Full body swelling...normal after a C section?
Chuck1906
member
My GF just had a C-section last Monday and was finally discharged from the hospital on Friday but she is swelled up big time. I don't think she can put on a pair of shoes even. The doctor told me that its normal for women that have C-sections but my Aunt who is a nurse says if the swelling doesn't go down, it could cause her blood pressure to rise which could lead to something severe as death. My GF has been downplaying the whole thing but knows she is swollen way more than she should be.
I was also told that some women will sometimes look just as big after pregnancy than when they were pregnant due to the massive swelling. Several people have told her to try and stay off her feet as much as possible and to elevate her legs higher than her heart by sitting in a recliner type chair or piling up a bunch of pillows.
Anybody experience this kind of swelling and how long did it last and did you do anything special to get rid of the swelling. My Aunt was telling me to take her to the ER but she kept saying this was normal. It just doesn't look normal. Her feet and legs look like water balloons. I thought there might be a way to drain that excessive fluid from her body but if its normal then I don't know what to tell her then.
Re: Full body swelling...normal after a C section?
I think it depends on the amount of iv fluids you receive. I've had 2 c/s. The first was perfect and I looked great right after, no swelling. The second I hemmoridged and received lots of iv fluids and blood transfusions, I was very swollen for at least a week after, I looked bad. I was told that was normal for what I had been through.
If she had a perfect, uneventful c/s and is still that swollen I'd be concerned too. Has she called her dr about it recently?
Swelling is normal, but that does sound excessive. What about calling the on-call nurse or doc just to get some added reassurance?
On a separate note, I went to the ER a week after DD was born for a severe headache and I didn't wait long. They were also worried about blood pressure issues. If you do have to go, they'd probably make her a priority because she just gave birth, so you wouldn't have to wait around terribly long.
I had TONS of IV fluids before/during my c/s. It sucked big time. I was huge after. I was actually shocked the first time I look at my legs. I was terrified they would stay that big!! Luckily the swelling went down fairly quickly.
I was a sweaty, pee-ing mess though, but it got the job done.
I swelled big time after my c-section. I couldn't even get flip flops on. The amount of swelling will likely depend on how long and how much fluids she received during labor/delivery. After my discharge from the hospital I was told that it is completely normal for swelling to continue up to 3 weeks.
I would continue to monitor it. Make sure she's hydrating herself too, as this can help get rid of the excess fluids. She can try to put her feet up when she's sitting, but I know it didn't help in my case. Short walks helped me the most, though nothing but time really got rid of the excess fluids.
Your aunt sounds a bit excessive, but if your GF begins having shortness of breath or you/she is concerned you could call the OB to verify when/what should be concerning.
I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
As long as I'm living my baby you'll be.
- Robert Munsch
I had the same thing. Swelling was much worse post c section than at the end of pregnancy. My belly was as hard as can be from the edema. My legs and feet were enormous. It was gone by about 2 weeks. During that time, I constantly felt clamy and sweaty. It was awful. I was so relieved when it went away.