2nd time moms - how long did it take you to recover after delivery?

greenbean79 · March 2011

A friend who delivered naturally told me it took her 6 weeks to be able to even walk. She's a bit of a drama queen though so I don't really believe her. But I would like to hear of other women's experiences. How long did it take you to be able to get up and out of bed after delivery (natural or c-section)?

bargar18 · March 2011

greenbean79:

A friend who delivered naturally told me it took her 6 weeks to be able to even walk. She's a bit of a drama queen though so I don't really believe her. But I would like to hear of other women's experiences. How long did it take you to be able to get up and out of bed after delivery (natural or c-section)?

i had a vaginal delivery. i was actually cleared to work out at 4 weeks post-delivery and was feeling almost 100%. almost all the pain was gone 'down there' at 2 weeks post-delivery.

aggielauren · March 2011

I was walking around our apartment complex within a few days of having DS and was out and about with him within a week. I had a very easy delivery (I did have an epidural) and just had a 1st degree tear so I'm sure that makes some sort of difference.

My friends who have had c-sections said they didn't feel like doing much for about 3 weeks.

ETA: I did however, have initial pain when having sex for several months, although I felt perfectly fine otherwise.

nillian10 · March 2011

i was up and out of bed the day after my csection, but it felt like my insides were falling on the floor. Tongue Tied
i healed quickly, didn't have much pain or take any pain meds. just the usual "soreness" at the incision site. probably around 2 weeks or so i was feeling pretty good...able to carry my DS around in carseat/go for little walks without struggling. around 6 weeks, at my checkup, i remember feeling pretty much normal.
it varies for everyone.

WorkingMomofTwo · March 2011

I had C/S and it took me a LONG time to fully recover from that, but you are being sliced open from side to side and in and out. i think it took about 5-6 weeks before walking correctly and about 8-9 weeks before everything felt better everywhere. Every woman recovers differently though.

LauraLovesJon · March 2011

With DD I had a c/s and it took me about 4 weeks to feel somewhat normal.

With DS I had a vaginal delivery and I was up walking within 30min. of delivering him, the difference between the two was crazy. I felt normal probably within 5 days, but it took me a lot longer to feel comfortable with sex than it did with the c/s.

ETA: I had a 2nd degree tear with DS.

Azrayla · March 2011

I had a vaginal delivery no tearing/no stitches.. I was grocery shopping at 4 days after I left the hospital..It hurt a bit to walk but I'd say it got a lot better after two weeks.. I had a REALLY hard time urinating the first two weeks (Had microtears so it felt like my crotch was on fire when I went.. even with the peri bottle) after that it got so much better..

Also, I lived on icepacks.. It did hurt to sit for a long time though.

ETA: Sex hurt for a long time...Months..the first time I was in tears it hurt so bad and that was at least 2 months PP

finally2006 · March 2011

I had a third degree tear but I was able to fully care for the baby from day one. Just not run around or anything. It hurt to sit a bit but not too bad.

flutiefrostie · March 2011

I had a 2nd degree tear and had a really hard time walking more than a few steps. It was probably close to 6 weeks before I could walk around the block without my bleeding getting worse. I was surprised at how long it took.

lildevil968 · March 2011

Lurking....but it took me about 2 days and that was after having a 3rd degree tear.

bellethebride · March 2011

I had a vaginal delivery and was up and around within 24 hours (I just had to wait for the epidural numbness in my legs to wear off).

I was definitely in discomfort for the first 2 weeks. But could move around easily. I think I was up and around normally by the time I got home from the hospital (still slow moving but definitely mobile).

eortman · March 2011

I had a vaginal forceps delivery with quite a bit of tearing, so I think my recovery was longer than most. I could walk right away, but not without pain meds and pain. I still had some pain until about 7 weeks after delivery and certainly was not comfortable sitting or walking, but it was pretty manageable after the first 3 weeks or so.

Mereou12 · March 2011

I had a dream pregnancy and awesome vaginal delivery...but for me, post partum healing was pure hell.

I had an extensive tear and cracked my tailbone during labor, so moving from standing to sitting was extremely painful for many, many weeks. I was able to walk easily within a day or two, but sitting down was excrutiating.

