Whose legs are these?

peanutmuse · January 2014

My legs are painfully and cartoonishly swollen. No one at the hospital has given me any suggestions that work to ease the pain and discomfort. The circumference of my thigh is more than double its normal size. (I brought a measuring tape for while I was working on my crochet projects, so this is not exaggeration.) Does anyone have any suggestions for relieving the swelling? I am drinking a ton of water, elevating them, walking as much as I can with the pain. None of those things have helped at all.

On top of everything, my pain has now become completely out of control. Wonderful.

ETA: I've also had those boots to stop clotting. Those are strange because they work, but only temporarily and only on the area that they touch. My feet, ankles, knees and thighs were still cartoonishly swollen. Very strange.

MiaMyPuggle · January 2014

Is it a reaction from the meds?? I don't know if you'd be retaining water? Are you allergic to the pain killers or the spinal meds? Sorry you're dealing with severe pain on top of it all. Stay on top of the meds. Every 4 hours. Even if you feel ok. I tried toughing it out and regretted it every time.

Cara1024 · January 2014

ouch! I'm sorry for the crazy swelling and the pain in general. I hope someone can give you a helpful suggestion. (I do like that you just happen to have a measuring tape with you in the hospital :P)

slmille4 · January 2014

I swelled like crazy too!!! Thought something was wrong. Doctor said it's just the tissues pushing the swelling into your lymphatic system so u can basically pee it out. I couldn't do anything to seem to speed it but I will say by day 5 mine was gone. Must have had more water weight than I thought because by a week I lost 30 of my 50 lbs I gained.

KimberlyTX · January 2014

I remember my legs swelled after my c/s with DD, but it went down after the first 12 or so hours and didn't sound nearly as bad as what you're describing. The boots did some good, but walking is what really helped me. Has a doctor been by to talk with you about it, and about your pain? I wish I had more helpful advice

jnevin123 · January 2014

I had a ridiculous amount of swelling with this c-section as well. The thing I found most frustrating was the different 'treatment' recommendations that I was given by the nurses. The day shift nurses seemed to be partial to the elevate and rest theory while night shift kept telling us that it would get better the more I walked. Needless to say- they don't even know how to get rid of it. Mine went back to normal 4 days postpartum- I think it's just a matter of time rather than activity level that will provide relief.

Sorry to hear about your pain levels- hopefully that will improve soon too.

Rushley · January 2014

I experienced a great deal of swelling after my first c/s too. My mom is a reflexologist so I had her lightly massage my feet and legs to get the fluid moving. It turned out that i had a large ball of blocked fluid on the bottom of my foot, after she was able to break that up the swelling subsided after a few days.

cnwilbur1030 · January 2014

Sorry about the pain!

I had lots of swelling with both CS. With DD, the top of my foot would keep jiggling after I stopped walking. I could only wear DH's flip flops

This time is a bit better, but I'm still kinda swollen 1 week post partum.

I was told it was the horomones and fluid shifts that make it that way. Walking helps (the leg muscles help pump the fluid out of the cells and up the lymphatic tract back to your torso), standing and not moving hurts it, and elevating feet when resting helps (gravity). If one is a lot larger than the other or has redness, warmth, streaking, or pain, let your dr know because those are blood clot signs.

Edit: spelling is hard

MrsGraham06 · January 2014

I have a lot of swelling as well. It's pretty normal to have swelling. My feet are twice their size, I came home today in socks. For me it seems to depend on how much IV fluids I get. Also for me...it just takes time.

[Deleted User] · January 2014

Yup, I had a ton of swelling after my cs. Best advice is to walk and massage. Monitor them and if you feel something doesn't feel right, contact the nurse. I hope you are enjoying your time with LO.

ChuggingWater · January 2014

No c/s, but my swelling was insane, too. It was awful on day five.

peanutmuse · January 2014

Thanks ladies. Knowing that I'm not alone is good enough to help get me through. I just can't wait to go home. I hate this place. I have spent way too much time here!

ChuggingWater · January 2014

The tops of.my feet HURT because of the swelling.

peanutmuse · January 2014

ChuggingWater said:
The tops of.my feet HURT because of the swelling.

@ChuggingWater -- yup, mine too. It feels like my skin is actually going to tear in a few places. But the worst for me is the swelling happening directly under my incision on my pubic bone. It feels like it's pulling at the staples. Terrible.

ChuggingWater · January 2014

That's how my cankles were. I thought they were going to rip open like the incredible hulk.

Jackapatamus · January 2014

I swell as well- my feet get huge! I was still swollen at 7+ days after. I was told lots of fluid and keep moving. I actually brought flip flops to the hospital-just in case I was too swollen for my slippers. I would definitely show the dr. How the area under the incision is swollen, I did not swell there. Keep up with your pain meds! I hope you feel better and able to go home soon!

cnwilbur1030 · January 2014

@peanutmuse With DD I labored and pushed for a bit before my CS and got a lot of IV fluids during that time. I had the same swelling above and below my incision. It got better when the staples were out. And for me, the abdominal binder helped the swelling and pain. I started using it about 1 week post baby and wore it over a nursing cami so it wouldn't rub on the incision. With DD, the binder was from motherhood maternity. This time, I asked my nurse and she got a hospital one that works the same. May be worth the try.

LabPupLuv · January 2014

I had the same thing. My doctor and nurses said it was from the salt in the bags of saline they gave me during and post operation, the more bags through your IV that you received during labor/surgery = more fluid. The tops of my feet actually sloshed as I walked! I was told it just takes time for your kidneys to clear it, but to drink lots of water.try putting you feet up on pillows above your head too. ( tough after c/s...) Landon was born on the 7th and yesterday I finally felt more normal. One foot is still a little swollen tho.

