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C-sections
When you say, "My recovery wasn't bad" . . .. . .
What do you mean by that? I felt like my recovery was terrible but that was because:
-- I couldn't get out of bed for 8 hours and didn't have my catheter/iv out for 12 hours
-- I was itching like crazy from the duramorph in my spinal
-- I had a UTI afterwards
-- I couldn't really walk more than a mile or so for a week and couldn't really run for 5 weeks and I wanted to exercise asap
-- My scar looks like sh*t
-- I'm still kind of upset that I had one in the first place and it was an all-around terrible experience for me.
But relatively speaking, it was probably okay because I didn't have any serious complications. If you thought your recovery was fine, what were your expectations vs. what you actually felt like?
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Re: When you say, "My recovery wasn't bad" . . .. . .
I didn't feel like my recovery was bad. I kept the catheter and IV until the next morning too. But, my legs were so weak from the spinal, I don't know that I could have walked to the bathroom more than once that night. I was sore for about a weak. No itching. I did have an allergic reaction to the internal sutures and that was annoying, but just in the fact that I had to keep a dressing on and change it several times a day. My OB told me going in I wouldn't be cleared to exercise until 6 weeks pp. By 2 weeks pp, I was up doing stuff around the house though. My expectations were that I was having major abdominal surgery so it would take a few weeks to get back to normal- that is exactly what happened for me.
I had an overall good experience but the thing that hit me most that I considered "bad" was the pain and not being able to really do things for myself that I never knew I would have an issue with. (Like bending over to pull up my underwear and trying to change my pad/clean up down there).
My cath was in for 12 hours and they took it out and had me up walking at that point. I was also itching like some kind of addict needing a fix lol. My face was all scratched up and the benedryl didn't help at all, which was a pain but nothing horrible.
The recovery pain surprised me. My first birth was a vaginal, epi free one. My recovery rocked. I was up walking right after having her, took a shower, went home at 24hrs and barely had trouble with pp bleeding/pain. With the CS it was horrible. I was asking for meds in between what they were giving me. They ended up having to switch me to something stronger. (I haven't really had surgery before - just had a LAP - so i'm not sure what I expected on pain from it. Definetly surprised me though lol.)
I say it "wasn't bad" because I had typical things: shaking afterwards, not getting up for 12 and 6 hrs (respectively), having a catheter in, etc. But I also could walk relatively comfortably within a few days (with drugs), and didn't have a severe infection or a popped stitch.
While I was upset for sometime that I had a c-section, my recovery wasn't bad.
By that I mean I was up and walking that evening. Had no issue going pee or poop (tmi).
I had very little pain and was off IV pain meds and oral pain meds by the next day.
Had my section on Monday, was going home Wednesday.
I hardly took any of the meds the doctor gave me when I got home. Just didn't need it.
The worst part of my recovery was how swollen my legs and feet got. I was on the IV for a long time (was in labor for two days before the c-section) and my legs/feet felt like they were going to burst open. That part sucked, but the swelling went down when I kept my feet up.
My scar is very small, very low, and barely visable.
I had a CS in 2005. I was out of bed 4 hours after surgery, walking the next day, had no problem picking up baby or with stairs. I didn't need anything stronger that ibuprofen when I got home, and had no problems with my incision.
I contrast that with having part of my colon removed in 2009. My blood pressure plummeted and I was stuck in recovery for more than 8 hours. The epidural, which was supposed to be my primary form of pain management, caused me to be unable to move my right leg, and they removed it the morning after my surgery. Unfortunately, it took the pharmacy 2 hours to get me my pain meds, and I was sobbing for those 2 hours. I had a very difficult time walking. I spiked a fever 4 days after surgery, which extended my hospital stay another 2 days. I developed the *worst* yeast infection ever. When I finally got home, my pain meds caused me to hallucinate. Walking up a flight of stairs was a major effort. It took me about 6 weeks before I was even close to normal.
So with the colectomy as my reference point, I'd say my CS recovery was awesome.
This is how I feel still till this day. I think I maybe "mourning" not a normal birth just where I was not so out of control and having so many problem's. But in the end it turned out well
MDC- 10-2-96 CEC- 4-12-98 EEC- 3-10-01
I felt my recovery with #1 was great. I did have the catheter/IV in for that time, but I had no reaction al all to the medication from the spinal. Getting up and walking around was tough the next day, but everyday after that got better. At a week pp I was out running errands like nothing hapened. My scar looks great.
With #2 I felt my recovery was terrible. I got a spinal headache and needed a blood patch, my bp went crazy high and I had to stay in the hospital nearly a day longer than I wanted, I got violently ill from the medication and vomiting hurt my incision so badly that even the strongest painkillers weren't taking the edge off, I had to extend my leave from my whopping 15 hour a week job because I still felt awful, etc.
I wouldn't say my recovery was terrible b/c I couldn't get out of bed for 8 hours or was itchy from the spinal. The first week is less than desirable, it has been for me every time. This one has probably been the worst and it's not that bad, IMO (more pain around my incision than I've ever had, after birth pains were awful this time around, unexplained swelling post partum that is driving me crazy). But, I know I'll feel much better next week and a week after that I'll be fine.
