No one loves the idea of having surgery—but, for moms, the stress surrounding surgery can run deeper than it does for most. When you’re the backbone of your family and responsible for keeping schedules in tact and kiddos on track, having a procedure can put a serious wrench in your daily duties. Today, then, we’ve rounded up the three major things every mom should plan for before surgery. Read on for our top surgery tips for moms.
- How will this disrupt my schedule?
When it comes to surgery tips for moms, preparing for a disrupted schedule is at the top of our list. Think through your daily schedule and take note of how your surgery might affect things. This includes the weeks leading up to surgery (consider your pre-op appointments and how that might affect the schedule you have laid out for those days), the surgery day itself, and your recovery time. Walk through your days and the things you’re responsible for every day (driving kids to school, getting to work, etc.). Make a list of which tasks you won’t be able to complete on which days, and then enlist the help of a spouse, family member, or friend to take over things for you. If your kids are old enough, talk to them about your upcoming procedure and prepare them for how it may affect their day-to-day schedule as well.
- Are there measures I can take to speed up my recovery?
This one is a biggie—particularly if you and your family are the active and involved type, or if you have a demanding job (outside of the already-demanding job of being a mom, of course). No mom wants to be stuck in bed with a to-do list that’s piling up. Luckily, the way medical professionals have prepped patients for surgery has changed in recent years. Rather than scheduling a ride home from the hospital, fasting from midnight, and calling that proper surgery prep—modern medical research now points to the fact that presurgery nutrition has everything to do with how well (and how fast) you recover.
When it comes to surgery tips for moms, we recommend supplementing a healthy diet in the weeks leading up to surgery with CF Protein, a plant-based protein drink designed to get you strong and healthy before your procedure. Then, for the hours leading up to your procedure, talk to your doctor about replacing the from-midnight fast with a liquid fast using CF PreOp. CF PreOp was developed by an anesthesiologist and is chock-full of healing minerals, nutrients, and complex carbs specifically formulated to reduce your risk of surgical complications, reduce your risk of post-op nausea and vomiting, and speed up your recovery.
- What will our everyday life look like as I recover?
As a mom, it’s completely natural to want to get back on your feet—and back to keeping your household in order—as quickly as possible, but pushing too hard before you’re fully healed can lead to further complications and, in the worst instances, a need for a second surgery. In order to ensure healthy healing, make sure you follow your doctor’s release instructions carefully and closely—and prepare your household and those around you for your recovery. Here are a few of our favorite surgery tips for moms planning for a smooth recovery:
- Prepare your household if you’re having an orthopedic procedure. Create a healing area that’s free from trip hazards. Make sure everything you’ll need is within arm’s reach. Take hard-to-reach items out of top cupboards and place them on easy-to-reach counters.
- Talk to your kids about what your recovery will look like and how they can help make things easy on you (increased chores and pitching in, quiet time as you sleep, etc.).
- Arrange for someone you can lean on. Talk to a spouse, partner, or a family member who can trust to take over your responsibilities (car rides, laundry, grocery shopping, etc.) as you recover. Be sure you give them lists, calendar invites, emergency contacts, and anything else they might need to help ensure things run smooth as you recover.
- Get meals taken care of ahead of time. Meal prep and grocery shop as much as you can ahead of time to alleviate your responsibilities as you recover. Make large batches of soups and/or casseroles you can freeze for easy dinners, stock the house with more groceries than normal (so you don’t have to make unexpected trips to the store), and—when all else fails— don’t be afraid to enlist the help of a grocery- or meal-delivery service.
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Ready to start your surgery experience off right, moms? Order your ClearFast PreOp here—or reach out to the ClearFast team at support@drinkcf.com if you have any questions at all.