C-Section moms

JenJar

It hit me yesterday that I really don't know much about c-sections.  I told DH that I need to get out of the mindset that we will have a delivery with little complications like we did with G and at least prepare myself a little bit for the possibility of a c-section being needed.  The thought of the surgery doesn't really scare me that much.  But, I was reading an article last night in a magazine that said no lifting anything heavier than baby for at least 4 weeks.  Is that accurate???  I knew no lifting, but I guess I didn't realize it was for so long.  I can't imagine not being able to lift G up for a month.  What can you tell me about your c-sections so I am at least a little prepared for that option?

NikCole

It obviously is different for everyone, but I was pretty sore for a good month. I can't imagine lifting a toddler. I couldn't even get out of bed myself for a few weeks. I think I was finally feeling normal after about 6wks.

I know there are some other ladies on the board who had much easier recoveries... so it all depends. Evan was a really big baby, so I think that makes a difference too. More pulling, stretching and a bigger incision.

mrsoc

My recovery with both C-sections has been great.  I was off of pain meds within a week and feeling back to pretty much "normal" by 2 weeks,  I am heeding to the no lifting E for 4 weeks...which is by far the toughest part.  I know that my insides need more time to heal and I don't want to push it.  I had some itching of the incision, but I could use Benadryll cream and it worked great.  I had the tubal ligation done as well and the only sign I can see from that was maybe slightly more lateral tugging, but that has gone away as well.  

MrsWhiteonWhiteSt

I had so much of a better recovery with my c-section than my V delivery. I read stuff just like you did. I had DH prepped for me to basically be immobilized and on lots of pain meds, so I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't so bad at all. Rolling over in bed was tough, so was getting up out of bed several times a night for the babies. I just used a lot of arm strength to pull myself up. I felt pretty good a few days after the section, I would have a few random sharp pains occasionally but that was it. I want to say I was picking up Justin probably 2 weeks after. You will know your own limits, ya know? I think any recovery is mind over matter and too many women milk it. Don't be nervous!

meryltheresa

The first morning after surgery was really rough but I think part of that was because I was so exhausted.  I had little to no sleep the night of the induction, labored all day, liam was born at 10:30pm, by the time I got out of recovery and up to my room it was almost 2am and then I was up at 6 to feed him.  I'm hoping that with the next one I'll be much more rested and I'm thinking that will help.  Once we got home and I was in my own bed recovery went pretty fast. 

wendyj

I was pretty much pain free before I left the hospital, but the soreness lingered for about 6 weeks, then I started really feeling normal again. For those first 6 weeks, I'd wake up in the morning feeling really good, but by noon, I was exhausted. It was funny - my dad would call me everyday at about 11:30 to check on me because he knew that by then I was flat out on the couch (he had gallbladder surgery a long time ago, and found that he ended up doing the same thing during his recovery, so he knew what I was going through physically).

I think the 4 weeks is there to give your uterus and stomach muscles time to heal properly so that there's no possibility of them rupturing if you were to lift anything more than the baby.

JenJar

Thanks, ladies.  I'm going to talk to my doctor at my next appt to see what his input is.  I have started to realize how close we are and the possibility of a c-section just hit me.  When I said something to DH about it last night, his response was, "But we're not having a c-section."  I don't think he gets that it could be a decision that isn't made until the moment of.  It's good to hear others' experiences.  Thanks for sharing them!

abba916

I was surprised with my recovery from my c-section. The first day (in the hospital) was rough but the drugs hit me hard and I was so tired- but once I got up and took a little stroll around the L&D wing- I felt better...

Once home I was tender for about a week and then feeling normal after 2- I probably could have gone off my pain meds but I stayed on for the 2 weeks (I wasnt BFing ).

