New here - how to support partner

Great info! Printed for my hubby. Thanks!

How awesome are you?!  That's so cool that your being proactive and so helpful.  Good on you!

It's hard to buy for a new DSer, what tastes good one day may not sound, taste or smell good the next, so I wouldn't stock up on too much.  Some nice go-tos may include things like SF popcicles (they count towards hydration!), flavored waters (mix ins are good, because they can be really watered down), mushy things, like potatoes w/ gravy, yogurts, broths, etc.   

One thing for drinking, have her try different temperatues of water.  I could only take room temperature drinks, otherwise I really struggled.  Everyone is different though, so it's good to try new things if something isn't working.  Also, many DSers have some lactose intolerance (short or long term) so milk based drinks, soups, etc. can be challenging.

Elizabeth's post was awesome.  This will be a rough time for both of you.  With the hormone dump, it hit me around 4 months out, and I got very depressed.  Just try to remember, the not eating, change in sex drive, depression, that stuff is mostly temporary, so try to 'ride it out', like EN said.  Vitamins and protein requirements come a little bit later, but they are not temporary, and not optional.  Good luck to you both!

I can't think of anything else to offer except that, for the first weeks, I was super sensitive to scents and smells. My kids having pizza made me nauseous, the hand sanitizer the nurses used in the hospital were stomach turning and any other strong odor was offensive.

You are an AWESOME partner to come on here and ask these things! My domestic partner aka The Wife (lol) read all the links I gave her and all the info I printed up. Although nervous as hell, she has been the BEST caretaker I could of asked for. We have a son and even almost 6 weeks out I've had almost nothing to worry about. She's let me focus on my healing without having to worry about all the other crap.

You are awesome and your partner is going to love you to pieces for all your research and preparation. If you need to talk to another partner who has felt the way you are right now send me a private message and my wife will be happy to talk to you. Even if it's just someone to ***** too. *hugs*

Wonderful posts! 

I'm still a newbie and remember recovery very well. I was surprised at how much help I needed the first few days just getting in and out of chairs, the bed, and the toilet. Also, I thought I was perfectly nice and reasonable, but was later told that I was actually ordering people around. I usually ask rather nicely for what I need. I was also wanted to sleep a lot more than usual.

Best wishes for a speedy and boring recovery for her!

Thanks to everyone for all the advice and input. You have all been so helpful. She will be coming home tomorrow or Sunday. I cleared the house of any tempting food and all the pop. I am going shopping tonight for all her vitamins and food, and I added a 32 ounce water jug to my list so that she can keep track of how much water she's taking in. Anything else I should buy?

You might get her a "sippy cup". Normals swallows or gulping of liquids can and will cause pain! Toddler sippy cups work wonderfully for the first few weeks. Also, a baby spoon for when she starts eating. Tiny tiny bites...her stomach is goin to be swollen for quite some time and probably wont hold
more than a tablespoon at a time...broke up in tiny bites.

Well that won't be a problem. We have an 8 month old, so our house is filled with sippy cups and baby spoons. Is a straw cup okay?

 My Doc said no straws because that increases the possibility of sucking in air.  An air bubble in a swollen tummy is painful.  

Sipping fluids will be a full time job for next few weeks.  It will be slow, tedious and continuous.  I had to keep a log of my fluid intake and was sent home with tons of tiny 1oz medicine cups.  My hubby lined them up like shots LOL  I also tried to get in a couple 'cups' of protein shake every hour.  I was lactose intolerant straight out of surgery and used almond milk instead.

I had a hard time keeping up with my fluids and ended up needing a couple bags of fluid and potassium from dehydration.

Remember her system is starting over, like a baby.  Reintroducing food can be a painfully slow process, but remind her that the recovery is only temporary.

~GG