?'s for c-section mommas

FeistyFille

When did you feel completely back to normal?  I'm not in pain, but I still have to be careful about what I do and how I bend, etc.

When did you get the all-clear to exercise?  

katattack

I got the all clear for light exercise around 6 weeks.  However, I was still having some random pains when I'd go from laying on my back to sitting.  I think it was just some stretching of some scar tissue that had started to develop. 

I think around that time I had started taking DD for walks around the neighborhood, but it was awhile before I was brave enough for more strenuous things.

naclh2otaffy

I got the all-clear for everything (swimming, baths, exercise, etc.) at 3 weeks.  But I had a really easy recovery and only about 4-7 days of PP bleeding.

 I can't remember when I felt back to normal, but it was soon. I was up and cooking the day I was released (48 hours later), and taking walks the next day.  I had no problems flying alone with him at 17 days and don't remember having any problems traveling, although I did need someone to lift my luggage into the overhead bin for me.

 ETA: If you aren't ready for all of these things, don't feel bad. You had two babies!  And everyone heals differently.

katattack

naclh2otaffy:

I got the all-clear for everything (swimming, baths, exercise, etc.) at 3 weeks.  But I had a really easy recovery and only about 4-7 days of PP bleeding.

 I can't remember when I felt back to normal, but it was soon. I was up and cooking the day I was released (48 hours later), and taking walks the next day.  I had no problems flying alone with him at 17 days and don't remember having any problems traveling, although I did need someone to lift my luggage into the overhead bin for me.

 ETA: If you aren't ready for all of these things, don't feel bad. You had two babies!  And everyone heals differently.

Apparently you are a super hero.  Holy crap.

JezcaM

6 weeks appt gave me the all-clear. it's hard to say that i ever felt 'normal' bcse everything about life changes after a baby and my body and energy levels will probably never be the same... but at 6 weeks i didn't feel like i needed to be careful bout how i moved.

Duckie07

I was given the all-clear for exercise at 6 weeks, but my OB really, really encouraged me to wait until 8 weeks for anything more than light walking.  She really didn't even want me to do any heavy housecleaning until 8 weeks as well.  Honestly, I still don't feel completely normal.  I still have numbness near and around the incision and I am still a little sore (not really sore, but it's there).  I've only managed to go back to walking (when I have time) for exercise.  Frankly, I'm a little scared to give jogging a try--of course I am extremely out of shape too so that could also have something to do with it.  I think I'm also just a bit wimpy, so this with a grain of salt.

jgb2000

Got the all-clear at my 6 week appointment but felt random pains for the first 3 months or so. Yoga has been great--it kicks my butt!

amyinaustin

I got the all-clear to exercise at 6 weeks, with the understanding that I'd stop if my body told me to.

I have to say though - even now, when I lay on my back and stretch my arms up over my head, I still dont' feel like I have the full range of motion in my abs, if that makes sense.  

I remember at 3 months, everythign still feeling REALLY tight in the ab department.  Oh, and the incision felt like a burn for a while - now even it will kinda itch at times and it's still a bit sensitive to the touch.

So I guess I'm not COMPLETELY back to normal yet, but getting there...

lyndamf

If it makes you feel better, I'm not getting the all clear until 6 weeks and that's for any activity.  I'm not sure when my OB is going to let me go back to teaching my fitness classes.  Granted, I still feel like a big blob, so I'm not ready to get up in front of people anytime soon either...lol.  I actually only feel aches and pains when I do too much. I've been running errands and doing things around the house since about 1 week after my c-section but I did pay for it at times.  I'm trying to take it easy when I can so my recovery goes faster but I'm not good at resting and sitting stiill  (hence the almost 3 week hospital stay). 

I'm sure it takes a while to feel back to normal. Seeing as my birth was only 2 days before yours, I definitely feel your pain.

virginia&alan

I got the official all clear for exercise from my doctor at 6 weeks, but I started running again at 3 weeks and competed in a tri at 10 weeks.  Like naclh2, I healed very quickly (although I was not lucky enough to have only 4-7 days of pp bleeding.) 

All that said, there are times when I still get tender after a particularly hard workout and it's been over a year.  It's not painful, more of a general awareness that my body is not the same as it was before I was sliced open.  Just listen to your body.  Take short walks at first and build up from there.

naclh2otaffy

katattack:

Apparently you are a super hero.  Holy crap.

Nah, just a great ob/surgeon and an infertility disorder that helped with the [lack of] bleeding.    Plus I was so stir crazy from the weeks of bedrest that I was super excited to be allowed to be up and about again.

libbyann

I felt pretty good at 2 weeks pp and great at 4 weeks pp. However, I *still* get sore if I do too much (i.e: ab workouts make my incision hurt and it hurt like heck for two days after we moved). My mom had a c/s with me and my brother (21 years ago for my bro) and she says to this day, if she moves wrong she can feel it where her incision was :-/

 I got the cleared for moderate exercise (walking and biking) at my 2wk appointment and then cleared for everything else at 6 weeks. To be honest, though, I don't feel 100% recovered now - almost 13 weeks pp. I started exercising at 6 weeks, but I still don't feel back to my old self. That may have nothing to do with the c/s though, and more to do with the fact that I couldn't exercise from 20 weeks on.

Bookworm75

I felt just about 100% after about 2wks. All clear to exercise at around 6wks.