[Tuesday Tips] Top C-Section Recovery Tips

It's been 11 days since I had an elective C section and in these almost 2 weeks, I think I am qualified to offer you some tips on how to ease your post C section recovery and feel better much faster, so you can look after your little one.

1. Get Movin'

At the hospital, the very next day after my surgery, a nurse came into my ward room and asked if I felt like peeing. I said no. I closed my eyes again, expecting her to take my answer and leave it and perhaps come back again in 2 hours' time to ask the same question until I willingly say yes. 

Not a chance. Right after I said no to her, she said "Get up now. Let's go to the bathroom." Shocked and reluctant but because she was a head nurse a knew what she was doing, I agreed and slowly moved my way off the bed with her much-needed help. 

I will admit, it was excruciating. Those first few steps to the bathroom, I've never felt more incapable in my life - it felt like I had aged in just days to an old lady with broken, brittle bones that she couldn't even walk herself anymore. I was hunched over and made the 50m walk to the bathroom in a record 10 minutes. Peeing was not a pain but I had to sit on the toilet bowl at an incline in order not to put pressure on the incision.

After that excruciating first walk, I felt so much better. So, first advice is to get moving even if you don't feel like it. Not only will it improve the circulation in your legs and prevent blood clots from forming, it also aids in your bowel movements so you don't suffer constipation which is common post c-section phenomenon. Get up and about!

2. Take Your Pain Meds

I know you're a strong lady, but when it comes to healing from a C section, don't be a hero. Take them regularly (mine was every 4 hours) even if you don't feel much pain & when the hospital offers you some, take them all. 

If you wait till longer than 4-6 hours to take your next round of pain meds, you'll regret it when the pain starts kicking in and you have to slowly wait for your meds to take effect. Not a pretty thought to behold. You just underwent a major abdominal surgery and your body is adjusting to it, so naturally it will be painful. Listen to your body and don't let it suffer from unnecessary pain!

3. Stay Hydrated

That first pee is very important after your C-section, to determine that your bladder is functioning well & good. You're going to be inserted with a urine catheter which will only be taken off the next day after surgery, but once it's out, make it a point/your goal to visit the bathroom within the next 12 hours. Of course, do this with the help of the nurses or you might fall!.

It's important to stay hydrated after a surgery to aid in the healing process and to keep your bladder movements in sync. Aim to drink the standard 8-10 glasses of water each day.

4. Seek Help (Physically & Moral Support) & Rest

Your incision and general health will take at least 6 weeks to be restored, and in this time, don't strain yourself otherwise you risk injuring your fresh wound and splitting your incision/getting an incision infection. You might look healed on the outside, but bear in mind that a lot of healing is still going on in this inside, which you cannot see. And it is important to keep in mind that you just underwent a major surgery. 

Don't carry anything heavier than your baby and organise a feeding schedule with your partner so you can have a longer stretch of rest (4-5 hours at least) as new tissue regenerates for healing only when you're getting enough proper rest. Yes you just had a baby and life will never be the same again, BUT take all the help you get offered from close friends, family and especially your partner (boyfriend/fiance/husband) because their help & support is going to come a long long way in helping your heal faster. 

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These are my 4 main tips on how to recovery faster from a C section - as much as I wanted a natural delivery, sometimes God has other plans for you (that's what I believe anyway), and despite this all I ever ask for is a healthy baby, which I got :-)

Motherhood is not an easy journey, all the late night feeds & diaper changes, sleepless days and nights & breastfeeding problems come along with it, but when you get the green light from your paediatrician telling you that your little one is doing well and is healthy, all these "issues" suddenly don't seem to matter anymore. 

AJ  has been an amazing baby - he hardly cries and when he does, it's for good reason (either hungry or need a nappy change). John and I are very blessed parents and we hope to raise him well. 

We'll take it one step at a time.

17th Dec 2015 - D day hath arrived!

D (Delivery!) Day has arrived.

As instructed by Dr. Kamaljit, we checked in the night before at 8pm and managed to snag a private single - bedded room. Lucky we checked in the night before because we spent 2 whole hours sorting out payment - the eftpos machines at Pantai Hospital kept rejecting John's NAB card - something that has never happened before.

And through this we've also learnt that CIMB customer service (and the bank is general) is hopeless. John is seriously contemplating moving to Maybank now (better customer service in my own personal experience!).

Anyway at 6am I was given a suppository up my butthole and told to keep it in for 15 mins before going to the bathroom to flush everything out of my system. However, within minutes of putting it in I ran to the bathroom and expelled half of my "stores". The other half was still hard poop and couldn't be expelled but they couldn't give me a second dose so told me to leave it anyway. 

At 730am, anaesthetist Dr. Sabter came in and instructed the nurses to wheel me to the second floor so I could get my spinal block. John was given a set of scrubs to change into and I was afraid he'd miss out on the spinal block session but he came just in time.
People say the insertion of the IV drip is even more painful than the spinal anaesthesia. I say, bullsh*t!

