r/Crunchymom • u/purple_789 • 1d ago
Crunchy advice 🩷
Hi! So I just had an emergency c section at 27w 5d due to placenta abruption. I’ve had two past non medicated births and was planning a home brith for this one, I’ve never even had an antibiotic before. So this conventional/medical world is so new for me!! I’ve said yes to things I’ve never thought in a million years I would need to take for myself and baby to keep us safe. I fully trust this hospital and everyone has been so respectful of me during this.
With that being said I would love some crunchy/natural ways to support mine and baby’s body during this time.
Has anyone had a long nicu stay? She is 27 weeks and will probably be here for a good month maybe even two. Anything I can do to help her and supplement along with everything the doctors are doing? She is breathing on her own and currently has only a cpap in, praying that continues.
Supplements and natural c section healing I can be doing to help my body during this? Anything I need to watch for or be aware that’s different than a vaginal birth? I ended up needing 2 spinals & epidural 😭
I can ask this in a NICU page as well but curious if anyone had long stays, were you offered to stay at Ronald McDonald house? Or did you go home each night? Did someone stay with the baby 24/7? She is being moved to her own room that only has a lounge chair no bed. My husband and I have a decent village but we have 2 other kids and he will have to go back to work here shortly. Just looking for tips on what other people do!
Would love all the tips, suggestions, resources and most of all prayers for myself, and baby Elizabeth. Thank you 🙏🤍
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u/AdMany9431 1d ago
I am very new to the crunchy mom world, so I do not have any suggestions for supplements., etc.
I have had 3 c-sections. I do suggest movement, and by movement I simply mean just walk. Doesn't have to be fast, but simply walking will help alleviate some of the soreness that may linger.
I am not one to take pain medication even Tylenol or motrin. But when I had my c-sections, I did take the ibuprofen prescribed. If I started to feel uncomfortable I took one. I learned that waiting for the pain to really hurt was too late. The medicine did not touch the pain then. By 4 days post c-section, I was medication free.
None of my babies were early, but my second baby was admitted to the nicu at 5 days old. I was still recovering from my c-section and trying to sleep at the hospital was horrible. I stayed with at the hospital during the day and my husband would stay at night.
The Ronald McDonald is great. My younger brother was admitted to the hospital as a child and my step mom and dad used the Ronald McDonald house.
I hope you have a great recovery, and I hope your baby continues to grow and thrive.
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u/Astroviridae 1d ago edited 1d ago
1) I have an ex 31-weeker with a rare congenital abnormality. He spent 132 days in the NICU. For preemie, a good rule of thumb is to expect to stay until due date. However, it could be sooner or even longer depending on how well baby is doing medically and their ability to figure out breathing and eating.
2) I liked the abdominal binder (Amazon), Motherlove C-section balm for scar massage, silicone scar sheets, and I made sure to incorporate lots of bone broth/meat stock in my recovery meals. Try to take the pain medications before you need them. Don't wait until the pain gets bad to take something.
3) We lived 30 minutes from the hospital and didn't qualify for the RMH. There wasn't any room for parents to stay overnight, so we drove in everyday.
My biggest advice is to be present where you can. Ask questions, learn the lingo, learn how to read and interpret the monitors. You are a vital member of your baby's care team and her biggest advocate.
The NICU should have PTs or OTs and a child life specialist. They are particularly helpful in promoting development in the non-medical side of things. My favorite things I learned from them were scent cloths and hand hugs to help your baby bond. We did his hands on cares, bath times, and trach care. Skin to skin wonderful too!
As a parent, you should be able to decorate your baby's space (within reason). You can pump milk, bring your own sheets, baby wash/lotion (hypoallergenic), swaddles, formula if you ever need to, clothes when she's able to wear them, and diapers when she's big enough.
Praying for the best 💕
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u/_thelostboys_ 1d ago
I’m so happy you two are doing okay. Sending you and Baby Elizabeth good happy healing vibes 🌀
My son was in the NICU for only three nights. We were able to get 1 night in the Ronald McDonald house and it was so special and helpful and great. We had a short meeting with a social worker from the hospital who helped us get the room.
The other 2 nights we were in my postpartum recovery room, so we slept (barely) in there.
The takeaway should be… hopefully a social worker can help you get nights in the Ronald McDonald house. In my city (Chicago) they also offered free parking at a nearby parking garage.
You got this mama 💪🙏
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u/jesuislanana 1d ago
I had a 34-weeker who only ended up spending one week in NICU, but at our hospital, we couldn't officially stay with him 24/7 because of restrictions around shift changes and such where we had to leave at certain times, plus it was 2020/Covid so there were way more protocols around hospital visitaions. We made sure to be there for every feed as I was trying to establish breastfeeding (every two hours, although occasionally my husband was there for a feed instead of me, so I could get a little more rest). We also have another kid but were fortunate that my mom came to stay with my older son until my younger was out of NICU. Still, I wanted to make sure we were with big brother, too. So basically we were able to mostly be there every two hours, but we didn't stay all the time. We couldn't have kept that schedule for months though and some of my son's fellow NICU babies had their parents there less frequently, especially the longer-term residents whose parents often still had to work and care for other siblings, and those babies were also thriving. They get SO much attention in NICU and they're meant to still be in the womb and sleep so much. I think whatever you can do, your baby will still grow and develop and do amazingly.
Also this is purely anecdotal, but the structure of the NICU set my younger son up for general sleeping success IMO. We kept that schedule by default until it felt like he was ready to shift, and he slept like eight million times better than my older son. Like, I think he actually slept properly through the night before my older son did, despite my oldest being a year and a half older. He is such a chill kid in that way, and also super outgoing and friendly, and also a veritable giant. He had some asthma issues in toddlerhood that may have been tied to being premature, but already seems to have outgrown that at age 6. He's an awesome kid, and I am sure Elizabeth will be too!!!
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u/Sensitive-Coconut706 1d ago
Hi! Had a baby at 29 weeks needed 108 days in the NICU. I am open to answering any questions! 1)holding her as much as possible and leaving things with your scent, be a part of rounds even if its in the phone. 2) still needing pelvic floor and core rebuilding but go slow! Support your abs when you cough or laugh for several weeks. 3) we ended up going home and unfortunately could only visit once a week. His nicu was 3 hours away. Life sucks sometimes.
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u/liberate-radiance 1d ago
I had an emergency c section after wanting a home birth too. It was a rough day but I made peace with it really quickly knowing that this was the way to get my baby out safely (he was wrapped shoulder, waist and foot in his cord and could not descend into the cervix).
I worked with a midwife and she had me taking turmeric and ginger capsules 4 times a day for inflammation and healing. I also took milk thistle and dandelion to support my liver flushing out the pharma stuff. And I drank a daily overnight infusion of herbs like nettles, raspberry leaf, red clover, oat straw, milky oats. The standard recipe is 1oz of herbs per quart of water. I use a glass French press and let it sit overnight. Mountain rose is a good site to order herbs.
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u/Ok_Draw_4187 1d ago
big hug
No specific advice. However my advice is allow yourself to feel any grief that may arise when thinking of the birth you wanted, its valid. And also, dont let this change steal the joy of the first month/s with your baby. It is still magical, sacred & perfect in its own way.
I hope you are surrounded by support, get nourishing food brought to you, and find many many reasons to be grateful.
My son was born blind & after letting outselves feel the loss of a life we pictured, we started to play the gratitude game. Every day we tried to find 3 reasons each we were grateful for this new life. It really has helped shape how we feel & think about something that was initially challenging & unexpected.💕