But what about c-sections?

There's no question that postpartum folks aren't getting nearly enough time or care spent on them once the baby arrives. We shift from being so indulgent in this pregnant person to then totally obsessed with the baby. 

C-section folks? They get even less support and advocacy. 

Folks who have their babies via their bellies are going to need all of the same things that vaginal birth folks need plus they’ll need to be more mindful of their trunk movements as they are also going to be recovering from a major abdominal surgery. 

Their core muscles will be going through all of the rapid changes that any pregnant (and now postpartum) person is going through but with the addition of three distinct incisions (skin, linea alba, uterus) healing at the same time. 

Usually the outer incision (the one we can see) is going to take 4-6 weeks to heal up nicely and be less of a “thing” for the person. 

As a vaginal birther myself, I don’t have the visceral (no pun intended) experience of how much effort and energy goes into healing from a major surgery on top of birthing a baby. But I can imagine the intensity and I invite all of my c-section mamas and parents to advocate for themselves because now is not the time to be a superhero. Stay horizontal, grab yourself an excellent postpartum recovery plan, and let others take care of you.

C-section parents deserve all the treats, I’m just saying. 🧁