Category: Lifestyle

Recovering from a c-section is a long process and when you have an experience that’s completely unexpected or unplanned it can be really hard on your mental health too. It’s really important to think of yourself during c-section recovery so that you can recover physically and emotional from the birth.

What to expect in hospital after a c-section

Usually you can expect to spend a bit more time in hospital after a c-section but some mothers go home within 24-48 hours. I personally stayed in for four nights each time. The first time was because Evie needed extra antibiotics for 72 hours so it gave us a bit of time to have some extra help in hospital and the second time was because I had a complicated surgery and needed to wait for my wound drain to be removed. If you have a wound drain you won’t be able to leave until the fluid is clear and a doctor will come and assess this every morning for you. This isn’t commonplace though as it’s only for more difficult surgeries.

It’s hard to know what to expect during the hospital stay after a c-section but you will be offered around the clock painkillers, DVT injections and support getting you back on your feet when you can. As soon as you can get walking again, do so. Getting mobile really makes a big difference to recovery. I had help walking to the bathroom to use the shower around 12 hours after my surgery and then gradually moved from bed to chair a few times whilst I still had a catheter in.

The catheter is usually removed after 24 hours but this is sometimes longer depending on how hydrated you are. You then need to wee in a pot to show you’re still hydrated and your bladder is working properly without the support. Mine was measured a few times by the midwives on the wards before being given the all clear.

Self Care for C-Section Recovery at Home

There are plenty of things you can do to really help your recovery from a c-section birth. I’ve had two c-sections now and I wish I had known what I know now for my first recovery. It can be really hard to recover from a c-section with the pressures we tend to put on ourselves and it’s easy to forget that it’s not just birth but also major abdmonial surgery. You have to rest. Your body desperately needs it and this is the perfect reason for doing the absolute bear minimum. Your only goal is loving your newborn and recovering.

What should you buy to help c-section recovery?

1. A corded shower head or tap adapted shower head. We don’t have a built in shower in our flat so we bought one that suctioned onto the taps. Getting in and out the bath can be a little bit daunting as you have to learn to use those core muscles again but having a shower you can move around your body makes this so much easier. It’s also excellent for helping to keep that wound lovely and clean.
2. Pillows. Sleeping on your front or side can be tough after a c-section so you may find it more comfortable to sleep sightly reclined. I made good use of my pregnancy pillow for a good few weeks after my c-section to keep the pressure of my tummy. I started being able to sleep on my side around day 10 and within 3 weeks I was back to sleeping on my front so it does get easier.
3. Some good cotton pads, reusable or large maternity pads. Not only for the after birth bleeding but also helps to keep your wound nice and dry. You also want to give it plenty of air after bathing or showering whilst you’re healing.
4. BIG knickers. I’m talking big, comfort, cotton high waisted beauties. You want them completely away from the c-section scar so they don’t irritate it. I had a few issues with the dressing and had a reaction to this and anything rubbing against it was very sore for a couple of days.
5. Comfy PJs or lounge clothes. If there is any better time to truly look after yourself it’s after giving birth whether that’s vaginally or a c-section. Treat yourself to some comfortable, soft, pjs that make feeding nice and easy and don’t irritate any staples, stiches or wounds.

Other than that whatever you can do to look after yourself and make life easy do. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, don’t feel like you have to bounce back and if you want to stay home and snuggle your new baby then do. Anything you can do to relieve the pressure.

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Disclaimer: We recevied the Cool Maker Go Glam Nail Stamper to review and feature in this post. Here is what we thought. Contains affliliate links.

Reviewing The Go Glam Nail Stamper

The Cool Maker Go Glam Nail Stamper is ideal for my daughter who is absolutely loving doing her nails up. She has been trying this out for a couple of months now and we seem to have got the hang of it. The kit we received came in a lovely bag which makes it nice and easy to keep together. We also received the daydreamer stamp pack which came with two extra stamp designs. There were multiple nail stamps to use to create different designs with popular emojis and cute animals to use. The nail stamper kit also came with two coloured polishes, purple & blue as well as a clear coat.

I even had a little go myself because at first use we had a bit of trouble getting the stamps to stick. At BlogOn I was able to speak to Spinmaster about this and they gave me a few extra tips. After painting the nails you want to wait around three minutes before stamping, ensuring the nails are completely dry. This made stamping them much easier.

Some of the designs we had included a unicorn, cupcakes and flamingos which have been the firm favourites for my daughter. The go glam nail stamper is pretty straight forward to use too and works in three simple steps. First you choose and insert your design into the stamper which is very clear and easy to do. You then paint your nails and wait for them to dry. Once dry you place the finger inside the nail stamper and press down to stamp. We got the best results when holding the stamper down against the nail, quite firmly, for around 20 seconds. My daughter found it easier and stamped better when I pressed the stamper down and it was a nice little nail decorating session we could try together.

