Cesarean Recovery »

Chrissie Gallagher-Mundy is the director of a personal training company that specializes in individual training for people of all abilities. She is a qualified teacher in pre- and post-natal exercise and a regular contributor to parenting magazines.

An accessible, safe and effective exercise program to aid in the recovery from the major abdominal surgery of a cesarean delivery. Includes routines for mother and baby, incision care, advice on repeat cesareans, diet and more.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Marguerite Ann Fauber, BSN(Union Hospital)
Description:This book describes the physical and emotional stages a woman goes through in the hours and weeks following her birth experience and focuses on ways the woman can help herself recover through proper body mechanics, exercise, nutrition, and relaxation done at specific times during her postpartum period. The format of the book uses an index along the sides of the pages making it easy for the reader to find specific topics.
Purpose:The purpose is to help guide mothers through different stages of their recovery from a cesarean birth. There is particular emphasis on the physical recovery and exercises. This is needed information, as there are specific issues related to exercise after major abdominal surgery. This book meets the author's objectives very well with both description and illustrations.
Audience:This book is written for the woman who is recovering from a cesarean birth. It is written in a clear, concise, understandable way. There is not much information about the author, other than she is the director of The London Academy of Personal Fitness in London and is a qualified instructor of pre- and post-natal exercise and is the author of another book related to weight loss and exercise.
Features:This book covers proper body mechanics, diet, and exercise in the first few hours, days and weeks following cesarean birth up to 24 weeks postpartum. Emotional issues related to recovery are also addressed. This book covers the aspects of physical recovery in an encouraging, practical, positive, step-by-step way. The book has very good illustrations of mothers and their babies with simple, easy to follow directions. Natural healing remedies are suggested as is a statement about alcohol and caffeine use during breastfeeding without any references cited about the safety of using them. There's little information about the bottle feeding mother. Also, in the last pages of the book repeat cesarean and VBAC issues are addressed and the author gives information without citing any sources or references.
Assessment:This well written book gives general information about cesarean birth and covers the physical recovery thoroughly. The day-week format with many pictures and tables gives the book eye appeal and makes for easy reading. This book covers emotional, nutritional, and physical recovery all in one concise resource. However, it would have more credibility if the author would cite expert references and her own degrees or certifications.

Introduction

1. Having a cesarean
• Elective cesarean
• Emergency cesarean
• The procedure
• The incisions
• Anesthesia
• The first 24 hours
• Breastfeeding
• Early breastfeeding procedures


2. Going home
• The first post-operative week
• Moods and depression
• Days 1-4
• Days 4-7
• Ready to leave hospital
• Being at home
• Psychological adjustments


3. Weeks 2-12
• Caring for your incision
• Healthy eating
• Weeks 2-6
• Weeks 7-12
• Your postpartum check


4. Weeks 13-24
• Weeks 13-24
• Exercises for you and your baby
• Walking and jogging


5. Return to normal
• Your pelvic floor
• Posture pointers
• How to build your program
• Learn to relax
• Repeat cesareans



Frequently asked questions

Index

Acknowledgments