Added: oh, and night sweats is another way your body tries to clear the excess water. Fun, fun...

Added #2: also, cardiologist told my doctor that he hates how much IV fluid women get in L&D because the pressure on the veins increases bp. Just realized this will probably apply to you too, my chronically high bp friend... Expect some high numbers.

jwp325 · January 2014

Swelled as well. It was weird since I didn't swell much during pregnancy. Agree with PPs that it's probably due to IV fluids.

kteeswei · January 2014

Time was the only thing that helped. I had to buy larger pants because none of my maternity pants fit the swelling was so bad. Two weeks in it was dramatically better. It didn't start to improve until week two but it did get better fast. I was told it could take up to 6 weeks. It was worse than the c-section pain for me. Sucks.

Piach · January 2014

I had bad swelling with my first. My husband wrapped my legs with ace bandages which helped (basically compression stockings, but he could easily get my whole legs). Then elevate.

Also, as many have said, getting up & walking.

yogamama13 · January 2014

I had really bad swelling after my cs too. I felt bigger/heavier then when I was pregnant. I could barely fit in my sneakers when we left the hospital. Then when I got home I had terrible night sweats for 2 weeks- I think I was sweating out all that water. When I put my sneakers on again for the first time I was amazed by how loose and stretched they were from my trip home from the hospital . The good news was one morning I woke up like 15lbs lighter and all the swelling was gone.

Jmattis · January 2014

The same thing happend to me (had DS a week ago) and the only thing that helped was drinking a lot of water and urinating every 5 minutes. It went away after a few days and my legs look and feel normal again. I did not have a lot of swelling at the end of my pregnancy and it was only caused from the pit and all of the fluids they were pumping in me.

ETA: no sleep and can't formulate sentences

sugarland726 · January 2014

Yes to the IV fluids, and I peed most of it out. I was still pretty swollen when I left the hospital.

Also, since you are in a lot of pain, if you need to cough, sneeze, or laugh, hold your stomach tightly and then do that. It will be considerably less painful for you.

sleepymonkey · January 2014

I was hardly swollen during my whole pregnancy so I was shocked at the swelling in my lower half after my c-section. My feet looked like they could pop and it felt weird to walk on them. My whole abdomen was ridiculously swollen as well. The only thing that helped was stopping the IV on day 2 and trying to walk, which is no easy feat with the pain. The swelling was almost gone by the time I left the hospital on the 4th day. As far as the pain, it gets a little worse on day 2-3 and then starts getting better. I held off on the painkillers and when I took them, I found they didn't do much for me. The rx ibuprofen helped more just to take the edge off. They say walking helps the pain but I was a wimp and only would get up to walk the hallway once a day.

erika_sue · January 2014

I didn't swell at all either during pregnancy, but after my c/s my feet and legs ballooned up terribly. It took about ten days for it go down. The thing that helped me the most besides drinking and peeing a ton was sleeping with my feet propped up on my body pillow folded in half in my bed.

[Deleted User] · January 2014

You know what I was just thinking, Jacob retained a lot of fluid in the NICU and the doctors gave him something called LASIC (sp?) it's basically supposed to help the body flush the fluids out quicker and reduce the swelling. If you are super uncomfortable, I wonder if they can give it to you. The results are immediate. You will pee it all out. Can't hurt to ask!

aessary03 · January 2014

I'm sorry you're so miserable, @peanutmuse. I, too, had a ridiculous amount of swelling after my c/s. I think some retention is normal. If it's out of hand, you might ask your ob for some lasix to help the swelling go down. Mine was so out of hand, I was on lasix for two weeks after the c/s. It did help. A lot. It does make you pee a lot, too.

Hope you get to feeling better very soon.

OnBabymaking226 · January 2014

I had really bad swelling after my CS also. It peaked about 6 days PP, and went away a few days after that. I didn't do anything to get rid of it, just figured time would. The worst was the tops of my feet.

@Kvochka Lasix is great for flushing fluid, but it is not recommended in breastfeeding if I remember correctly because it can inhibit milk supply. Not sure if @peanutmuse is nursing, but something to keep in mind!

peanutmuse · January 2014

Thanks for all of the suggestions, ladies. It is marginally better in my thighs today, but worse in the canks. Oh well. Water & peeing, that seems to be my best shot.

rowanthefrog · January 2014

My legs were pretty swollen for a couple of days after my C-section. They pump you full of fluids, etc. The good news is you will look down in the next day or so and your old legs will be back!!

A

kkaty · January 2014

peanutmuse said:

The tops of.my feet HURT because of the swelling.
@ChuggingWater -- yup, mine too. It feels like my skin is actually going to tear in a few places. But the worst for me is the swelling happening directly under my incision on my pubic bone. It feels like it's pulling at the staples. Terrible.

This is what my feet felt like after my C/S w #1 after 22 hr labor. My midwife gave me a water pill, and I we busted out of the hospital a day early w/ a pill to go. It took several days to make the "tearing" feeling go away. See if they'll give you a diuretic (safe for nursing). Good luck!

Kbrasher85 · January 2014

Lurker coming out of lurkdom to give my 2 cents because I had similar swelling issues after my c-section. I looked like the michelin man from the waist down and was miserable! My doctor wouldn't prescribe lasic because of kidney/liver issues so I did some research and read that eating a whole cucumber a day can help. I gave it a shot and within 2 days my swelling was 90% gone!

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