on hold until you are ready to place it. Before I had my son I made a huge list, saved it, and then when I came home from the hospital I placed the order and the groceries were here the next day. I made sure to order extra drinks and snacks in case we had anyone over to see the new baby. Usually, I'm not this crazy organized, but this worked for me....
Good Luck!
T.
make a special present for your older child to get when you are in the hospital. I would have it be after they visit you they can go home and open the present. Plan on 4 presents. My older dd was 3 when her sister was born and the anxiety she had going home after visiting me was horrid. I got out after 2 days because she was so upset and needed me. I think if there had been a special treat, game or something waiting for her each time she went home then it wouldn't have been as bad. Dad could have used that as a bribe kinda.
Also make as many meals now as you can that your husband can heat up for him and your older child. I don't know about you, but otherwise he would have taken my older child out for every meal cause he just doesn't cook.
it may be a bit to late, but see if you can reschedule your c-section until after 6:00pm. That way, you can stay in the hospital just one more night (with insurance paying for it). It made the biggest difference to me, for sure.
Also, bring a few t-shirts and have the hospital imprint his/her little feet on the shirts too.
Have someone take a picture of you and your belly before you go.
Enjoy your last couple days with your daughter.
Congratulations.
Congratulations- very exciting! I recommend going out to see a movie! Something that I never get to do as much anymore. :)
I also loved the suggestion of doing something special for your daughter and getting your hair cut too.
Good luck!
It may be too late for this but I urge you to carefully consider the type of anesthesia you will have for the procedure. I had labor/then c-section with #1, then scheduled c w/#2 with a spinal block and then (at my insistence) an epidural (like with #1) for c #3. My experience with the spinal block was AWFUL. It took forever for it to wear off during which time I was panicky with the feeling of being paralysed below my chest. I had to lay flat on the recovery table for hours being told by the occasional passing nurse to BREATHE. I couldn't enjoy bonding with my baby at all....the small amount of time they let me have her there. ("you'll see her in your room when you're more comfortable"). They wouldn't let me out of recovery until the spinal wore off.
With my last I insisted on the epidural. I felt great during the procedure and more importantly immediately after. I had the baby with me in recovery. I could move my legs shortly after the delivery and we all went up to my room. I was blissful.
Be forewarned...doctors and nurses do not want to bother w/the epidural b/c it takes longer to place and numb you. With the scheduled c sections they want the quickness of one shot, no line and almost immediate numbness so they can proceed.
So if you are inclined, call your dr now and talk about this. I can't tell you what a difference it made. (BTW - don't let them tell you your scar tissue from the previous procedure prevents an effective epidural - that's not true. The anesthesiologist will just up your dose if you are in pain during the procedure. I had no pain at all and this was #3 for me). Good luck - congrats on your family!
make some meals that freeze well. I like to double or triple a recipe, eat one that day, then freeze the others. Do you have some friends who might like to do this w/ you? You make different things, double or triple, then swap one meal, you'll get 2 different meals but you only made 1 recipe. I had 3 csections, it was always a huge help to me to be able to take dinner out of the freezer and be done other than turning on the oven! Good luck on Friday!
Get sleep, make some meals now that you can reheat, call friends and talk about something other then pregnancies (for a while all you'll be talking about it baby...)