One thing that surprised me was how itchy I was the first 2 days in the hospital- like I needed a fork to reach my legs

I'm having another C- Sec with this baby and others have told me- just to sit on the couch and try to cuddle DS1 if he wants to be picked up (I not sure this will fly but I'm going to try it...) 

dle927

I'm about 21 hours post c-section and I'm feeling pretty good.  I was able to leave bed yesterday at 6pm so I could see E down in the NICU, and then went again at about 10pm.  This morning I was unhooked from the catheter and am now pretty mobile, although I still have IV's which should be removed today.  Getting in and out of bed is tough but walking and sitting aren't bad.  It has been easier this time but with C I was up for 36+ hours, pushed and then had a c-section so my body was just exhausted.  By the next morning though I was out of bed and moving around.  The pain lasted until I got home but I was off of all major pain meds by day 3. 

Oh, and a nurse yesterday said she knows that it would be unrealistic to tell me not to pick up Claire for 4 weeks but said to at least give it a week or two. 

TinyPinkBug

My c-sec recovery with Tyler was horrible, my entire body ached so bad for about three weeks.  It was so bad I cried in pain every time I lifted up my little 8 pound baby.  But I don't think that my recovery with Ty was normal for several reasons, including him crying 10+ hours a day/night.  Bri was a scheduled c-sec, that recovery was a breeze!  I was told not to lift anything that weighed more than my baby for 2 weeks, but with a needy 25 month old it wasn't really possible.  I told my Dr that and he just said I have to do what I need but to not over do it.  I don't think Ty weighed more than about 25lbs himself at that point.  I had no problems lifting him from the time I got home, but I kept it on an as needed basis.  I never could have lefted him if my recovery was like my first c-sec.  So, it not only depends on the mom, but the entire delivery/experience itself.

I don't think it is fair to say some women milk it.  You have no idea how someone else feels after the their own delivery!  Just because you had an easy time, doesn't mean everyone's experience was the same.  I had 10 hours of med-free hard back labor, no early labor to ease into it, 2.5 hours of pushing...  I was having hard contractions while they were putting in the spinal (I have a difficult epidural space to get into, they almost put me completely under with Bri because they couldn't get it in) which resulted in a rare spinal head ache.  While I had no BP problems during pg, after delivery my BP shot up and my entire body swelled even more than when I was pg.  My joints hurt terribly, including my wrists where I already suffer from ganglion cysts, the pain was unbearable just picking up a cup of water.  Add to all that a baby who cried non-stop!  Not just cried, screamed!  All day and night.  The night he was born, he cried non-stop for 4 hours in my arms in the middle of the night.  The nurses thought something was wrong with him he screamed so much, but phsically there wasn't.  I don't think I got more than 3 hours of broken sleep in any 24 hour period for weeks, maybe months after he was born.  Family all telling me my four day old cried becuase he was spoiled and breast fed!  I was  IN HELL!  I wasn't milking anything!  My second c-sec was a walk in the park, I was out walking around the neighborhood with the kids the I came home. 

Telyco

My c-section was a lot easier to recover from. I was off the Motrin by day 5 and I held Evan the day I got home (although he wad only 13.5 months old)...I felt able to do everything at 1 week out...but I waited a bit longer since and let my MIL do most of the lifting since she was there.

TinaL99

I had a c/s after a failed induction.  I was in labor for over 30 hours and pushed for 2 hours.  I was more exhausted than anything.  But my recovery went great I thought.  I kept up with the pain meds in the hospital and only took the prescription Ibuprofin once I was home.  I felt more back to normal by 2 weeks pp or so, but there was definitely some tenderness to my incision for a couple of months. 

I'd give this advice to you: Keep ahead of the pain and take the meds offered to you in the hospital.  Get up and walk around as soon as you feel comfortable, even if it's only a quick lap around the floor.  Listen to your body.  You will feel it if/when you overdo it, so take things slow, let the housework and other chores go and let other people help you.  As for picking up G, I would definitely limit it as much as possible for the first few weeks and then keep it on an as needed basis until you are feeling more comfortable.  Have him climb up on the couch with you with a book or 2.  Remember, it's major surgery and your insides need time to heal.

olivia_eve

I don't have any c-section experience, but I do have no lifting experience, both from my D&C and my pelvic rest from this pregnancy. I still don't lift Rosie unless it's an absolute emergency because I'm paranoid from my pelvic rest days. Even if you give birth vaginally again, I think you'll still be on a lifting restriction. The thing that has helped us is stools- we have a few for inside the house, and one in our car so Rosie gets herself in her car seat. I also tell her I can't lift her because I have a boo boo, I don't say it's because of the baby because I don't want her to have any negative associations with the baby.

