Recovery time?

samm1983 · October 2011

I'm sure it has been asked a bunch, but I don't see that it has been recently. How long did your recovery take?

I had my c-section 8 days ago and still have A LOT of pain. I am almost out of pain killers and am wondering how I'm going to get through this. I know everybody is different, but I would just like to hear some others timelines for feeling better. I am trying to move more like the nurses suggested, but then I feel worse. I am having a lot of trouble getting up and down and I just want to feel well enough to take care of my baby. Poor DH is doing most of the work.

JG362009 · October 2011

I had duramorph in my spinal which gave about 24 hours of pain relief. After that I took IB profen in the hospital because I'm stubborn and irrational about narcotic pain killers -- I absolutely needed them because I was in so much pain, but I was being ridiculous. I left the hospital on day 2 post op, and I felt awful. I could walk around a bit but it was really uncomfortable. I think worst pain went away around 10 days. I would see if you could get more pain killers. I'm sure my recovery would have been a lot better if I actually took something strong enough to work.

kate05 · October 2011

I finally started feeling somewhat normal about a week and a half after my c-section. I went on walks with DD and DH about a week after. I had more pain on my right side than my left for some reason. I felt better when I walked. I was sore right after but everyday it seemed to get better. I hope you feel better soon.

Ready4life · October 2011

I was on pain meds for about 4 weeks. Then I was able to take regular tylenol if needed. I would contact your Dr. if you need more pain meds. As you said it's different for everyone. Although in my case, I think I took them a little longer than needed and used them more as an anti-depressent after the first couple weeks. So this time around I'm going to try to stop after 2 weeks and get on proper meds if need be.

magdalina.h · October 2011

I don't remember how long it took until I felt better, but I did get a refill on my pain killers.

sytom · October 2011

Last week, I was still taking tylenol and ibuprofen. A nurse told me to take 2 tylenol every 4 hours and on the second hour, to take two ibuprofen and then two more two hours later. I thought it was kinda extreme, but I only had to do that for two or three days and the pain was bearable.

Hope you feel better soon!

ladybugpjb · October 2011

Sorry to hear you're having so much pain.

I recovered fairly quickly - stopped taking the narcotic painkiller around 3 days PP because it gave me crazy dreams, and stopped the Ibuprofen by day 10 or so.

Did anyone suggest to you to hug a pillow against your stomach when you stand up/cough/sneeze? It puts counter-pressure on your incision so that those movements don't hurt quite so much. Also, maybe try sitting on the highest chair you have or sit on pillows to make your seat higher - I remember having issues in the hospital because the bed was so low, and I finally raised it and could get up and down without so much pain.

toriwc · October 2011

I was caring for baby full time at 5 days post op, and that's when I stopped taking motrin. I felt "better" at 8 days. I could sleep on my stomach (very important to me!) at 13 days, and one month out, I feel 100% better. Good luck!

EveryNameIWantIsTaken · October 2011

magdalina.h:
I don't remember how long it took until I felt better, but I did get a refill on my pain killers.

Me too. I think it was around the 2 week mark when I was feeling somewhat better, but was still a bit slow getting up and down, especially from a laying position.

martinimomma · October 2011

Hey there, friend. I am 11 days out and I feel lousy. I stopped the narcotics a couple days ago, but still have discomfort and a general level of exhaustion and disconnectedness that I was not expecting. Not that this answers your question, mins you, but hopefully it validates your concerns about being an outlier. ((hugs))

NewMommy2BeFinally · October 2011

The "pain" part for me lasted at least a month

Back to "normal" took about 2 mons

I have never been in so much pain, but then again, i am bad with any pain.

Then again, I spoke to a lot of women before i had mine and they said their recovery was quick and easy...

mrsw23 · October 2011

I had a very long and painful recovery and my husband also got a good bit of housework in during that time lol.

At first it felt like someone had tried to stab me to death, and the pain radiated throughout my ENTIRE body. I took pain meds while in the hospital and for a few days after coming home then switched to OTC. You don't need to be doing anything other than feeding yourself and baby for the first two weeks. You had major surgery. Thankfully my husband was able to get extra time off work (not easy with the Navy). He did everything for the first few weeks. He even cooked a few nights when we didn't have any meals brought to us! You do need to be moving around and walking, but that's about it. House work is out. I tried that too soon and the next day was rough.

I know how you feel, but know that every day will be better than the day before. It just takes time. I remember thinking I would never feel back to normal, but it does happen eventually. Just get all the help you can, that will really help you heal. Take it easy!

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