How to Prepare for the Postpartum Experience After a Cesarean

If you are planning to have a cesarean, you should definitely plan to have postpartum help. Having good postpartum help after a cesarean can help you ease into motherhood, lessen your worries about responsibilities and allow your partner to spend more time with his new family instead of cooking or cleaning. Preparing for the postpartum experience is quite easy and well worth the time.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Disposable dishes
• Cash

1. Discuss this with your partner. Will he have time off of work after the baby is born? If so, how much? Is it feasible for him to commute to work for just a few days out of the week, or perhaps half days? Can he telecommute from home by making phone calls or typing? There are lots of options through the current workforce for paternity leave. Don't hesitate to check them out.

2. Invite the grandparents to come and stay. Many grandparents are thrilled to come and spend time with new grandchildren. They can help you and your partner by cooking meals, keeping an eye on the baby while you get some much needed rest or a quick shower, running errands or just simply processing your birth story.

3. Hire a postpartum doula. This option is sometimes limited by the amount of funds you have, but it is nonetheless a great option. Postpartum doulas can do light housework or cooking, help with other siblings, or teach you how to do new baby care. They can come for a few hours a day, or perhaps overnight.

4. Invite close friends. Friends often jump in and help in almost any situation. Ask your closest friends if they would be interested in taking turns daily or every 12 hours for the first week. If they can do it for longer, that is great.

5. Stock up on meals ahead of time. You can cook meals and freeze them. You can buy easy things to cook such as soups, ready-made frozen meals or deli meats for sandwiches. You may not feel like standing for long periods of time, and the easier the better. Just make sure that you keep eating well, especially if you are breastfeeding.

6. Use disposable dishes and silverware. The last thing you or your partner wants to do is wash a stack of dishes. Using disposables can save you time and make for a much easier clean up.

7. If you have other children who attend school, set up a carpool situation with another local mom for a few weeks. It'll take a few weeks before you can move around and drive comfortably.

8. Save some funds for emergency expenses and make sure that you have some cash on hand for any emergency that may come up. This way, if you need to have a parent or friend run an errand for you, you or your partner won't have to worry about going to the bank first.