Kim72508

I had a very easy experience with the c-section.  I had some pain the first day but by the second day I was up walking around, showering, etc.  I left the hospital with no pain medication.  I was able to get up and out of bed myself and didn't have problems moving around the house.  I did avoid stairs and lifting for 2 weeks- which is what my doctor told me to do. Otherwise, no problems! 

JenJar

olivia_eve:

I don't have any c-section experience, but I do have no lifting experience, both from my D&C and my pelvic rest from this pregnancy. I still don't lift Rosie unless it's an absolute emergency because I'm paranoid from my pelvic rest days. Even if you give birth vaginally again, I think you'll still be on a lifting restriction. The thing that has helped us is stools- we have a few for inside the house, and one in our car so Rosie gets herself in her car seat. I also tell her I can't lift her because I have a boo boo, I don't say it's because of the baby because I don't want her to have any negative associations with the baby.

That's a good point to remember, Olivia.  Thanks for that idea.  And I never really thought about having lifting restrictions with a vaginal birth.  I don't lift him a ton, but I do still lift him down from bed.  He has a stool, but when he wakes up and is still so groggy and just needs to pee and it's dark, he needs help getting off the bed.  He can climb into his car seat, but not out of the car, so maybe a stool in there would help. 

Thanks again, ladies.  I'm hoping I won't need any of this advice, but you never know, right? 

missyjg

The first day was the worst b/c they gave me this long lasting morphine directly into my spinal and when it was wearing off I ITCHED so bad I left scars. It was a trial thing and I won't do it again. I tried to stand up too early and passed out, that was fun. Never did that before. I just woke up to having my doctor in my face with smelling salts. The next day I was sore but I was able to pick up B slowly. When I got home I was on motrin and didn't take any of the stronger meds that they gave me b/c they made me sick. B started screaming from day 3 pretty much non-stop so I didn't get much sleep, that didn't help at all. But overall I was feeling 50% by 2 weeks and 75% by 4 weeks and 100% by 6 weeks.

I had abdominal surgery before and I knew the more I moved the better I felt. So I would walk B around in her little display case as much as I could. DH was great in getting me up making me remember how much better I felt after I started walking.

 

faith194

My water broke, but 14 hours later, they induced me due to not going into labor.  I had the worst contractions and went medfree for about 8 hours.  It was super frustrating feeling all of that pain and not making any progress.  DS was not lined up correctly, so at 9 at night, they decided to do a c-section. 

The pain I felt was awful.  It hurt to hold ds for a few days. It hurt to even turn my hips in the bed.  Getting in and out of bed for about 2 weeks really was hard(it got easier during those two weeks from refusal to move because I thought my insides were going to fall out to okay, if I just get past the standing up part, I'll be okay).  Once I was up, most of the time, I was okay. It was going to the far of having to sit in the bathroom to collect my urine and getting up off the toilet that really scared me(the getting up and getting down is really rough at first).  After my swelling went down a week and a half later, I felt better. I couldn't believe I went home looking like I was 10 months pregnant(I didn't even look that big walking in), but I was given some meds for the swelling.

I will definitely have a scheduled c-section,  if we decide we want more kids.  I think if I never went into a forced labor, my recovery may have been a little bit better.  I was also dealing with the child who wouldn't latch, so that added a lot of stress those first two weeks.

 

I wouldn't trade all the pain I experienced for the world, because I have my beautiful DS!  It was all worth it.  They say you forget the pain once you hold your child. For me, this is not true. It does make it worth it, though.