My tear wasn't fully healed even by my 6 week PP check-up. It was another few weeks until it healed, and even now at 15 months PP, sex is *still* painful at times.

One of the worst parts of PP healing was pooping. Yep, I said it. I feared pooping with every ounce of my being. It hurt SO badly, thanks to the tear and the horrific hemmis that I developed after labor.

But, every woman's experience is different...you'll hear a huge range of experiences from being up and back to normal within days to hellacious year long recoveries. There's no way to predict what'll happen after your delivery.

lololoco · March 2011

I had a vaginal delivery and was walking within an hour. Was uncomfortable for a day, then wore the ice pack panties and did the sitz baths for a few days. Within a week it was like having a period. 2 weeks I was all good! 6 weeks was fully back to all normal activity and having sex again (which was uncomfortable the first few times, but got better each time).

memali26 · March 2011

I had a vaginal delivery, very small tear and a few stitches. I was up and in the shower about 15 or 16 hours after DD was born, and home about 40 hours after. I was stiff and a little sore for a few days and had a hard time doing stairs for almost a week, but by about 2 weeks I was feeling great. Sitting and using the bathroom were painful for about a week, and uncomfortable for maybe another week after that, but by 5 1/2 weeks PP I was pretty much back to normal and pushing a stroller around the zoo.

SailorGray · March 2011

I had a vag delivery with a pretty bad tear. I was walking within the day, but that was really only to go from my hosp. bed to the bathroom. I would say that it took about a week for me to not have to sit on DS Boppy. I also had a 'roid and that Boppy was a lifesaver. I was pretty tender for several weeks and sex...HA! That hurt even after I got the go ahead from OB at 6 weeks.

Total recovery takes awhile, but there are different levels of it. The first few days are all about blood and ice, but pretty soon you can get out and run errands, visit people, etc.

12bailey18 · March 2011

Get out of bed? As soon as the epidural wore off I was walking around, talking with company, taking a shower, etc. I'd say a few hours. I delivered vaginally (with epi) and did tear somewhat. It took me a few days to really heal and feel comfortable and I'd say 6 weeks to feel back to "normal."

dmogmo · March 2011

I delivered via c/s. My recovery was fine. By the time I got out of the hospital, I was doing most things fairly normally - albeit more slowly. I wasn't in much pain at all and only ever had to take motrin.

SFAug07 · March 2011

I had an easy vaginal delivery and was out of bed right after the delivery. I was out of the hospital the next day and going for a 3 mile walk with DD in the stroller the day after. I started running again 1 week after and ran a full marathon 2 months later.

COMomma81 · March 2011

I had a c-section after 30 hours of induced labor. I was exhausted, but still felt I recovered pretty well. I was pretty out of it the day of (delivered at 6:32 a.m.), but as long as I stayed on top of my meds, I was fine. I voluntarily left the hospital a day early and walked out, no wheelchair for me! I was doing stairs well by 5 days postpartum and feeling really pretty good by 2 weeks PP and went on several outings. I did feel it took me a good 6 weeks to feel pretty back to normal...i.e. able to keep up with laundry, lift things, and just feel more back to "me".

duhdaisy86 · March 2011

I had a vaginal birth, with an epi, and I did tear slightly but not alot.

I was up right after I gave birth, and felt fine...

itsmevkb · March 2011

I had significant tearing with my first child which led to it being a few weeks before I could walk or sit comfortably. I also had zero bladder control when I coughed or sneezed or laughed in those early weeks. It was not fun. However, it was not as though I was bed ridden.

The recovery with my second was easier. I still tore but not nearly as badly and so I really was feeling back to normal in about a week.

Unknown · March 2011

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measrn · March 2011

I had great recoveries with each of my c-sections. I was up walking around as soon as they let me. I was given a prescription for Vicodin, but didn't feel the need to take it

llcoolay · March 2011

WorkingMomofTwo:
I had C/S and it took me a LONG time to fully recover from that, but you are being sliced open from side to side and in and out. i think it took about 5-6 weeks before walking correctly and about 8-9 weeks before everything felt better everywhere. Every woman recovers differently though.

