Until a few days ago, my kids had never eaten fresh cherries.

Why this cruel oversight? I wrote about it at Mile High Mamas, which is a very nice place. You should pop over and say hello even if you aren’t a mile high. You might be at, say, 60 feet above sea level. Nobody has to know. So go! Shoo! Then, they’ll keep me around.

My first five kids were born via what some people deem the old-fashioned way. Then the exit sign flickered out.

The next two babes were born via c-section, both undeniably necessary. I have no regrets regarding either delivery. Mr. Baby is scheduled to arrive in an OR, too. I’m fine with that.

Here are some general observations about c-sections. They are in no logical order. If you are a dude or otherwise squeamish, this may be too much information:

1. There is a big difference in recovery time between emergency and scheduled c-sections. If you have an emergency c-section, like I did with Beatrix, you have to recover from labor and major abdominal surgery. Plus, the doctors were in a frantic hurry to get her out, so I felt quite battered after she was born.

With Archie, it was more leisurely. Even though I wasn’t expecting to have a c-section that day, there was a happy, chatty, mellow pace that made the surgery and recovery much easier to manage. There were lots of laughs in the OR, good music, and a blessed vibe. Don’t automatically assume the OR is a cold, heartless, life-defeating, grim place. The moment I heard my two c-section kiddos cry, those ORs were the happiest rooms on the planet.

2. Beatrix was born at a hospital where I wasn’t allowed to eat real food until I passed gas. The spiders had to bark. I had to step on the duck. My hospital gown had to cough. Naturally, I was beyond hungry, so after a couple of days I lied and said I had finally accomplished what most people do with great ease in elevators and other enclosed spaces. I figured I needed real nutrition to make yummy milk, so I’d risk the grilled cheese sandwich. I never noticed any ill effects from eating the foods I obtained via false pretense.

3. Archie was born at a hospital where you could order anything off the menu, any time of day. There were no menu restrictions. It was pretty awesome. They called it room service, and I took advantage. It didn’t matter that I just had big time surgery. Bring on the macaroni and cheese and chocolate cake! They didn’t care. Unfortunately, this other extreme did have ill effects. So my advice for anyone having a c-section is to be moderate when eating during those first few days of recovery. Don’t starve, but don’t go nuts in the name of making milk. Common sense.

4. After Archie’s birth, they put special compression boots on my lower legs to prevent blood clots. I wore them for about 24 hours and I admit I liked them. Every 10 minutes or so, they’d tighten and massage my calves. I was stuck in bed with an IV and catheter, so why not let my legs in on the party?

5. I was terrified of getting the spinal when I was being prepped for Archie’s delivery. For some reason, it scared me more than an epidural—probably because epidurals are usually done when you are already in pain, so you welcome the needle and the relief it brings. But the spinal was fast and practically painless. I had nothing to worry about, and it took effect pretty much immediately. Which brings me to…

6. You must have a catheter with a c-section. Ask them to put it in after you’ve had your spinal. They will leave it in far longer than they do after you deliver vaginally (if you needed one at all). That was annoying, but I understand it was necessary because when you are sliced open, a lot of organs are displaced to get the baby out, including the bladder. It may take a few days for it to be back to normal, fully-functioning condition.

7. The swelling after my c-sections was insane. My legs looked like Greek columns. My hips to the tips of my toes were two solid cylinders. The only thing missing was a statue of a stern, seated Abraham Lincoln between my legs. Swelling after childbirth is very common, but it was definitely worse after my c-sections. I attribute it to extra IV fluids and meds? This time, I’ll be thankful it’s summer and can wear flip flops home from the hospital.

8. Even if you have a c-section, you will still be rocking the giant pads and mesh undies. The good news is that the postpartum deluge is shorter and lighter, at least in my experience.

9. Take the painkillers. Do not take them late. Do not skip them. After a few days, I slowly backed off the painkillers because I was worried about them contaminating my milk. By one week, I was completely painkiller free. The first two days or so were pretty ouchy, even with the painkillers. I wrote about what happened when the nurse decided not to bother me on the second night after Archie was born. Worst pain of my life, and I am not kidding.

10. Both my c-section incisions were closed with glue. I appreciated not having staples or external stitches. My scar is pretty seamless, which I attribute to the glue. They like to take a look at your scar every chance they get, which is a good thing I suppose. In other words, don’t bother with pajama pants.

11. Before you are taken back to the OR, you must drink a horrible liquid that comes in a little plastic cup. It tastes like black licorice + fire + 300 year old sauerkraut + fish. It’s an antacid.

12. In my opinion, any woman having a c-section needs someone to spend the night with her, especially the first night or two. Nurses are wonderful, but they are busy and can’t always come running immediately. I was zonked out of my mind after Beatrix and with Archie I was rocking the Tube and Boot look and couldn’t go anywhere. You can’t care for the baby other than nursing, so you’ll need someone to diaper the baby, swaddle, rock, and transfer the little bundle between you and the rolling crib. This is especially true if your hospital has a rooming-in policy, where babies are only kept in the nursery if they are sick or need a lot of extra attention.

13. I found it helpful to nurse as much as possible as soon as possible. I always heard that c-sections interfere with milk production and nursing, but it wasn’t true for me. My milk came in at the same rate it did when the old internal exit sign was still glowing. You will need more pillows after a c-section to keep the baby’s weight off your tummy. Archie ended up in the NICU (not because of the c-section but because he was 4 weeks early) and I had to pump. My milk still showed up on time, despite me being deeply worried it wouldn’t.

I’m sure I am forgetting a lot. My memory will be jogged soon enough.

What am I leaving out, c-section sisters?