The spinal anaesthesia started with a needle through the back and I felt a flow of liquid, first to my left lumbar side then another dose to the right side. It was more sore than painful.. like a very dull & sore ache - it's there and it's annoying and I can't get rid of it.

Anyway after that they inserted the catheter for the block/epidural and within minutes I felt numb in my legs. It didn't take long before I lost all muscle movement and pain sensation in my lower abdomen and legs. I did very quickly fall nauseous right after the spinal block was administered but I was told there and then that it was a common phenomenon.

Nausea stayed all through the surgery. What I like about Dr. Kamaljit and Dr. Premitha is that they both know how to lighten the mood during surgery, by chatting and laughing heartily whilst not distracting from their jobs. Kamaljit told me once at her clinic during one of our regular appointments "we like to chat and laugh while doing a c section,  BUT it's not because we are not focused or that we are slacking, remember that!"

It certainly made the atmosphere less tense and I remember my spinning head was thanking them for that. When AJ came out I caught a glimpse of him before he was brought to the weighing machine and cleaning tub to get cleaned and weighed.  After which he was wrapped up tightly in a white towel and put next to my head for 2 minutes. Then, john and him went upstairs to the nursery where AJ was properly measured. 

I was in the emergency room for ages (1 hour) before being wheeled back to my ward room (C329), during which I was asked if I wanted to keep my placenta and made to feel the extreme pain of getting my uterus "massaged" back down. The Indian nurse used a lot of pressure to push it down and at one point I had to tell her to STOP because it was really hurting (imagine just having an incision in your uterus and a nurse comes in a continually presses upon the incision site, with all her bloody strength as well).

After that I got wheeled back to my room and managed to have skin to skin time with my newborn baby. How lovely it felt, his soft skin against mine - it felt unreal.

I was in hospital for almost 3 days before I got discharged on Saturday the 19th December. One of the most painful moments was getting up to walk the first time after a C sect. It hurt so much I took 10 mins to walk to the bathroom from my bed (with the aid of a nurse of course).

The nurses at Pantai Maternity ward were mostly nice - I was given painkillers and antibiotics to recover. They took the two catheters out from my back (where they'd added morphine into) and down below (urine catheter) the very next day. 
AJ was with us for most of the time, except at night when we'd put him in the nursery to be looked after so we could get some much - needed rest.

Overall a challenging get wonderful experience of childbirth. I'd do it again in a heartbeat for AJ.  He's been wonderful! And... He has my nose!! 😂😊

[Pregnancy] Week 37 : So close yet so far

Today I am week 37 + 7.

I've been feeling great except for a nightmare I had last night where I went into labour at home and I woke up to a back ache because a pillow was sitting right under me right back!

Went for a CTG at Pantai Hospital just yesterday (Saturday - cost us RM167 all up) on Kamaljit's instruction and everything was okay with lil sweetie. He's been such a good boy this whole pregnancy I swear, I have a strong feeling he's going to be a good boy when he's out too. :-)

Right after the CTG procedure (they strap 2 transducer things on your tummy; one is to monitor baby's heartbeat the other is to monitor uterine contractions), a chirpy nurse came in and told me that because I have a breeched baby, any time I feel any sort of pain or if my water breaks all of a sudden, I'll need to drop everything I'm going and rush to the hospital to undergo an emergency c section, because the labour risks involved with a breeched baby is much higher than a baby who is already head-down.

I've already conveyed this piece of vital information to John and he's given me 5 of his colleagues contacts just in case I can't reach him on time. He was so worried and told me that even if I can't on first try, keep ringing and ringing him. My poor hubs has been working afternoon shifts the past few weeks since the new store opened.. he's definitely lost weight and I can see how tired he looks these days (not to mention the anxiety of an impending birth of our baby).

Now that mums here hopefully we can take some weight of our shoulders!

4 more days till our scheduled C section - I went to see the anaesthetist at Pantai last week and she took one look at my X rays and said a spinal block shouldn't be an issue. I can't wait to hold lil sweetie in my arms and I'm even more eager to watch John as he holds him for the first time. Can't wait!!

Pantai KL vs UMSC

When Dr. Kamaljit told us that UMSC was half the price of Pantai Hospital for a C section, we decided to pay UMSC a visit to see if it was worth the savings.

Prior to this we've already gone to pay a visit to Pantai KL and here are 3 top reasons why we've decided to go with Pantai, despite the higher cost of delivery.

1. Professionalism

When we went to Pantai Hospital for our first visit, everyone whom we spoke English to, replied back in English & didn't assume that we were locals.
I'm really sick and tired of people automatically assuming that we are Malaysians and STILL attempting to talk to us in Bahasa despite us speaking in English/telling them that we are not locals.  At UMSC, this was what we experienced. Other than the super long wait to see Dr. Valli which resulted in John confronting the nurses at the desk (I mean, what's the whole point of booking an appointment if we're going to arrive on time and STILL wait 1-2 hours to see the doctor?!), we also experienced incompetent nurses who dodged responsibilities when questioned.

In addition to that, the gynae we were assigned to was muddle-headed to say the least and we were quite surprised when we tell her our preferred C section date and 5 minutes later she points out the incorrect date range. She was very forgetful on numerous other occasions and John already started feeling uncomfortable at the thought of her being our c sect surgeon.

