Getting up from bed is something we really don’t think about each morning. We might think it’s awful to be up at such an hour. We might think we need to hurry up and get that coffee brewing. But we give little thought to our dismount from the mattress.
That all changes after a c-section. 🙁
When you’re in the hospital, the bed makes it easy since you can raise the head of the bed. It still hurts a little, but it makes life easier.
Then you get home and spend your first night in bed. Oh, it’s glorious being reunited with your pillows, sheets, and blankets! Suddenly, you hear your baby cry, and you start to bound from the bed as you did before, and you’re reeling in pain.
It’s not so easy when you can’t push a button to elevate the top half of your bed. I remember vividly how awful it felt, trying to get out of my bed like an overturned turtle.
See, it’s not just that it hurts because you’ve been through major surgery, and the muscle groups you rely on are recovering. You’ve got stitches there too, and you don’t want to tear at the skin. Where you once never thought about your approach to actually getting out of bed, you now must take exceptional care to avoid further injury and an even longer recovery.
So, Leslie, how do I get out of bed without ripping myself in two?
I’m assuming you don’t have one of those beds that can raise and lower. If you do, you’re in luck. If not, here’s what to do:
- Roll onto your side. You can’t really bend at the waist, so rolling to a side-lying position will facilitate the move.
- Keep your knees bent. This helps support your back, not to mention your aching abs.
- Gently drop both legs overboard. You’re almost there!
- Push yourself up for a side pushup. Now you’ll be sitting!
- From there, just stand! 😀
It will take practice and a few accidental maneuvers that will remind you of your recovery status, but one day soon, you’ll find you can get up the way you used to before the baby.
When you want to get into bed, just do those 5 steps in the reverse order. Sitting is generally more manageable, but you’ll want to avoid any seating that will have you sink. It will be harder to get out.
Make it easier and cozier
Of course, if you find this is just too much, you can get a wedge pillow that will keep you elevated like you were in the hospital. Once you recover, you can use it to prop yourself up for reading more comfortably too!
Leslie Berry lives with her husband and two young daughters in Los Altos, California, where she loves helping other moms get comfortable with motherhood and embracing the insanity with facts peppered with laughs.
She loves eating too much sushi, exercising, and jamming out on her Fender. Read more about Leslie here.
