My second c-section

Okay so a little back story before I dive into my second recovery.

I carried Grayson to 40 weeks 2 days when they found out I was having contractions and he was measuring 2 weeks ahead of time so they induced me. I was given pitocin and after being on the highest dose and no dialation at all and Grayson's heart rate starting to dip with each contraction it was decided that I would have a c-section. My beautiful baby boy came out at 10 pounds 4 ounces and the doctor said there was no way I would have delivered him because of his size he would have gotten stuck in the birth canal. Anyway that is my back story I make big babies and I had a c-section.

Flash forward to this pregnancy and I knew I was having a repeat c-section for a few reasons: 

1) it's hospital policy that they do not do V-bacs (purely for legal reasons) 

2) I had a really good c-section experience before and a pretty easy recovery

3) once I found out it was twins I knew it was a safer option in my opinion to do the section 

4) I make big babies 

So once I hit 20 weeks I was ready to schedule my section  (one of the perks of a repeat section you get to schedule it) well my doctor said no. Twin pregnancies are very unpredictable and labor can come on at anytime and so he was not going to take up a c-section spot on the calendar when chances are I would not make it to that date anyway. 

I was bummed! Go figure my doctor was right because I had my sweet babies at 35 weeks. I remember it was a lot like last time I was told around 9:30 that I was having the babies that day and I'm pretty sure they came in to prep me around 11:30 and took me back to the OR around 12 so not a ton of time to freak out about having major surgery. 

A few things were different this time. I had a different anesthesiologist and I was not a fan of the way he did my spinal. My previous section I sat on the table with my legs out in front of me flat on the table this time I had to dangle my legs off the side of the table. It was beyond uncomfortable and I felt like my catheter was going to fall out. Then I had to swing my legs back on the table and they already felt like they were asleep that was hard. 

The second thing that was crazy was the room seemed so much smaller because we had twice the amount of equipment and twice the amount of people. 

Also I elected to have my tubes tied (a whole other post for another day) while the doctor was already doing surgery. Because of this once the babies were out  I got a nice shot in my IV and went to sleepy town while he did the tubal. I remember nothing after I kissed my babies until I was wheeled in my room. 

I felt good that night until the next day when I had to get up and use the bathroom. Holy cow my stomach muscles were shot to hell. It was like nothing I had ever felt before.

They give you a not so great binder at the hospital and my doctor instructed me to wear it for about 4 hours each day and to get up and walk at the hospital for at least 10 mins a day. He also said to not get behind on pain meds for the first week and I really listened to that. And trust me one time I slept through a pain med and ouch I could not move. From then on I set my alarm and took them on time for the first week. Then after that I started to space them out going an hour longer here and there and by 10 day post surgery I was taking one to sleep and one if I had to go out somewhere ( like taking the twins to the doctors) by 2 weeks I was off of pain meds completly.

I showered every day I was there and that was a ton different this time. Last time the first 2 showers I had a nurse helped me this time the nurse that I had during my first shower left the room and I was solo. I did it myself but that wore me out big time. I attempted to walk a lap around the maternity ward about 24 hours after my surgery and started to have some issues with bleeding so I only made it about half a lap before I was sent back to bed.

The next day I felt better and made it 1.5 laps before I felt like it was too much. Every day it got better but that first day was for sure a ton harder than I remember. I was given the option of staying an extra day but decided that I was good with only staying 3 nights and then heading home. I wanted to get home to my big boy and start in on our routine.


The one thing I did this time that I didn't do last time was buy a really good binder. I got this one and while the price tag is up there it for sure helped with my recovery big time. I'm already much smaller than I was with Grayson and the support from it is so worth it.  I'm almost to the point where I need one size smaller to help hold me in more and even though I cringe at buying two, I need it. Having twins stretched out my stomach muscles super far and the constant support is necessary. So I have followed the instructions to a T. I wore it 24/7 the first week, only taking it off to shower and now I wear it any where between 16-20 hours a day. I find I sleep better at night with it on at this point but I think that soon I will just be wearing it during the day.

That's it. I'm almost 4 weeks out and feeling great. I go to the doctor in 2 weeks and I'm hoping for clearance to exercise.