Tell me! If you had a tubal...was your c-section recovery worse?

Joy+BabyNumber3

I have had 2 c-sections already so I know what to expect as a base experience and recovery.

Now I'm expecting #3 and told I can't plan for a VBAC...I have to have a c/s...and my OB offered a tubal at the same time.

***He said the recovery was no different.***  OK...IS THIS TRUE????

I just talked with a friend yesterday who said she heard from 3 different women, who all had previous c-sections, that the final one with the tubal was the worst recovery - the hardest, most painful, and longest recovery. She also said another friend was considering it until she talked to a couple women who said the exact same thing.

So ladies, please, I need to know - if you had a prior c-section - what are your real life experiences? Was the recovery with the tubal worse?

I wanted a VBAC because I didn't want to have a long recovery since I already have a 2 and 4 year old to take care of. The idea of having a horrible recovery - more than what I'm already preparing for - is not appealing to me at all. If that's the case, I'm going to back to Plan A and my DH is getting his vasectomy. 

+ASH+

Mine was actually my best recovery but there were extenuating circumstances. I had a preemie and my DH was two hours away, so couldn't visit often between taking care of my older kids and working. This meant I had to be self-reliant much faster. It also meant I had to go to my baby in the Nicu, since she couldn't be brought to me. I was out of bed less than five hours later and made myself walk through four different hallways before sitting in the wheelchair for the last small leg of the walk. That was a horrible and painful walk, but I think it made all the difference in my recovery. By the time I was discharged, I'd done that walk twice a day, everyday and it really helped to move around. And actually, when I was discharged, the act of walking no longer hurt - I only had pain when I was getting out of bed.

That being said - the csection itself was much worse! Whether this was because I had a preemie or because of the tubal or just because I was in a different hospital with a specialist doing the csection, I have no idea. It was much longer - twice as long as my prior sections - and while they were doing the tubal, I couldn't feel it, but the pressure felt like they had my skin pulled up to my sternum. I honestly thought they'd done a vertical cut, considering how high they were working in my belly.

But when it was all said and done, it was only about 20 minutes of discomfort during the surgery. I would advise to get up quickly and move around as much as possible after - I was lazy with my second son and only walked back and forth to the bathroom the first day and that was my most miserable recovery out of all three (and I was 7 years younger than I am now, so really this should have been the worst recovery and it was the best). This time around, I was able to be completely on my own in a different city as soon as I was discharged. 

Ebony_miles06

Four weeks ago, I had my 3rd c-section and a tubal ligation. Everyone is different, but for me, this was my hardest recovery. The pain was the worst I ever felt. It was a lot harder for me to move around quickly and I was taking pain medicine like clockwork. With my first c-section, I had to be put to sleep because the epidural nor the spinal tap worked and they tried five times. With my second, I not sure which one worked, but I was able to be numbed during the surgery, but DH said that I slept the entire time. Only thing I remember is when they pulled my daughter above the curtain something off her body or out her mouth landed on my face. With my last c-section, they did an epidural with the spinal tap medicine because I have a weird spine. I was awake the entire time, even during the tubal ligation and it was the most stressful because my doctor is not good at holding his expressions in so I heard a lot of "oh my gosh" and "wow". He told me it was because of the scar tissue from the other surgeries. My tubes were hard to tie. As the anestesia wore off they then, along with the pain medicine, started my IV on pitocin, which, as we all know is used to start labor. That started contractions....NO JOKE. As the days went by, I started to have pain only on my right side and the nurse told me many of her patients who have the tubal say they have pain only on one side. My older sister, who had my neice a month prior by c-section and along with a tubal, said that her pain was very bad also, but it was more towards and directly in her belly button. Like I said, everyone is different. I hope if you do decide to have a tubal, it won't be as horrific as mine. Good Luck

HarrietNJMommy

My last c-section (my 4th) with a tubal, was my easiest surgery and recovery out of all of them. I have minimal scar tissue and adhesions. I was released a day earlier than all my other c-sections and it was truly my best c-section.

I did workout throughout my last PG and was in the best shape though. That helped a lot.

GL! 

notkateanymore

HarrietNJMommy:

My last c-section (my 4th) with a tubal, was my easiest surgery and recovery out of all of them. I have minimal scar tissue and adhesions. I was released a day earlier than all my other c-sections and it was truly my best c-section.

I did workout throughout my last PG and was in the best shape though. That helped a lot.

GL! 

Thank you for saying this. I was about to freak out. LOL My OB says the recovery is no different with a tubal, so I'm leaning towards one but the two pp freaked me out!

BTW, Hi Harriet! How are things? 

Joy+BabyNumber3

So interesting. I hope that's it, because I am the healthiest I've been since having kids. I recently lost 30 pounds by eating healthy and working out 3-6 days a week. I am keeping it up, and I'd love it to pay off with the recovery. I also asked on a mom group I am with, and from about 10 answers, 2 were worse, and 8 were better or equal. But a couple did say their periods have been more painful since.

WhitWed

About to have a RCS and tubal in a week so I will let you know. Everyone I've talked to said recovery was no different or better.  I hadn't heard any that were worse. Matter of fact my SIL had a 4th degree tear with her first (had to have reconstructive surgery) and a c/s plus tubal with her second. She said by far the second recovery was easier than the major tear recovery.  I also have not heard of anyone having major pains due to a tubal and I've only heard of one accidental pregnancy that happened because my co-worker didn't wait the proper time to have sex.  And I did not hold back when asking these women because I wanted details and the truth!  I agree with pp that your health is a big factor in your recovery.  I wish you luck and hope you are able to come to a decision!

Joy+BabyNumber3

WhitWed:

About to have a RCS and tubal in a week so I will let you know. Everyone I've talked to said recovery was no different or better.  I hadn't heard any that were worse. Matter of fact my SIL had a 4th degree tear with her first (had to have reconstructive surgery) and a c/s plus tubal with her second. She said by far the second recovery was easier than the major tear recovery.  I also have not heard of anyone having major pains due to a tubal and I've only heard of one accidental pregnancy that happened because my co-worker didn't wait the proper time to have sex.  And I did not hold back when asking these women because I wanted details and the truth!  I agree with pp that your health is a big factor in your recovery.  I wish you luck and hope you are able to come to a decision!

Thank you! I really appriciate it! I'd love to hear your feedback. Good luck with your proceedure, too!!!

honeybee111

I just had a tubal done with a repeat c-section 2 weeks ago, and my recovery has been going great.  Although, I may not be comparing the exact same things, because my first was an emergency c-section after 12 hours of labor/contractions, so that whole thing + recovery was a little rough.  But with this one, the tubal added about 5 minutes to the whole procedure.  The nurses had me up and walking 6 hours afterwards.  I was ready to go home by day 3, but stayed an extra day because DS had jaundice.  Didn't need the narcotics the dr. prescribed for me, just took motrin for about a week and was fine with that.

Joy+BabyNumber3

Wow, honeybee, that sounds great and very similar to my 2nd c/s which was a great recovery. This is all very insightful. Now I'm hearing about heavier periods after a tubal. I'm so on the fence on this one. I don't want my body to go through any more than it has to, and I absolutely need this to be our last baby. Im going to think about all these comments seriously, and hopefully I can be comfortable with a decision soon.