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Multiples
C-Section recovery questions
How long does it take to heal? Maternity leave is extended 2 weeks if you end up with a C-Section so does it take that long?
Can you breastfeed/pump if you are on pain meds ( please tell me there are pain meds) ?
I keep hearing that people who get a C-Section have intestinal issues due to being cut down there. How bad is it?
Lack of feeling in that area? Does the feeling ever come back?
What are some things that I can do ( if I end up getting a C-section) that will help me deal with managing twins and dealing with having had major surgery. What would you have done differently? for example? ice packs, different bandages etc..
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Re: C-Section recovery questions
HI
I have no answers for you......just thought I would check in and see how you are doing? When is your due date again? How big are you getting? I want to say we are close in time frame. I feel enormous these days and my babies are getting to be very uncomfortable when they move around. Mine are both head down and man my stomach feels as though it is being pulled in that direction. I get alot of back pain these days by the end of the day. Not that I am complaining I ahve healthy babies inside growing but I am just wondering if things are the same for you.
Good Luck
Robin
As far as the c/s, I was healed enough to be cleared to drive at my 2 week appointment. My PP bleeding mostly stopped by 3 weeks but some spotting after that. By 6 weeks I was cleared by my doctor as far as (ahem) relations was concerned. I was cleared to return to work at 8 weeks.
I was on ibuprofen and perc as far as pain meds. I was allowed to bf/pump while on them. I took them for probably 10 days then cut back and just took ibuprofen for a bit longer.
As far as intestinal issues, it wasn't really any worse than it was while I was pg and on bedrest.
I had numbness around the incision site for a few months then slowly started to regain feeling. Today (almost 3.5 years later) I would say I have 90 to 95 percent feeling back.
What I would have done differently -- known that I would have INCREDIBLE swelling on my lower legs/ankles/feet for about 10 days. My slip on shoes didn't want to go on to leave the hospital! After multiple calls to my OB's nurse, after getting home I found that sleeping with my feet elevated and drinking tons of liquids helped. I would have bought a belly wrap/binder sooner -- it helped my movement and I think it helped get me back into some of my clothes quicker. I would have stayed on top of my pain meds those first days instead of waiting to be in awful pain then taking them. I would have been more disciplined on a pumping schedule. My LOs had huge latch issues (born 36w0d) and I had almost no supply. Pumping started falling by the wayside and I wound up stopping completely by 10 weeks in. A few things I did do right -- got the hospital nurses to give me a ton of the mesh undoes and ginormous pads to bring home. We asked for a lot of freebies and samples -- including formula as we had to supplement from day 1 with under 5 lb late term preemies -- to minimize trips out for things when we got home.
They arrived at 36 weeks after PTL and bedrest for 14 weeks.
I felt no pain by the time I was released from the hospital 4 days later and just took Motrin from that time for a liitle less than a week here and there. I'm still a little numb and my scare hurts when the babies kick my there but other than that it's been fine.
Edit. I wore a belly binder from day one and I think it helped me tremendously.
Personally I was up and walking, unassisted, within 6 hours of my surgery. It wasn't bad at all in the beginning (I say "in the beginning because it got much worse later, which I'll get to). I have felt totally back to normal since about 2 weeks postpartum and honestly don't see why we get the extra 2 weeks off work (not that I'm complaining!). I didn't really have any pain until about 3 days after the surgery when I started to have a lot of pain associated with not having had a BM. INSIST on a stool softener. I went 8 days without a BM (because they wouldn't give me the dang stool softener for some reason) and it was the most agonizing pain I've ever experienced. I would say that if you've gone even 4 days without one demand additional medicine.
I received pain medicine in the hospital (which was awesome and safe for breastfeeding) and then after leaving the hospital after 4 days I just had Motrin and it did the trick.
I still have a strange sensation near my incision (which was closed with "super glue" for what it's worth, which I loved, you can barely see the scar). I don't know yet if I'll ever get full sensation back around it but it's only about 1cm above and below the incision so it's not a big deal.
