Recovery from birth can be tricky and you want to make sure you're taking care of yourself. Recovery from birth via cesarean section has an added level of challenge because it's surgery! I asked moms who have had cesareans what their best advice was for those first few days and weeks postpartum after a c-section and got some great responses! Several of these I would say apply to birth in general, but especially to recovery from surgical birth!

Dresses are great for going home and the first few days around the house. The incision line will be very sensitive!
You might consider packing a thick towel for the car ride home, fold it and put it over your belly to protect it from the seat belt.
If you are having a scheduled cesarean, make sure you have lots of food in the freezer! Trying to cook in addition to caring for yourself and baby is just too much in the first weeks postpartum! Don't forget to have quick easy snacks on hand!
You will be sore and maybe in pain, but don't put off walking in the hospital too long. The walking helps with recovery! Just a small bit of walking at first massively helps with recovery.
It will take a couple of weeks before you have full range of motion. Plan to have help during that time! Partner, family or a postpartum doula!
Your body has been through birth, your body has been through major abdominal surgery - you need time to recover!
Take stool softener while you're on pain meds
Take pain meds on schedule the first few days at least.
Drink lots of water!
Hire a postpartum doula!
Have extra large, high waisted cotton undies to wear at home for a while afterwards. You don't want anything that might dig into the incision.
wear a pad, soft side facing you, in front of your incision to protect it from rubbing
Bring baby to your height to nurse with nursing pillows or extra bed pillows, don't bend towards baby.
Your milk might come in an extra day or two later after a cesarean. Ask for the hospital lactation support and use that resource!
Ask for a belly binder in the hospital! It makes a world of difference in recovery! It allows you to feel better about getting up to walk and do daily things. It provides a secure feeling for your incision.
Don't over do it! When you start feeling better, only add things back to your day one at a time. Take it busy for a few days more so you don't have any set backs. It seems like if you don't over do it early on, recovery as a whole is so much easier and faster!
Keep a small hand towel folded in thirds by you to hold your incision when you cough/sneeze or go to the bathroom... #2 is tricky.
You might also like a pillow for the above reason...
When you get pain medication, ask the nurse when your next dose will be and remind them 30 minutes or so before so you don't lapse. Staying on that pain medication schedule for the first few days will help you to function more quickly and get those important first few walks in to speed recovery.
Try to time your first walk 30 minutes after you've had a pain pill, give it a chance to work!
Ask for 2 abdominal binders. One to wear when the other is in the wash. Use these for several weeks!
Use the bedrails and incline the bed up or down in the hospital so you're not trying to use your core muscles to sit up.
Before going into the hospital, set up a baby care station in your bedroom so you can be resting without walking all over the house for necessary baby stuff when you get home.
Make sure to plan who will be your driver for your doctors appointments and babys appointments you won't be driving or lifting baby in the carseat carrier for several weeks!
Laying down flat is pretty uncomfortable so I slept in a recliner the first few nights at home.
Yoga pants were the best when I was tired of wearing dresses. I lived in either a dress or yoga pants for several weeks!
You still bleed vaginally after a c-section!