Recovery...

vadamsv

Just curious if recovery is as scary as it sounds? I'm actually dreading that more then labor!

rlyttle

For me it was much worse than labor. Labor was the easy part. The good thing about recovering is you have a sweet little baby, and that makes it all better Ice & heating pads make it easier. It's nothing you won't get through.

rrspatch

I just had twins 4/25 and luckily (sarcastically) I had one natural and one by c-section. I had heard all the horror stories.. I can honestly say it was not bad.. They did keep me in the hospital 4 nights but everything was so exaggerated in my mind that it was a breeze.. I do have pain occasionally but it is no worse than my bad monthly cramps usually were.. I also had my tubal during the c-section..

 

rrspatch

.... But I am sure everyone's experience is different... Good luck!

Cellis

I only had a 2nd degree tear and the only complication was some tissue that was on the outside of my stitches that they had to burn at my 6 week pp appointment. It really wasn't that hard for me. I know there are plenty who have it pretty bad though.

runningyogimama

I had a second degree tear and an episiotomy, but I was feeling great after. I wasn't even sore longer than a couple of days. Other than tired, I felt back to normal by 2 weeks pp.

Cellis

Meggy T.:

I do recommend taking it easy because when I would move too much I noticed an increase in bleeding.

I agree. I did notice that too.  

CrazyMary77

Everyone's experience is different. I had a c-section and ended up back in the hospital 10 days later with an infection in the incision, so my recovery was not so good. I'd say I started feeling more myself about 5 weeks PP.

ClandestineX

I had a second degree tear from pushing him out too fast. The tear wasn't in the normal place, perineal. It was the side of my vagina that was torn and the doctor had to use like 10 stitches or something... then she shrugged after she was done which scared me, lol.

Anyways, after birth I wanted to leave the hospital. Yes, I felt like I just been hit with a golf club in between my legs, but I could walk around, felt lighter, felt better. I walked around so much the nurses told me to sit and lay down after a while. The next three days the only hard part was sitting back down from standing because of the stitches. If I sat wrong, a sting would tell me to move.. but I honestly felt better standing and couldn't feel the stitches otherwise. 

The breastfeeding does suck the first day, when your uterus is contracting back while you breastfeed...but for me it stopped hurting by the second day. I had sex the second week cause I felt completely normal down there... until I actually had sex, then I realized there was still things that needed healing. So I do not recommend doing it early. I used the peri bottle and didn't bother with the sitz bath. They also gave me a spray dermoplast... oh my god I loved it.

pinottoparenthood

Obviously it varies from person to person, and I can only share my experience. I had a vaginal delivery with an episiotomy and stitches. The first time I peed after labor, a huge blood clot fell on the floor and I was so disgusted and freaked out. The first couple days while we were in the hospital, I was sore and uncomfortable. I could get around, but it was uncomfortable to get in and out of bed and my stiches and all that area were sore. The nurses gave me ibuprofen twice a day.

when I left the hospital, the nurse told me how much ibuprofen to take, and I continued taking the full strength dose for the next week or so. I was a bit sore, but by the time we had been home a couple of days, DH and I were taking DS for short walks in the stroller. Once we got home, I soaked in a hot bath every day to help soothe my stitches and keep them clea. I also used the peri bottle at every bathroom break.

by 1.5 weeks postpartum or so, I was slowly cutting back and weaning myself off theibuprofe. By two weeks pp, I felt totally normal and fine. I did not have hemorrhoid a, but I was constipated and took colace twice a day for a couple weeks until I got back to normal.

for me, recovery was not bad at all. Just some soreness andi bounced back quickly. I had bought tucks pads and dermoplast and ended up returning it  bc I didn't need it.

jbatch

I think recovery is worse than labor because it lasts way longer. I had a third degree tear.. It was very uncomfortable for awhile. I think it was 2 weeks before I could sit down without having to really think about it.. I was very very swollen and that was no fun.. But I survived lol.

evertz

Recovery sucks but it does get better/easier every day... so I'm glad to at least see progress.

I ended up with an emergency csection. The first couple days were aweful because I was attached to pain meds and a ton of monitors and a catheter and I couldn't get out of bed. By day 3 I was unhooked from everything and walking which was awesome but the wound was not fun. I couldn't really bend over and I relied heavily on all the handicapped bars in the bathroom. DH had to dry the lower half of my body after showering each day.. lol

After the hospital I was on pain meds which was great but they made me constipated. After about a week (warning tmi) I finally passed some rock solid stool that was blocking me up. It hurt so badly and I'm pretty sure it did some damage because there was some bleeding and pooing hasn't been the same since. Although, again it's getting better each day.. just not 100% yet. 

