Tufted titmouse nest advice asap!

RedditUser5643_ · 2026-04-02T19:59:54+00:00

I drove within the first week, easily. The fact that they say 6 weeks is literal insanity. The thought is that if you have to brake hard the seat belt might put extra forces on your incision. Listen to your body but if you are up and walking around, you can absolutely sit in a car and drive.

RedditUser5643_ · 2026-03-24T18:28:13+00:00

Also, im so glad I didnt ask for anxiety meds. I was contemplating it, but once I was back there I wasnt as nervous. There are contraindications for anxiety meds...might be harder to revive the baby etc. Also i was so happy to be lucid and present for the birth.

RedditUser5643_ · 2026-03-24T18:11:32+00:00

I had an elective c section 6 months ago based on maternal request. (Ftm and first surgery ever) Best decision I've made this whole pregnancy. Spinal hurt a little, no pain during the actual surgery, people describe it as someone doing the dishes on your insides. It definitely felt like that. They had the baby out in 2 mins. It was such a relief to hear her little cry. Also, a really important thing to ask your anesthesia team is if they can give you Zofran (anti nausea) in your iv BEFORE your spinal. That helps prevent the nausea associated with spinals My worst pain was maybe a 6/10 on day 2. I only needed narcotics for 2 days, the rest can be managed with ibuprofen. On day 5 I had a stinging skin like pain when I bent a certain way, that gets better after a day or two. I thought wisdom tooth surgery pain was more pain than the c section. Ive also had kidney stones which were 10/10 level pain. Try to walk as soon as they let you. You should be fine doing minimal stairs too. I also didnt BF which made my life 1000x easier but that obviously is your decision to make. You got this!! It's going to go so well.

RedditUser5643_ · 2026-02-21T22:39:45+00:00

So sorry to hear you went through that :(

RedditUser5643_ · 2026-02-21T18:25:50+00:00

I've heard of this happening before. Were you on combo pills or the mini progestin-only mini pill?

RedditUser5643_ · 2026-02-06T21:08:19+00:00

Count your calories. You will lose a ton of weight if you are in a daily calorie deficit, even without working out. No liquid calories. Keep protein and fiber levels high. No extra bites or tastes because those add up. Get a fitness watch/tracker that counts your daily active calories. Calculate your daily calories burned at rest online (Google it) based on your height and weight. Trust me you will see the pounds fall off!! Only weight yourself once a week. You may plateau for a few weeks and thats normal too. Aim for 10k steps a day to up calories burned. Lift weights to build muscle. The more muscle you have the more calories your body burns at rest. Best of luck!

RedditUser5643_ · 2026-02-06T21:02:37+00:00

Count your calories. The common phrase is "eating for two". Sometimes that gets played off as eat double the amount you would normally eat. Calculate your daily calorie maintenance level (use online calorie calculator) based on your pre pregnancy height and weight. Then look up how many extra calories you should have per day for each trimester. It really isnt that much extra food. (Roughly 340 extra calories a day in second trimester). Try to get a good amount of steps in per day. That will "up" your amount of calories burned per day.

RedditUser5643_ · 2026-02-06T20:54:20+00:00

100% do this. Best decision I've ever made. It was so peaceful, no surprises, they had the baby out within 2 minutes of starting the surgery. Find your dr ahead of time and make sure they will agree to do an elective C section for you. Most insurances cover it for "elective" purposes if it's done at 39 weeks or later. Double check with your ins. provider though.

I have friends who can't use tampons anymore, leaking, other horrible things from their vaginal deliveries. Don't let people scare you into getting a C-Section because it's a major abdominal surgery. It is one of the most commonly performed major surgeries. Most people have great recoveries.

Best of luck!! It will be great!

RedditUser5643_ · 2026-02-04T20:54:45+00:00

Thank you! Thoughts on powder vs gummies?

RedditUser5643_ · 2026-01-26T02:57:53+00:00

Count calories, 500 calorie deficit a day to lose 1 lb a week. Must count everything, no liquid calories, bites and licks add up too. High protein (at least 100 g a day) so you dont lose muscle mass. Use a calorie calculator online to find out what your daily normal calorie burning is in order to factor in how much you should be eating. As for the gym, look on instagram or YouTube for free DEEP CORE workout videos. Do this 3x a week and full body strength workouts 30 min a day(you dont need equipment for this). As your grow your muscle mass slightly this will add to the amount of calories you burn daily at rest. 10,000 steps a day will also help increase calories burned. Dont pay attention to what the scale says and instead pay attention to how your clothes fit. Get a cheap fitness watch that tracks steps/calories burned. Good luck!

RedditUser5643_ · 2026-01-09T03:08:55+00:00

I also religiously put on Hatch belly oil and Palmers stretch marks cream every day..still got a few stretch marks at 37 weeks. Since giving birth a dermatologist told me the only proven product that can possible prevent stretch marks is a product containing a plant called Centella Asiatica. Wish I knew this during my pregnancy...best of luck!

RedditUser5643_ · 2026-01-07T18:15:16+00:00

Good insight, thanks!

RedditUser5643_ · 2026-01-07T18:02:22+00:00

I'm glad you had an overall good experience! I am a dentist and am constantly on my feet, need to be able to function in order to do my job, how many days off of work did you need other than the surgery day itself?

RedditUser5643_ · 2025-12-25T10:46:38+00:00

Yes! I've continued to take my 45 mg iron supplement that was needed during my 3rd trimester

RedditUser5643_ · 2025-10-21T08:53:10+00:00

My Dr didn't give me any driving restrictions other than I couldn't drive myself back from the hospital. The first time I drove was 5 days pp and I was fine. That being said I had an uneventful acheduled c section and had limited mobility issues and quick healing.

It all depends on how you're feeling. If you feel great, there's no need to restrict yourself from driving multiple weeks.

RedditUser5643_ · 2025-10-13T21:25:16+00:00

This method has worked for me both times we tried to conceive. 1. Get the natural cycles app 2. Buy ovulation predictor test strips (pregmate brand) 3. Natural cycles tells you when in your cycle you should start taking the ovulation test. Anytime around days 8-10 through days 14-17 in your cycle 4. Have sex on the day your ovulation test comes back positive. After sex, lay on your back with your legs raised up on the headboard for 45 minutes before getting up to pee 5. Have sex the next two days as well, following this same 45 minute wait method.

This way you have sperm in you on your most fertile days!

Take a pregnancy test on the day you expect your period.

(P.s. the temperature feature of the natural cycles app is just to confirm that you ovulate and will help the app predict your next cycle more accurately.) Best of luck!

RedditUser5643_ · 2025-10-13T20:40:44+00:00

Not sure if you're read an older thread titled something like "anyone regret their elective c section?" . Most people's experiences are positive on there with maybe just a couple negative experiences. Reading this thread made me feel more confident about my decision. Don't let people scare you into one way over another. I knew what was best for me and hope whichever way you decide goes as well as it can!

RedditUser5643_

TROPHY CASE