How soon after were you allowed out of bed?

marissaw5 · January 2012

With my unplanned CS with DS I was given an epidural. Afterward I wasn't allowed to get up until 6 hours after. I felt well enough to get up WAY earlier than that, but all they would let me do was slightly incline the bed every half hour. DS was in the NICU and I hadn't even seen him yet so I was anxious to get up. Even with this slow process I still got a HORRIBLE spinal headache. Is it different with a spinal? I'd like to get up and moving as quickly as possible with RCS in a few weeks because I know it makes a huge difference in recovery. Share you experience! Thanks!

Edit* I guess I'm wondering two things actually, 1-when were you allowed to sit up, and 2- when were you allowed out of bed? Thanks!

uncharch7 · January 2012

I wasn't allowed up until 12 hours post-op; that's when the cath came out and the effing leg things came off. I was SO happy to get out of bed.

I had an epi during labor and then the spinal for the c/s.

MDmama519 · January 2012

My c-section was at 4:30 in the afternoon and by lunch the next day, I was out of bed.

JG362009 · January 2012

Longest 12 hours of my life

marissaw5 · January 2012

Ok, what you ladies are saying sounds about right! But there was someone who posted on 3rd tri about her CS that said she was up and walking 2 hours after.. can that be for real?

EveryNameIWantIsTaken · January 2012

marissaw5:
Ok, what you ladies are saying sounds about right! But there was someone who posted on 3rd tri about her CS that said she was up and walking 2 hours after.. can that be for real?

I still didn't have full feeling in my legs after 2 hours. I'm pretty sure I was standing that evening from a morning c-section and walking the next morning when the cath came out. I could sit up immediately when I got to recovery as long as I was comfortable.

Mama Jan · January 2012

I was sitting up right away with both.

DS1 born at 2:40pm and I was allowed to stand up at 9pm, then walk the next morning and get my cath out.

DS2 born at 12:10pm and I fought my nurses like crazy because I wanted to get up and walking that afternoon. They said 24 hours was standard but I nagged them every time they came in my room. I didn't get up and walking until 10am the next day. I was pissed.

Talked to my ob about it today as I plan for my c/s on Thursday and she thought 24 hours was a loooong time. She thinks it may have been bc of the different drugs used by the anesthesiologist. She told me to talk to him about it and tell him I want to get up asap. So I'll try that this time and again I am going to nag nag nag until they let me get up. IMO the sooner you get up and walking, the quicker you heal!

Mama Jan · January 2012

marissaw5:
Ok, what you ladies are saying sounds about right! But there was someone who posted on 3rd tri about her CS that said she was up and walking 2 hours after.. can that be for real?

I read that too and that didn't sound right to me. Maybe attempting to stand but even that sounds way too early. But who knows.... I guess it's possible??

byrne15 · January 2012

I had an emergency c-section. I had already had an epidural and was pushing for 1.5 hours when they knocked me out with general anesthesia. I woke up 2 hours after ds was born. I really didn't even know what was going on until about 4 hours after he was born. I got up to walk around about 8 hours after he was born.

swimiz500 · January 2012

Ugh, 24 long, long hours. I had to be on magnesium, and had to lay flat for 24 hours. But that probably will not be your case. My c-section was planned but I got really sick during it. I want to say they had told me before the surgery, "a few hours" depending on how you are doing.

islandlife · January 2012

My c-section was at 5:15 in the evening and the nurse came to get to to walk at 6:30am or so.

roiko411 · January 2012

24 hrs. I had the cath and IV running the whole time.

pghjen · January 2012

byrne15:
I had an emergency c-section. I had already had an epidural and was pushing for 1.5 hours when they knocked me out with general anesthesia. I woke up 2 hours after ds was born. I really didn't even know what was going on until about 4 hours after he was born. I got up to walk around about 8 hours after he was born.

I had an emergency c-section with general anesthesia as well - I was up and out of bed around 10ish hours after surgery...

Littlekicks · January 2012

I had a planned c-section with my second at 9am. I was allowed to walk to the bathroom, with assistance, late that afternoon. Probably had to stay in bed for about 8 hours. I was sitting up right away though, because laying flat made me nauseous.

FemShep · January 2012

DD was born at 4PM (I knew I'd have a c section because of medical issues, but she arrived before her planned delivery date) and I was in a chair next to my bed by 8 PM that night and walking the following morning. My nurses encouraged me to get up and about as quickly as possible and I felt up to it.

pepomntpat · January 2012

I had a spinal. I was up about 12 hours post op. I was sitting up around 3 hours after surgery...maybe a little sooner. I know I was sitting when I first got to BF and that was around 2.5-3 hours after the surgery.

QCinOct · January 2012

marissaw5:

-when were you allowed to sit up, and 2- when were you allowed out of bed? Thanks!

they took my catheter out about 6 hours pp, and had me go to the bathroom at that point. I think I was sitting up before then though.

lucylea · January 2012

I was allowed to sit up as soon as I was in recovery. I was sitting up nursing DS within the hour. I was allowed to get up and move about my room after about 6 hours and then released to walk the halls after 12 hours. I actually had dinner sitting in a chair in my room that first night.

jb2rn · January 2012

I was sitting up right away..I had an epi, not a spinal. I stood at the side of the bed about 3 hours after surgery. They wanted me to wait but I know the importance of early ambulation after surgery so I had dh help me.

aandg · January 2012

I wasn't allowed to get up until 24hrs after surgery. This was when they took the cath out, the leg things off and disconected me from all the monitors.