I had to sleep sitting up for the first 2 weeks. I can finally lay side ways and flat on my back now. The tape came off my incision after 2 weeks. It's still hard and sometimes if I bend a weird direction it'll burn. But for the most part I'm feeling pretty good at 3 weeks PP.

 

Anyway - Yes, healing sucks but you'll get through it. And you'll hopefully feel mostly fine after the first couple of weeks.

Chame90

For me recovery was a breeze compared to labor. Sure I was sore for about 2 weeks as I had a second degree tear but it wasn't bad. I'm not saying labor was awful either but having them triple my dose of pitocin and having no meds until after being stalled at an 8 for 3.5 hours wasn't a walk in the park... Recovery was much much easier.  

ohhashley

Recovery wasn't that difficult for me. 56 hours of labor and an emergency csection, labor was the worst part. I was discharged before baby so I was able to recover a little bit before having to deal with a demanding newborn. Idek how ladies come home from csections and immediately start taking care of da baby.

kristenncl

I had an epidural, so recovery was way harder. In fact, I would say the 6 weeks of recovery were way harder than the 9 months of pregnancy. My baby is 2 months old now, and I can still sometimes feel a dull ache down bellow that was super intense for weeks after delivery. Plan to stay off your feet - walking/standing made it much worse for me.

markhamgurl

In a way, labour was easier (can't believe I'm saying that), just because you know the end is in sight.  Recovery is a journey just like pregnancy was, and you just don't really know when you'll quite feel back to normal. 

I had a second degree tear, but it still has taken me about 8 weeks to feel totally normal again.  The first few days and weeks were rough, I had awful tailbone pain which made sitting down very uncomfortable - as if the stitches weren't enough.  Having said that, it didn't keep me from doing things.  I was discharged out of the hospital the day after I gave birth (again, looking back that seems kinda nuts) and was out walking around the neighbourhood with the stroller that same week.

I used the peri bottle liberally, but the witch hazel and Tucks that I stocked-up on went unused.  Luckily (?) my tear didn't extend to my perineum nor did I suffer from hemmorhoids so I imagine that made things much more bearable.  However, I did take ibuprofen and stool softeners daily for about 3 weeks (overkill, I'm sure).  Good luck, you'll be fine and will surprise yourself at what you can cope with! 

Mommymorticia

I had a csection. The first week the abdominal soreness was pretty bad. I tried laying down in bed the first night we were home and I couldn't. I slept in the recliner for two weeks straight, I cannot imagine my life without my recliner now. But after the first week every single day I felt better and better. By the third week I almost felt normal as far as pain went.

Regardless of how labor goes, stay on top of you pain meds and don't over exert yourself. If you keep those two things in mind it shouldn't be too bad.

mrs.jenRN

Having been through both a c section and vaginal delivery, I can tell you that the vaginal recovery has been SO much easier. Sex is still a little uncomfortable, but it's getting better. I had a second degree tear and felt fine in about a week. I took ibuprofen for the cramping for 4 or 5 days and was fine after that.

NicoleSB80

For me it was horrible but I have a long hard difficult labor. I couldnt sit for a week.

I have had friends up and running around on day 2 or 3 though so I really think its different for everyone depending on your body and your labor

jkuhmann

I though recovery was much harder than labor...I don't know why they don't let you keep that epidural in for a couple of days.  ;-)

You get through it.  It's not fun but it also doesn't last forever.  As uncomfortable as is is, request ice packs for your ladybits after labor.  It will help reduce the swelling and the less swelling there is, the less pain for you and the faster things will get back to tolerable down there.  I don't even want to think about what recovery would have been like without ice packs.

amykins1283

I hated recovery both times. With the first I had a second degree tear and I was so sore down there for a good while. This time that was better but I ended up with severe anemia and had to have an iron infusion then my ulcerative colitis flared up and dried up my milk when I didn't eat or drink for three days. I don't think I'm ever going to give birth again!

ChicagoBroad26

I delivered vaginally the first time and via emergency c section this time. The c section recovery was ten times worse, but that's because it was after a 48 hour failed induction, an infected c section incision, huge contact dermatitis rash from the hospital pads, and hemmorrhoids. But that probably won't happen to you!

MrsR11

I know everyone is different, but don't stress yourself out about it in advance! I was so worried about stitches and stuff...I ended up giving birth VERY quickly (only 20 mins of pushing) and didn't have a tear or anything. The first time I went pee after having him hurt, but keep the peri-care bottle handy to spray while you are going- it helps a lot! Good luck!