How to Support Someone Who's Had a C-Section

Giving birth is always a life-changing experience. For new parents, especially those who have had C-sections, the first few weeks can be an especially challenging time. Recovery from a C-section can be long and uncomfortable. It's complicated when you're recovering from major abdominal surgery while learning how to be a parent and getting to know your newborn.

If someone in your life just gave birth via cesarean section, certain items may alleviate some of the stress during this difficult time. If you're looking for gift ideas, you're in the right place. We spoke with parents and OB-GYNs to find out what items are most helpful for recovering and healing from a C-section while adjusting to parenthood.

What OB-GYNs suggest

Sonia Kim, M.D., an OB-GYN who practices in New York, suggested that patients recovering from a C-section get an abdominal binder.

"After a C-section, your stomach muscles have been compromised. The lack of stability and range of motion can be really uncomfortable for patients," Kim explained. "An abdominal binder helps provide support to the weakened abdominal muscles. Wearing a binder during the recovery period also has many other benefits."

According to a 2019 study published in the Eurasian Journal of Medicine: "The [abdominal] binder is hypothesized to improve postoperative pulmonary function by limiting the movement of abdominal wall muscles. In particular, it might speed up the return of the uterus and the other organs to their prepregnancy positions by compressing the abdomen, and it might help tissue repair by increasing blood flow."

Another important item for recovering C-section patients is good nutrition, said Angela Baja, M.D., an OB-GYN at Advanced Women's Healthcare in Bloomington, Illinois.

"As a new parent, it's easy to lean on takeout food and junk food to get by. But for a woman who's just given birth, especially by C-section, it's important to be eating a balanced, protein-filled diet and drinking plenty of fluids," Baja said.

Baja suggested that patients recovering from a C-section follow an anti-inflammatory diet.

"That means lots of leafy, green vegetables like spinach and kale, other colorful vegetables, berries, whole grains, olive oil, nuts and fatty fish like salmon," Baja said. "These foods help promote good digestion, help heal wounds faster and can even positively impact milk production."

If you're looking for a gift for a recovering C-section patient, Kim recommended acts of service instead of gifts.

"During C-section recovery, it's vital the mother does as little as possible outside of bonding with and taking care of the baby," Kim said. "The best gift you can give would be taking tasks off her plate. Whether you can stock the mother's fridge and pantry with nutritious options or do simple household chores like laundry or vacuuming, it's incredibly helpful and beneficial to her recovery."

What parents want

Everyone's C-section recovery has a different trajectory, but there are some common themes in what's useful to recovering parents.

"I couldn't live without my nursing pillow," said Jasmine Darcy, of Falls Church, Virginia. "I didn't have the strength in my abdomen to hold the baby up while I was recovering from my C-section and learning how to breastfeed my newborn. The nursing pillow was a lifesaver."

A friend gave silicone scar removal sheets to Darcy, who initially wasn't quite sure about them but quickly changed her mind.

"I credit them with my C-section scar being so light," Darcy said. "Applying the silicone sheets to my scar felt like a small act of self-care at a time when I was so preoccupied by my newborn that I wasn't always taking the best care of myself."

Maya Reuben, a mother from Indiana who had a C-section, also loved her nursing pillow but sees it belonging to an important, broader category of stomach-supporting apparatus.

"Anything that provided some stability to my stomach while going about my day as a new mom was appreciated," Reuben said. "I was a huge fan of high-waisted panties that were light shapewear. They provided the support that I so badly needed during my recovery."

Another helpful gift, Reuben said, was given to her by her aunt.

"She paid for a cleaning service to come every week for the first two months of my baby's life. Not having to stress about keeping my house clean while I was recovering was such a gift. I could focus more on resting, which was so important to my C-section recovery," Reuben said.

Gift ideas for parents recovering from a C-section

Physical items for recovery

• Nursing pillow
• Nipple balm
• Scar cream
• Healing salve
• Abdominal binder

Gifts for mom

• A soft bathrobe
• Loose, comfortable pajamas
• A basket of nutritious, easy-to-eat snacks
• Silicone scar sheets
• Nursing attire, if they're breastfeeding

Appreciated services

• A gift card to a local restaurant or meal delivery service
• Going grocery shopping for them
• Hiring a cleaning service
• Doing chores like laundry for them
• Dropping off nutritious, ready-to-eat meals

Any of these gifts certainly would be welcomed by people recovering from a C-section. If you give them a physical item from the store, be sure to include a gift receipt in case it's something they already received. Putting this much thought into the gift you give to new parents, especially factoring in their C-section recovery, surely will be appreciated.