We have enjoyed using the cool maker go glam nail stamper and I find we are getting better with more practise and have had better results. We will be using these again for the upcoming school disco to create a cool look for Evie. Evie really likes the make up and nail decorating sets that are available and as she’s getting older this seems to be the sort of stuff she goes for when choosing her toys. When you have the nail stamper you can extend your collection with extra stamps and designs.

There are plenty of other extra packs you can purchase to increase the collection which is nice as it makes the set last longer. There was quite a lot of packaging in the extra kit and I think coming in a bag was better because the bag can be kept and I would like to see less plastic packaging on toys and things for children in the future. However, that being said, it’s brought a lot of happiness to Evie and she’s had a lot of fun.

You can purchase the Cool Maker Go Glam Nail Stamper from The Entertainer (£20 currently, RRP £25), Smyths, Argos and Amazon.

This is a collaborative post

Cleaning is one of those things I have not really had completely together over the years. I have often felt the pressure is on me to keep a house clean and tidy which just makes me so overwhelmed. I am now getting much better at delegating and involving everyone into keeping the house clean and tidy but I’ve looked at a few ways to make it easier for everyone. We now tackle a few basic jobs every day and tidy the kitchen as we go, then give one room or area a daily focus following the organised mum method. This is helping me to ditch clutter, and evaulate how we have a few bits and pieces in the house that we really don’t need.

Stress free tips to keep the cleaning quick and easy

Making the housework as stressfree as possible helps when you have kids because they get involved but things are done pretty easily so it doesn’t feel so much of a chore. There’s a great sense of acheivement from finding out just how much work can be done in 30 minutes too and I am really enjoying not dedicating my saturday’s to a mammoth clean. Here are a few ways I have made keeping our home clean and tidy as stress free as possible.

Having hard flooring

Our kitchen, hall and bathroom all have Laminate Flooring which is nice and easy to keep clean. We hoover it daily and then dust the skirting board, sweep and mop it weekly. This keeps it clear so we don’t keep treading outside through the flat and into the living room or bedrooms.

Good storage solutions

I have a long list of things we need to buy for storage to make keeping things tidy much easier and we are slowly getting them as and when we can afford them. As we are in a flat we are limited with storage space so I’m always looking for clever ways we can store things that we can then access rather than have a cupboard full of everything. Another option is to rent a storage unit and secure all your unnecessary items there. There is a lot of self storage in London, Manchester, and other big cities in UK.

Declutter regularly

You can’t really clean clutter so having less makes the cleaning much easier. I feel having a good declutter is quite therapuetic and the more I do it I realise we really don’t need to live with so much stuff. Having less stuff creates more space and more space helps you keep it clean and tidy. I also think when you’re living in a flat and you only really have one area for socialising in the less stuff you have the more open and comfortable it is to be in.

Cleaning to music and having a reward

Our reward is a weekend free of cleaning, bar quick tidy up and washing the dishes in the kitchen. This really helps keep me motivated and getting my jobs done during the week. Now Felix has a bit of a schedule that I can predict I can plan my days much easier too. I also find doing it to some of my favourite music makes the time go so fast and helps keep me going.

The cooler weather has definetly got me thinking about cosier clothing and I feel like I’m in need of a bit of a wardrobe overhaul. Over the summer I decided I was going to start buying more clothes that I loved the look of rather than fretting about size and style. I wanted to dress for me. Of course that meant buying some summer style clothing which now isn’t particularly practical. There are some staples I’m going to be looking for to update my Autumn and Winter wardrobe.

Having oversized t-shirts or something like these bodycon tshirt dress from justyouroutfit can be worn year around but pairing with chunky, thick tights, leggings and some nice boots can instantly transform a look. I think this is something I’m going to look into getting a few of. In the cooler months I absolutely love comfort but I still want something that is fun and colourful. It’s great to see loads of options available that can cater to this.

I do feel like I need to get some decent leggings and more, colourful tights. There is nothing worse than having to walk around all day in wet jeans, especially on the school run. I feel like having some trusty go to leggings back in my wardrobe will make a big difference and hopefully avoid rushing around before the morning school run.

My daughter is starting to get interested in clothing as well. I think there just comes a time in a girls life where she starts enjoying buying new clothes and trying new styles. Evie is getting there and so it would be good fun to find some matching mum and daughter looks. She’s really starting to develop a taste of her own and I keep seeing lots of lovely dungeree style dresses with long top and tights to match. I have to admit it’s the look I want to go for and she’s said to me a fair few times she wishes we could match more – who knows how long that will last though when I’m no longer a ‘cool enough’ mum.

I think the colours that really call out to be in the Autumn are lovely, deep reds, emerald greens, navy and mustard yellows. I think I can work really well with the reds, greens and navy but I’ve never tried a yellow shade as I feel it might make me look a bit washed out. However it does seem to be everywhere and I’ve seen some lovely Autumnal pieces in yellow so far.