As far as after the surgery goes, aside from managing your bowels, I found that ice on my belly REALLY helped. I didn't like the abdominal binder at all, it hurt more with it on. Just be slow and careful with your movements and be sure not to lift more than a baby in weight (don't attempt to lift in the car seat for about a week, I made that mistake, OUCH!).
In all, it went WAY better than I expected. GOOD LUCK!
TBH I started feeling pretty good about a week out. After about 2-3 weeks I was doing everything.
Yes, they give you meds & if you stay on top of them you should experience little to no pain. I had to set an alarm on my phone for meds though because those 1st few weeks are so foggy I would forget to take them or I would forget when I took it last.
I never had intestinal issues nor did I have trouble trying to pee. In fact, I was able to pass a bowel while I was in the hospital with no problems.
As for the lack of feeling, yes there is a bit of numbness in certain areas but it's really NBD to me. The only thing that really bothered me was in the very beginning when the nerve endings were growing back I would get this tremendous burning feeling on the sides of my incision & it felt like I was burning from the inside out. NOT a good feeling, but you learn to deal with it & it does pass.
I would just suggest taking a stool relaxer about a week before to get your body used to it & then while in the hospital they will give it to you. That way it won't be so painful. Get up & walk as soon as you are cleared to do so. It will feel weird & be bit uncomfortable, but the faster you do it the quicker you will heal. I didn't get a wrap & don't regret it because I was back in my normal clothes in 3 months & my tummy looks the same as it did before I was pregnant minus stretch marks.
they say 6wks but I felt fine when I left the hospital. I filled the scripts for pain meds but never took any. I took some in the hospital and you can still nurse and pump with what they give you. I havent had any issues other than lack of feeling in that area for a while but its getting better now (their almost 11mths) and the scar is almost invisible now. They told me it could be a year or two before full feeling is back. It used to get itchy until about a month ago too, not bad though.
I would line up some help at home for when you are discharged for as long as you can get help bc with twins, however you deliver you will need all the help you can get. let people take care of you, make your food, do laundry, clean your toilet and just nurse and take care of babies.
Healing was easy for me, everyones different just take it slow and listen to your body. good luck with everything!
They are due 12/9 but My induction will be 11/28 if they haven't arrived. I am find HUGE, very tired, and depressed because so much work has yet to be done. I am getting a lot of hip, back pain now and my ankles I think are threatening to swell. I think they are about 2lbs+ each. The doc never really checks for their weights she just checks for their heartbeats, movement and my cervix length. If I stand longer than 5 mins I am ready to fall over.. good to you as well.
TY all for the advice!
I was up and walking all over the next morning and felt relatively normal after the first week. I kept up with my pain meds - vicodin and motrin - while in the hospital but didn't even need them much after the first week at home.
Yes you are able to pump and BF with the pain meds
No intestinal issues for me. The first few BMs aren't super pleasant but definitely ask for stool softeners while in the hospital.
I still have a little numb sensation around my incision but it's pretty minimal. I still gets a little sore if I do lots of abdominal exercises.
Peanut Butter and Jelly!
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The girls were born at 10:30am and I was walking around by late afternoon. Not walking well, but I was shuffling around a little. H wheeled me to the NICU in a wheelchair that night, but starting the next day I walked every time I went. By the last day I even walked down the one flight of stairs to see how that would be since I had to go up and down stairs at my parent's house (where we stayed until they were out of the NICU). I stayed on top of the pain meds and walked as early/as often as I could. The girls were released after 9 days and by then I was feeling probably 75% better.
My tips for the best recovery would be to walk as soon as they'll let you, take the pain meds and let other people do as much for you as you can. I didn't carry the girls in their infant car seats for 2-3 weeks and didn't lift anything heavy. On day 8 I was feeling awesome and was playing with my nephew - who was 5 months old - and lifting him and the next morning I hurt a lot. Once you feel good, take it easy for another week to make sure you're really healed.