I am currently one week PP and I decided to bring to light what it is really like to have a c section, for those of you who may be considering one. First, it is a major abdominal surgery. The recovery process is long and hard and filled with emotions.

I had the privilege of being awake during my c section, as not many women do. I say privilege because had I not been awake, I would not have been able to sign off on the care my son needed and he may very well have had serious brain damage or worse, he could have died. I got lucky by having the option to stay awake.

There are some things I had to learn the hard way after having a c section. Some things they try to prepare you for, like how painful it is the first time you try to get out of bed or a weight limit when lifting objects Others, I was surprised no one warned me about.

For example, I was not prepared for the pain the first time I had to pee. I never really paid much attention to the muscles I use when going to the bathroom, so it was a real eye opener. To top that, I couldn’t lean or twist or move in any way that wasn’t painful so I could wipe myself. I had to ask for help for the first two days, which is a very humbling experience.

There was also the fact that even laying on my back was a painful challenge of sorts. When I would first lay down, it was difficult to relax. Unfortunately, relaxing is a necessity. My incision would hurt for a few minutes every time, which got to be irritating.

The last thing I want to bring to light happened to me today. I had the bandage hey put over my incision taken off today. The nurse I saw recommended using a pad to cover it as a barrier between the incision site and my clothing. When I went to use the bathroom later, I changed the pad. In order to do this, I had to look in the mirror.

I was not ready for the emotions that hit me, and I won’t lie, I did end up crying. There is still something covering my stitches, I think they’re called steri strips (don’t quote me on this). It’s basically a bunch of white squares. Still, actually seeing the site for the first time in the mirror, not covered by a thick layer of padding, was a huge shock. There is nothing quite like the feeling you get when you see something like that for the first time. It was hard to come with terms with it, and suddenly the surgery felt very real.

I decided to make this post because I feel that there are some things that get overlooked when explaining the recovery process. It mostly boils down to mental and emotional obstacles, as they seem to be placed on the back burner when discussing recovery. I wanted to give some form of reference to the ladies who have never had a c section and may be considering one.

Listen to everything the doctor tells you, but don’t forget to ask more questions. It is a learning process that takes a lot of adjustment, and you should be prepared for as much as possible, not just the physical aspects of recovering but the emotional one as well.