2. Accreditation

Pantai KL is one of the top 3 JCI accredited hospitals in KL, and for good reasons. With top facilities and a competent group of doctors and surgeons it's not hard to imagine why.

On the other hand, UMSC is still working towards their accreditation, and my mother kindly pointed out a poster on their hospital walls saying that one of their top goals is to eventually become accredited.

3. Facilities & Ease of mobility

UMSC Hospital has a very complex building structure, with 2 separate wings under the same building (government wing, and private non-government wing) and unclear instructions, which is NOT going to come in handy when you hage to rush to the hospital and make your way to the appropriate ward. Even the nurse we spoke to didnt know how to help us get back to the parking space.

Oh and parking is another painful situation altogether. Lots are super tight and impossible to find most of the time. There are also unclear parking signs all over the place that if you were a newbie to this hospital, you'd definitely get lost the first few times.

On the other hand, parking at Pantai KL is very straightforward. You enter the parking space from the main road and taking the lift leads you right up to the main lobby. At the main lobby there is a front desk with staff who speak English and helps you with your queries, WITH A SMILE. And a smile, especially in Malaysia, makes a world of a difference.

Facilities and surroundings here are definitely newer, more modern - looking and the overall atmosphere is more lively, cleaner and just generally makes you feel better about the prospect of getting hospitalised.
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Having said all these, you definitely get what you pay for. That's how the world works - pay a bit more for better service, better facilities and better quality. And John and I have decided that because it concerns our baby and my health, that money is not an issue. I've been fighting the idea of going to Pantai because of how much a C section will end up costing us (and this is not even taking into account other potential costs involved such as NICU costs etc ***touchwood***) and I've clearly expressed that to John, but he has given me the reassurance that everything will be just fine with our finances. He really wants the best for us (bubs and i) and he didn't have a good feeling at all about UMSC to start with.

So, 4 more days till the big day. :-)

[Tuesday Tips] 3 ways to raise your AFI (Amniotic Fluid Index)

At my last checkup/scan (35 weeks), Dr. Kamaljit raised the issue that I had a low amniotic fluid score and is was bordering on dangerously low levels..

So naturally, the moment I got home I searched it up on Google and this was what I found: -

Amniotic fluid index (AFI) is an estimate of the amount of amniotic fluid and is an index for the fetal well-being. It is a part of the biophysical profile. AFI is the score (expressed in cm) given to the amount of amniotic fluid seen on ultrasonography of a pregnant uterus.

(Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amniotic_fluid_index)

So if your fluid is between a 5 and 12, you're pretty good. Mine was a 7 and Kamaljit told me that it was bordering on dangerously low levels. Upon further reading, I've discovered that if you happen to reach a AFI of below 5, it basically means that you need to be induced right away because it is a big indication that your placenta is NOT functioning well enough to provide the necessary nutrients to your growing baby!

Your amniotic fluid is basically made up of 3 things: the placenta, the baby's urine (yes, they swallow and pee in utero), and some is excreted through the baby's skin.

Fellow low AFI pregnant mums, after much research, I've summarized below 3 of the easiest, and most natural ways to raise your Amniotic Fluid Index (levels) to prevent a pre-term birth:

1. Drinks LOTS of water

By lots, i'm talking about 4L a day. The best way I've found to make sure I was getting enough water each day was to buy a 500ml labelled water bottle. As long as I've drank 8 bottles worth of water every day, I was good. And I even split my water intake levels into morning, afternoon and evening. It was 3 bottles full by 12pm, another 3 bottles full by 6pm and the last 2 bottles full before bed (by 10pm).

Staying well-hydrated is a very important key factor to keeping your AFI at a safe level.

2. Eat fruits/veggies with a high water content

Go crazy on those watermelons, strawberries and cantaloupes. These fruits have the highest water content (more than 90%) and not only that, they are TASTY!

Personally, I love fruits so this it's not an issue for me to eat bowls of them at one time. Take today for instance, I've had half a rockmelon after lunch and 2 punnets of strawberries after dinner.

Other foods with high water content include vegetables such as Cucumber, Iceberg Lettuce, Celery, Carrots & Cauliflower (all above 90% water content too!). These are not only healthy for you, but for your baby as well. So essentially, you kill 2 birds with 1 stone - you stay hydrated as well as get the proper nutrients you need!

3. Do some light exercises 

If you're able-bodied and not been medically told to be on bedrest, then get those limbs up and about!
Light exercises promote an increase in blood flow to your uterus and placenta which in turn promotes an increase in your Amniotic fluid levels and fetal urine production rate. As your baby passes more urine in the sac, the volume of amniotic fluid increases.

Some light exercises include: walking, light hiking, swimming, yoga and even water aerobics.
Water-related activities are great during pregnancy as it helps to keep the weight off your joints and provides the temporary relief your body needs from carrying all that extra weight around.


Hope these 3 important tips help you as it has helped me. My next gynae appointment is in a weeks time and I'm definitely hoping it stays a 7 at least!