This was me and I had a c-section too.

Beckypooh09 · March 2011

I had a c-section and was up and around a few days after. Of course, it was more tiring and uncomfortable but I was certainly capable of walking around. Even at 3 or 4 weeks I got tired quickly from walking too much but I'd say by 6 weeks I was doing pretty good. But every one is different as I'm sure plenty of other people have already said.

Ivana_Stolichnaya · March 2011

I gave birth vaginally and had two tears from a vacuum extraction.

For the first week I was in a lot of pain but I could walk for very short periods of time. After giving birth you bleed a lot for the first few days and walking around would get the blood flowing so I had to take it easy and sit or lie down. I remember laying on my bed, watching TV with an ice pack on my crotch and it felt so good!

What a lot of 1st timers don't anticipate, is giving birth is a workout, it's like running a marathon without really training for it. I woke up the next morning after giving birth feeling like I had been run over by a truck. Not only my vag hurt but my whole torso and arms were stiff and sore. I was on pain meds for almost a month and had to use a donut pillow to sit with. I also lost my appetite for a month and couldn't handle anything with a lot of flavor or salt. My Dr. said that was a sign of stress for having a new child in the house.

Kml9876 · March 2011

I had a vaginal delivery and really it wasn't bad. I had my pp check up at 6 weeks but I was healed and feeling great well before then. I did nurse I don't know if that helped to speed my recovery.

iteachk · March 2011

I had a vaginal delivery with no complications and I couldn't walk for long periods (like shopping) for about two weeks. Maybe a little less.

megd06 · March 2011

I had a natural (meds-free) delivery and other than feeling a little "sore" down in my vagina--I was perfectly fine to be up walking around within an hour of labor. I was getting tired easily, but that was it. No tearing, so that helped too. I would have been up earlier--I was asking to get up to shower w/in 30 min of delivering--but the hospital policy was to wait an hour or 2 before getting out of bed.

SnackBot · March 2011

I was able to walk around (carefully and slowly) a few hours after giving birth, and I had a really hard labor (6+ hours of just pushing, epidural, episiotomy). I was sore down there for about two weeks (don't even get me started on sex-related soreness). Anyway, it was really important to me and my doctor that I was mobile early on to help along the healing process. I wasn't running around or anything, but I definitely made sure to get up and move as much as was safely possible.

KentuckyMama · March 2011

I had a VERY easy vaginal delivery and was perfectly fine the day I came home from the hospital! Money was tight because I had been on bedrest off and on a lot during my pregnancy, so I went back to work at 2.5 weeks post-partum. I was perfectly capable of doing everything I had done prepregnancy at that point!

rab41380 · March 2011

I was back to the gym in 2 weeks, but I also had a very easy delivery and very little tearing. It really depends on how your delivery goes. My best friend was in pain for about a month.

lucylea · March 2011

I had a scheduled c-section and was out of bed that evening and it only took that long because that was hospital policy. I was walking normally by the time I left the hospital and back to my normal self within a week. I never required any pain medication and feel so lucky that I had such an amazingly easy recovery. I'm really hoping it goes as smoothly the second time!

Sex was a bit painful at first, but that was more due to hormone fluctuations and the fact that my thyroid went way out of whack after delivery.

Stellar1 · March 2011

I was fine right away. Yeah my bottom was a little sore but that was it. I don't think it really took anytime to recover.

rubyshoes7 · March 2011

I had a natural delivery. I was practically dancing down the hospital halls. It all depends on A. your delivery and B. your health before delivery.

Of course the doctor will advise against any strenuous activity for the first 6 weeks, but like I said I was immediately back to normal aside from a few stitches "down there".

sarie1621 · March 2011

Lurking--

I had a scheduled C-Section, and I was perfectly fine the next day. Showered, and was getting in and out bed completely on my own. I delivered on Friday, and on Sunday when I went home I was honestly back to normal. Didn't take anything but ibprofen for pain for a few days and everything was smooth.

Never had any trouble showering or caring for my daughter and I was back to work within 3 weeks.

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