Stairs after c section?

drkcrystl4@aol.com

I had a c section on Saturday and was released from the hospital today.  I was given instructions on what to do/what not to do, but after I got home I realized they didn't say anything to me about stairs.  Our house is two floors and I planned on avoiding the stairs as much as possible, but my bedroom is up there and so is the nursery.  Did anyone get any guidance on that as to whether stairs are strictly off limits or just limit your use?

RumbleLina

Just take things slow. I live in a two story and I never had any problems. In fact, I don't even remember having any issues at all with using stairs such as it being more painful or anything.

JLS0320

Just take them slow, our stairs were not a problem for me, getting out of bed/chair etc was far worse

anamandelli

my dr said once a day for the first 2 weeks

jb2rn

We have a town home style house and I was doing stairs the day I was d/c'ed (3 days post op).

jenny2508

I agree with previous posts.  It is so much harder to get up from a seated position or to get out of bed than to walk up and down the stairs.  Good luck.  It will get easier each day.

katmacwv

Our house was the same set up as yours.  I took the stairs when needed but tried to take it easy on them, which is what my OB recommended.

kjennnn

I was doing stairs in the hospital the day after my C-Section (DS was in NICU, there was a set of 10-12 stairs that I did up and down probably 3/4x a day. The first day was tough, but after that it was no problem. I don't remember there being even the slightest issue once I got home. GL!

pepomntpat

I did stairs because we also have a two story and I wasn't about to sleep on our horrendous couch. I tried to limit it to going down in the morning and up at night. I also was a little shaky about carrying LO on the stairs so DH did it for a while. Otherwise they weren't too bad.

magdalina.h

I waited a day or two and went very slowly. I brought all the Newborn clothes downstairs and we lived downstairs for the first week home. I had to go up earlier than planned because we had to bring him home on a biliblanket and I needed to get some larger outfits that we could use with that. My mom and H kept bringing down outfits that wouldn't work.

samm1983

I was just told to limit my use of the stairs.  I ended up sleeping in the living room (main level) and not going to the nursery (just changed him and he slept near me in the living room) for several weeks.  I slept in the recliner because it was much easier to get in and out of.

BabyBLove

My doctor said stairs were fine - you know your body, just don't over-do it.  Plan your trips up and down the stairs in the first week accordingly.  Stairs never bothered me, but I did take them slow those first few days, and only went up and down when I needed to (i.e. bedtime/shower/etc)

uncharch7

I was told to limit stairs as well but I haven't had any issues. Getting up out of a chair or bed has been far more difficult.

lewis514

First pregnancy - I only did them once/day for a few weeks. We have a complete changing station downstairs and then also upstairs.

Second pregnancy - I felt a lot better after this c/s so I only limited it to once/day for about 3-4 days. Then I started doing them more often.

crystaleyes39

my doctor told me just to take them slow but really it's okay to go on them. I've tried to avoid them as much as possible but do them a couple times a day and have been fine w/out pain.

austenreader85

I was told only once or twice a day for the first two weeks.  I had staples, that might make a difference.  I was even prescribed a toilet chair thingy because our bathroom is on the other level than our bedrooms.  Then my section reopened and it had to be packed so I ended up taking it really easy for several weeks.  When I did go up I didn't have that much pain after the first few days.  I was more worried about carrying LO up and down the stairs and so I basically didn't until he was like 8 weeks old. 

emadlma

The only thing I would have use stairs for is laundry but I am letting DH take care of that.

hansa11

I wasn't told anything about avoiding stairs by any doctor after either c-section, but when the visiting nurse came a week after delivery of my second kid, she noticed my stairs and told me to avoid them as much as possible and scared me with warnings of developing too much scar tissue from going up and down stairs.  She had me so paranoid that I called my doctor who told me stairs were fine (just take them at a comfortable speed) and that scar tissue is unavoidable so that as long as I wasn't lifting anything too heavy stopping anything I found too uncomfortable, I'd be fine.

Jessa1807

Stairs shouldn't be off limits, but they will be difficult for a while.  Take it slow and you will be ok.  Congrats!