KeyLime81 · January 2012

I had an epi, not a spinal, so this might be different...

LO was born at 5:57pm...on our camera, there's a picture of me semi-sitting/reclining in bed holding him at 6:30. I know I started BFing shortly after that. My hospital is big on getting LO to BF within the first hour as long as both mom and baby are doing well.

I had the leg compression thingies, an IV, and a cath for the next 24 hours, but that didn't stop me from getting out of bed. Around midnight (6 hrs post surgery), the nurse helped me walk from my bed to the bathroom...just a few steps, but still something! The next day I also took a little walk around the L&D floor connected to all my fun stuff.

Punken13 · January 2012

I was allowed to sit up right away....with both c-sections I was not able to get up for about 12 hours but they wheeled me to the NICU in my bed to see DS #1 on my way from recovery to my room......With DS #2 he was stable enough to stay with me in recovery and then went to the NICU when I left recovery. My cath and all that fun stuff stayed put for atleast 24 hours!

cottonlily84 · January 2012

I think it does make a difference between spinal and epidural. My sister had an epi during her vaginal delivery and wasn't allowed out of bed for a particular time. I think the epi lasts longer. I had a spinal and about 3 hours after delivery I had nurses helping me out of bed to go see the baby. They would've come sooner but I still couldn't feel my legs even at this point. They didn't have a time frame (other than when I was in recovery - 45-60 min) where I was expressly forbidden to get up. As quickly as I got up I was still having trouble moving 3 weeks later. It doesn't always help and if I was forced to do it again I'd take it easy instead.

I heard that lying flat after a spinal could help reduce the headaches. I got one after my first surgery and it was AWFUL. I vomitted every time I sat up. So for the second and the c/s I was terrified to move much afterward and didn't try to incline.

ambigs · January 2012

i don't remember how many hours i was in bed with my 1st c/s. but with c/s # 2, it was schedule for 7:00am. DD was born at 7:30 and by 2:00 in the afternoon my nurse asked me if i wanted to try getting out of bed and helped me walk to the bathroom. she actually took my catheter out and asked if i wanted to start on oral pain meds. i said yes b/c i hate the morphine. recovery was so much faster with my repeat c/s than with my first!

mlf625 · January 2012

I think it was about 9 hours with DS. With DD, I was eager to get moving even sooner, so I started pestering the nurse to remove my catheter about 5 hours after the surgery. c/s was at 7am, and cath came out just after 12. I was up and walking by 1. Not moving quickly by any means, but moving.

I had a spinal, fwiw.

RaeAnt · January 2012

I can't really give you an accurate time frame since I was pretty out of it after my E-c/s, but as soon as the catheter was removed, they wanted me out of bed. In fact, they pretty much insisted. I have to agree. That while getting up and back down were pretty unpleasant, once i was up, I felt relatively good. I was up walking the hallways before going home and also was home after 3 days instead of the standard 4 for a c/s. of course part of that was due to my begging and pleading because i didn't want to still be in the hospital on Christmas Day. Plus i had done everything they wanted...farted, peed, took a shower...and as i said I was walking the halls. Plus, it helped i had my mom staying with me after coming home and we were in a 1 story at the time. That all worked to my favor in them letting me go home.

TamTam624 · January 2012

I had an Epi with DS and I was up walking with Cath out 2-3 hours after surgery. I had a long failed induction which was 5 days so I wanted to take a shower as soon as possible.

I am hoping that I will be able to get up and walk again so quickly with my repeat. We will see. This question made me think about asking my Dr. about the difference between the c-section with the epi and one with a spinal.

MuckDiva · January 2012

My hospital wanted me out of bed 12 hours post c/s. She was born at 2pm so rather than have me out of bed at 2am the nurses let me wait until 6am. I felt great and was able to sit in a chair, put my contacts in, and wash my face before DD was rolled in at 7am and DH got there around 9. He was SHOCKED that I had already been out of bed. They want you up soon afterwards and I think it helped with my quick recovery. The doctor kept me in for 4 days because he saw that after 2.5 days I was started to over do it (I was walking laps in the hall with DD) and he actually asked me to get back into bed for a day to rest.

ghdst1 · January 2012

it was 24 hours for me only because I was on IV magensium sulfate for 24 hrs after birth.

Mrs_MBed · January 2012

With DD1 it was about 12 hrs. They sat me up and got me out of bed. I'd became sick after the surgery and then just went to sleep - I was so exhausted and DD1 had been taken to the NICU for breathing problems.

With DD2 it was about 4 hours. The nurses came in to get me to sit up and since I felt up to it allowed me to get into a wheelchair and go visit DD2 (she was born at 33 wks and went straight into the NICU). A few hours after that, they took the catheter out and I was allowed to move around on my own.

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