Overweight and doing a RCS.......

ExcitedAunt2b

I apologize if this has been posted before, and I'm sure it has, but I was overweight when I got pregnant.  I am worried about the recovery from my c-section this time because of the excess weight. 

Can someone who is in my shoes let me know how their recovery was and if there were complications because of weight?

cporfido1981

I was 5'8" and 260 when I has my c-section with DD . The only problem I had was a yeast infection on the skin around the scar  . I had a skin flap over the incision  ,so i don't think it got enough air.

 

CougFan

I was overweight (probably technically obese, but I'm 5'8" and a size 18...I don't feel obese) for both previous sections and will be for this one.

I don't know what recovery is like when you are at a healthy weight to begin with, so I have little to compare. But both of mine have been just fine, nothing happened that I feel was weight related.

For my second one I did get these lovely electronic air compression things on my legs, and I did wonder if I got them because I was fat, LOL! And I was very careful to keep the incision site as dry as possible.

 With my second pregnancy I watched too much TLC and was mostly worried my stomach would have to be taped to a bar to keep it out of the way like I had seen for very obese women. I was assured it would not be! 

Good luck! 

rnkrs10

I was overweight when I had my c-section. I don't feel like it affected my recovery at all. I feel like over all I had a pretty nice recovery.

JessAndTrav

I am overweight and I am almost 3 weeks post-c/s. I haven't had any troubles healing, and definitely none due to my weight. 

The key to recovering is to take your the meds. Don't try to be super-woman. The doctors give you medication because honestly, you need. It hurts like a m-effer if you don't. Trust me.

The second key to recovering is to get up and move as soon as they'll let you. LO was in a special care unit for about 36 hours after his birth, and about 6 hours in, I insisted that they let me see him. They said I could as long as I could get out of bed--I had no trouble finding the will power to get up and into the wheelchair. (They wouldn't let me walk yet). The next morning, I was up and walking. I think that has helped me more than anything else. 

valkyriemama

I am of the extra curvy sort(5'8" and size 18) and I've had no extra problems in the recoveries from my 3 c sections.  The big thing is to keep the incision as dry as possible and get up and move ASAP.  Putting a pad over the incision can help keep it dry:)

ExcitedAunt2b

Are you talking about using something like a maxi pad over the incision?

Gipper0809

I'm 10 weeks away from having my 3rd c/s.  I had major incision issues with #2 even though I had lost a bunch of weight after delivery and didn't really have much of a flap.  I ended up with yeast infections and other skin irritations.  My OB prescribed Nystatin ointment and it solved my issues immediately.  I used a blow dryer on my incision and made sure it was super dry.

The reason I think I struggled was because it was so hot here this summer and I was in/out of the pool and heat. 

 Good luck!

JessAndTrav

ExcitedAunt2b:

Are you talking about using something like a maxi pad over the incision?

Not a full blown maxi pad, but a panty liner.It helps pull the moisture away. 

valkyriemama

JessAndTrav:

ExcitedAunt2b:

Are you talking about using something like a maxi pad over the incision?

Not a full blown maxi pad, but a panty liner.It helps pull the moisture away. 

 

The nurses had me using a thinner maxi pad when I learned the trick, but a pantyliner works just as well.  The drier the area stays the less likely you'll have skin irritations or yeast infections in that area.  

sallypilot

My incision was under my skin "flap" if you will and it healed perfectly. I actually used a clean washcloth folded to make sure that everything stayed dry. You can't even see my scar now.