Thursday, February 9, 2012

How to Recover from an Unplanned C-Section: The Only Thing I Didn't Research!


We were so excited to see Nicole DeBoom, owner of Skirt Sports, wearing our BINSI Hairdo-la! Please read her blog, it is a great perspective on unexpected cesarean birth.

I was a researching fool throughout my pregnancy. I was fastidious. From exercise, to nutrition, to symptoms of early labor, to recommendations for the birth and delivery -- I basically got a bachelor's degree in "pregnancy for the active woman." I truly enjoyed the entire pregnancy, even the two weeks of limbo after my due date passed but before I was induced. I was good to my body. I was incredibly healthy. I was prepared for just about every possibility - except for the one that happened. An unplanned, emergency cesarean section.

Assuming I had experienced a vaginal birth, I was prepared for my lowest level of fitness to be the last few weeks of my pregnancy. After the birth, I thought I would enjoy minimal recovery time before "getting my body back" one step at a time. I imagined that within a few weeks I would be able to start swimming, cycling, hiking, and running at an easy, introductory level. However, as it turned out, my fitness level could indeed decrease even further, as dictated by the unplanned c-section.

A cesarean section is abdominal surgery, plain and simple. It's not arthroscopic surgery where they extract the baby through a minor incision. The medical team literally makes a large incision (5-6 inches in my case), cutting through layers of skin, muscle, and of course, the uterus, so they can safely bring the baby into this world.

To read the rest of this article click here.

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