FWIW, my last c/s was 4 yrs ago and te OB and nurses were commenting on how they coudln't even see my scars from my previous 2 c/s's.
DS born via unplanned C-section at 40w6d
Well, I had no real expectations since I had not expected a c/s.
However, other than the UTI, I think our recoveries sound similar. I think anyone who expects to go running immediately after having their abdomen cut open has some unrealistic expectations. I started working out at 6 weeks PP and it was fine. I just started slowly.
My c/s was scheduled due to medical issues, so I checked in at 6:30, DS was born at 9:02a, my catheter was out by 4:30p & I was up walking around (mostly just to the bathroom) that night. The next day, I was walking the halls of the hospital. I had no itching that I remember following the spinal. I only spent 54 hours in the hospital - we were discharged about 48 hours after DS was born - and we stopped at Target to do some shopping for DS on the way home from the hospital. I did have a minor issue with my incision reopening & getting infected, but antibiotics cleared it right up. My scar looks crappy as a result, but that will be fixed when I have my repeat c/s with this one. I only needed pain meds to sleep, and only for a few nights. I was driving a week later. I didn't feel up to exercising until 6-8w out, but I wasn't cleared to exercise until after my 6w pp appointment, so it never crossed my mind.
Both my c/s recoveries were easy. I couldn't get out of bed and walk for 12 hours but I moved all around in bed, held, nursed, did skin to skin all while in bed. Once the 12hrs were up I was taking a shower and moving around my room. I was back to normal and doing everything by 1 1/2wks even after DS2 came. I had no help after that 1 1/2 wks. True exercise I started back at 6wks pp but this is normal for any birth. Even my friends with wonderful vaginal deliveries were not suppose to exercise until 6wk pp. I did start walking the neigborhood about a week after my c/s both times.
For me, I had no expectations for the birth. I just wanted him here and I didn't care how that happened. So my c/s with ds1 wasn't a huge deal and I have never had any regrets, hard feelings, or anger towards having a c/s. I agree with another poster that said it's what you make of it. The friends of mine who hated having a c/s were the ones that had issues with the whole thing even through their recoveries were similar to mine.
I felt like mine was great. I didn't have expectations b/c I never really looked into it thinking it would not be an issue.
I couldn't move my legs for awhile b/c of epidural but that didn't really bother me. The catheter was left in until the next morning when I was able to get up. I think that is pretty standard. I was up and moving around and showered the next morning. My staples came out early b/c I was healing so well and we had Xmas one week later where we go to a million different family parties and we handled it just fine. I honestly did not feel like working out and it was winter so not like I could go out and take walks anyway. I started P90X at 8 weeks and it took me awhile to really be able to do it. I returned to work at 12 weeks and didn't have time anymore for P90X.
Now since I had had one I have read more about them and I know how awful recovery can be. So I feel really blessed that mine went so well.
I am not upset about having one. It was have one or risk my daughter's life so I am really at peace with that and will be having another one this time around.
It sounds like you had a good recovery
That might be the difference. There was nothing that different about my recovery, except I didn't get a UTI and my scar looks more or less fine. In fact I had awful itching after DD due to the Percocet, and awful back pain a few days after DS, possibly due to not taking Percocet. But those were indirectly related to the c/s, and for all I know I might have had other issues after a vaginal birth (especially with DD, which was a difficult labor before my emergency c/s). Recovery itself was okay. I'm not usually all on the "OMG it's major abdominal surgery!!!1!!" bandwagon, but of course you're going to feel like crap for a week after any surgery. DH had his gall bladder out a year ago, which was an outpatient, laparoscopic procedure, and I don't think he felt any better for a week afterward than I did after having my c-sections; he just didn't have any complications from the meds, and he got to sleep more.
I think the last item on your list is the real issue here (I know it is for me). My experience was so terrifying and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. So all of the smaller things on top of it just make it that much worse. In hindsight, I didn't have any major complications during recovery, so I think it "wasn't that bad." But it wasn't that good, either.
bfp#4 3/19/2014 edd 12/1/2014 please let this be the one!
beta @ 5w0d = 12,026! u/s 4/22/14 @ 8w1d it's twins!
I had a csection after a long, hard labor. I felt defeated and upset I couldn't give birth to our son vaginally. However, I felt a sense of relief knowing he was going to be born. I had him 10:55 at night.
I was in a lot of pain(i don't tolerate pain well) for four or five days. I was on pain meds for 8 days, I believe(I did not use all of the prescribed drugs), I hated getting up and out of bed for about 6 or 7 of those days, although by day 4 I was much better. My lower back itched for two days. I waddled for about 7 days.
I did have some excess swelling in my legs and feet. 6 days PP, OB prescribed some meds to help the swelling go down.
My scar is beautiful(if that is possible). It is raised a bit, but barely noticeable. I didn't have any complications in that are at all, even if it felt like my insides were going to rip apart that first week. My incision never really hurt(it was more to the side and up from that area).
I wouldn't say I had a horrific experience, but it still sucked. Compared to many stories I have read on here, it seems like I had an easy time of it.
The pain really wasn't worse than it was with my vaginal delivery, just different.