The Sienna

After having my first son via emergency c-section, and being completely unprepared for the recovery, I did a little bit of research on what could help the whole recovery process. I read a few blogs and found that most other women had some sort of brace, or support, for their belly. I didn't have one of those. So, I hopped onto good ol' Amazon and bought a cheap brace that women had reviewed and said it helped with their c-section recovery. Lies. It was awful. It was just a tube of elastic with velcro that applied pressure in all the wrong places, killing my incision.

After that painful experience, I did a lot more research, in preparation for the next one. I came across quite a few different braces, some costing over $200, and well out of my price range, and then I found the Sienna: C-cection Recovery Garment from Body After Baby. After, reading more about it, I knew I had to have it. 

To make this simple, here are the pros and cons of this garment.

Pros:

• Applies the right amount of pressure on the incision and gradually eases up on the pressure as the garment moves up your body. Their site explains it and has a picture to show what I mean better!
• Cannot be seen under my shirt! (If your short like me [only 5'3"] the zipper might bunch just slightly, but hardly noticeable).
•  It supports my back. I'm not sure if it's just me, or if all women are like this after c-sections, but I get a hunch back. I don't want to stand up straight because it either hurts my back from the lack of muscles, or I feel like my guts are going to fall out if I stand up straight, and this helps me stand up!
• The fabric is incredibly durable, yet breathable. I don't feel like I'm roasting while wearing it.
• It gives me a tummy tuck! Without the brace I look pregnant still. Great. Put this bad boy on and BAM! I look thin-ish again! I think the brace is actually helping my post-partum belly go back down faster than if I didn't wear anything at all. 
• The price was in my budget! Love that one. I was able to convince the husband quite easily too, when I told him I could use it after every c-section, and he wants 12 kids, and we're only 2 down..... That makes it less than $10 a baby (if he could actually convince me to have 12 children... ha!) Plus, you can like them on Facebook and they have promotions and deals going all the time. I was able to use a discount when I purchased mine!
•  I am able to nurse easily! The garment isn't in the way at all and since I am like a fountain, and spray milk everywhere, the fabric actually seems to repel the milk! It's awesome, really. It doesn't show any signs of spilled milk anywhere, and trust me, there is plenty. 
• It makes me feel pretty. This is a big deal to me. After being pregnant, having a baby, and just feeling kind of unattractive for the last 9 or so months, the last thing I want is to be wearing something that is unattractive. My husband thinks it's hot, so right there my self-esteem just shot up! 
• When I was finally cleared to pick up my almost 2 year old, I felt like this garment helped strengthen my core. Since, pregnancy and the c-section left me with zero abs. 
• The site says the garment is supposed to "enhance your healing." I haven't worn it long enough, to really be able to tell if this is happening, or to be able to compare to my last c-section, but I have a gut feeling it will help!

 Cons:

• It's really hard to go to the bathroom. Most of the time, I just take my shirt off and pull the garment down, but that can get hard, depending on where you're at, and what you're wearing. I'm still trying to figure out the best and fastest way to do this. So, if anyone has used this garment before, and has a pointer on that... feel free to let me know!
• The size of the legs on mine is way too big. I'm still not brave enough to wear any of my normal pants yet, just sweats still, because I don't want to irritate my incision, but I'm hoping it won't be too noticeable in the legs of my pants. I have this garment in my normal size and one size up to compensate for swelling. So far, I'm still wearing the bigger size because my tummy is still fairly big, but I think within the week I will be wearing the one for my normal size and I'm hoping that will solve the "too big in the legs" problem.  

I didn't start wearing the garment until I was 2 week postpartum. That was just when my doctor felt comfortable allowing me to put any pressure on my incision. I wanted to wear it right out of the hospital, but I already had a few complications after the surgery, and I thought I'd better listen...
Overall, I am totally in love with this garment. Worth the money. Glad I did it. The only cons that I have found towards this, is not off putting enough for me to be unsatisfied with the purchase. I would recommend this one to anyone who is having a c-section!


I will be writing a  post on the things that have been most helpful when it comes to recovering from a c-section, since I've learned a lot from my first one. I had a hard time finding any tips and I figure it could be helpful to any friends who might have to go through one.... Stay tuned for that one!