We asked members of the BuzzFeed Community to tell us what they wish they knew before having a C-section and they gave us some pretty good — and pretty real — responses:
1. "I wish I knew to ask for an abdominal binder, so that it didn't feel like my guts were going to fall out."
2. "I wish I knew that you can actually request that the curtain be dropped if you want to see your baby born."
"Make sure you can stomach it, though."
3. "I didn't realize I would still have bleeding and clotting from my vagina, even though I didn't have a vaginal birth."
4. "I wish I'd asked for help with the housework afterwards. I split my incision open trying to vacuum. Not worth it."
5. "That many hospitals do allow skin-to-skin immediately after a C-section, you just have to ask. A nurse helped me hold my baby while I was being sewn up."
6. "That I would feel EVERYTHING during the operation! I didn't feel pain, but I did feel immense pressure, and it was the most unexpected and uncomfortable feeling in the world."
7. "I wish I had known that the first after-birth poop would be the scariest experience of my life! Stool softeners are your friend!"
8. "To get up and walk around as much as you can as soon as possible afterwards. As much as it might hurt, getting moving helps recovery go more smoothly."
9. "To bring thank-you gifts for the nurses. You will depend on them for everything."
"Baking cookies for them in advance is perfect, because if they suck, at least you have a snack!"
10. "That the 'football hold' is the best position for breastfeeding after a C-section, so you don't put pressure on your incision."
11. "I wish I knew that it's totally normal for recovery to take upwards of a year...or longer."
12. "I wish I knew that the medication would cause me to shake uncontrollably."
13. "To keep taking my pain meds on schedule after leaving the hospital, instead of having to play catch up after the pain gets bad."
14. "I wish I'd known how much people would judge. I've been told I'm not a 'real' mother and that I was lazy. But I've received so much support from other C-section moms — I just wish I'd known to seek them out beforehand!"
15. "To use the nursery while I was at the hospital so I could get some rest and heal."
16. "That you CAN have a birth plan with a C-section! Planning the occasion the way I would've for a vaginal birth helped me feel more in control of my body."
17. "That it can be a beautiful and empowering experience if you let it."
18. "I wish I knew that all that cute underwear I had at home wouldn't do the trick after a C-section. Buy yourself some high-waisted, ultra-soft underwear, so you don't have to deal with your waistband pressing into your incision."
19. "That farting after a C-section is HARD!"
20. "Beware of the reflection from metal objects in the room. All those silver trays, cabinets, ceiling lights, etc...are essentially mirrors, so don't look if you would rather not see your insides."
21. "I didn't know how common it is to have chest pain during the surgery, due to gases from your abdomen rising upwards. I thought I was having a heart attack."
22. "To hold a pillow over my incision when I coughed, sneezed, and laughed to help with the pain."
23. "I wish I'd known that trying to get on and off the toilet would feel like running a 5K."
"You have no idea how low a toilet actually is until you’re trying to ease yourself onto a toilet seat with hardly any muscle control."
24. "That afterwards I would itch more than I've ever itched in my life! It was horrible."
25. "I wish I knew that I was allowed to speak up during the procedure if something didn't feel right. I let a lot of mistakes happen by staying quiet. Ask questions, have opinions, and be informed."
26. "After your surgery, be sure to pee immediately whenever you have to. Holding your bladder can irritate those inner stitches and slow down your healing time."
27. "Your partner will leave the operating room with the baby while the doctors stitch you up, so have a backup person ready to come in and keep you company."
28. "Shave your legs beforehand! Those leg cuffs they put on you are TORTURE on stubby legs!"
29. "You may never regain feeling near your incision site. My C-section was three years ago, and I'm still numb in that area!"
30. "That your second C-section will be easier than the first. You heal quicker, you can drive sooner, and it's way more manageable."
31. "I wish I had prepared myself for how sad I would feel at first about not having a natural birth. I struggled for a long time with feelings of disappointment, but now I definitely feel like a warrior...and I wouldn't change it for the world!"
32. "That the scar actually isn't that bad. For everything that gets taken out and put back in, it's pretty small."
Some responses have been edited for length and clarity.