CS Question

dmontgo · November 2016

Hey Mamas,

I've got a question regarding CS healing. I noticed today that my incision has bled a little across half of it, about the size of a quarter. Not gushing or anything. I'm just wondering what your experiences with this are. I am not running a fever or feeling sick, but I'm thinking I am overdoing it. There isn't redness, although there is still yellow bruising.

I called my doctor but no one is answering their on-call line right now, so I will call again tomorrow.

Any experiences with this? Thanks ladies.

sourlemon · November 2016

I had bleeding from part of my incision for a few weeks...but only when I overdid it. I was told to make sure I didn't get a fever and that the area around the incision didn't get warm to the touch. but it's definitely worth a call (and answer).

The bruising for me took a month to really go away across my whole belly. I had more bruising on the side they started the incision on and that took a good 6 weeks to go away. the scar is also thicker on that side.

dmontgo · November 2016

@sourlemon Thank you! Yeah I think I just have overdone it this weekend because DH had to go to drill and I've been doing more than I have been with him being here. It's not burst open or gushing or anything, but yeah...I'd rather be safe than sorry. DH comes home tonight and will take a look at it too. Always helps having a medic at home! At my last check they said it's looking great, so hopefully it's just a matter of me needing to seriously rest.

sourlemon · November 2016

It's so annoying...you don't really know you are overdoing it until it's way overdone. I always felt great doing stuff...then an hour later I payed the price. this time around I plan on doing much less but with a baby and toddler, I'm not sure how that's gonna go.

yellingbanana · November 2016

I've had bleeding from the incision as well, but the same- only when I overdid it. Unfortunately, it's pretty easy to overdo it when recovering from a c-section.
You probably need to take it easy. As long as there is no yellow pus, or a stinky smell, it's probably fine. But rest more!!!

dmontgo · November 2016

Thanks ladies! Puts my mind at ease. No funky smells or anything! It IS hard to know if you've overdone it. In the mornings I feel really good but then today I had a rude awakening. DH is probably going to scold me for being stubborn when he gets home haha.

jennbaylor12 · November 2016

Ditto the others.... give yourself a break momma and rest!!!

Christinaruth74 · November 2016

Just echoing everyone else. It's so hard to tell when you've overdone it until it's too late so it's always better to be safe than sorry! I remember having some bleeding from my incision so they just had me slap a pad on it... super attractive but worked well.
No fever is a good sign, too. I remember thinking I was back to normal and could do whatever I wanted around 3-4weeks PP and then got hit with fever and chills and knew it was time to cut it out.

Get some rest❤️

dmontgo · November 2016

Thanks ladies!
Got it looked at and it's fine, fortunately. She scolded me and said to rest, no excuses! DH got home last night and has helped me a lot, so it hasn't bled since. Taking it seriously so I can be in the best shape for Ashton as I can be.

dmontgo · November 2016

Some more questions I have:

1. How long did it take your dissolvable stitches to dissolve?

2. What did you do to help with the CS pooch? I'm not in a hurry to do anything about it, but I wanted to ask in case the board dies. Is it caused by the abs being weak? I'm wearing a PP girdle and it has helped me so much with core strength. Hoping it will help my abs heal together.

fauxpa-2 · November 2016

@dmontgo I am no help on your questions because I'm a ftm, but wanted to ask you how you are liking the bellefit. Is it comfortable?

dmontgo · November 2016

@Fauxpa YES. I didn't anticipate that my core would hurt from being so weak, and the Bellefit provides excellent support. It's slimming, too, and gives you confidence wearing more form-fitting clothes if you choose to.

However, I wasn't able to wear it right away. I wore an abdominal binder from the hospital (essentially a Belly Bandit) until a few days ago so my tummy could shrink down first, and I'm glad I did. I got the side clasp and zipper Bellefit and it's been great. It was $100, but honestly money well spent for me. Definitely recommend.

Diamond0323 · November 2016

I didn't have stitches on the outside. I had sterry strips that took about a week to fall off. As far as your ab muscles being weak, it takes time to heal and they will get stronger but it hurts like hell. With my last CS I started working out (sit ups, cardio, ect) at 5 months PP and felt like I was getting ripped in half again. Yoga was the only thing that didn't hurt, it's slow and you have more control so you don't over do it. I was 2 years PP when I found out this baby was coming, I still had the pouch at the base of my belly and my scar had just turned a normal color (not purple). I used the creams and I exercised but sometimes it just doesn't work like they show on late night infomercials. It's very frustrating but try to remember that you were cut in half and the healing process for that is way longer. Also the numbness and tingles you get in the scar area doesn't go away right away, it took mine about a year before I could bend over completely and not notice it.

sourlemon · November 2016

@dmontgo I had my "c shelf" until I started running again. well, until I was running 10-15 miles per week regularly. but I always had a but of an indentation where the scar was...but I also never lost all the weight.

princesslockness · November 2016

I still have my pooch. My body trainer friend still has hers. Something about the way the skin stretched before it was cut doesn't allow it to totally disapper in many cases.

My scar was clean of stitches/glue/tape in about 3 weeks. Normal colored in 2 months.

dmontgo · November 2016

@sourlemon When did you start running again? I had never had surgery before so I'm a bit clueless on recovery times and not overdoing it.

@Kate08Young Thanks! I still have my internal stitch knot hanging out and it's irritating me. I hope it falls off soon. The skin around it is trying to heal.

Gizmo1231 · November 2016

@dmontgo I started working out at 3 months PP and ripped my incision doing burpees. Lol this time I will be taking it super slow!

yellingbanana · November 2016

@dmontgo are you doing commercials for the bellifit?

Lol, it sounds cool though, I was just planning on continuing to wear my Blanqi support once the scar heals a bit.

I think it took about 2-3 weeks for my stiches to dissolve. But the was my 2nd cs, my 1st one they had to manually remove them but that was 10 years ago.

The pooch, oh the pooch. After my 1st, I managed to get rid of the pooch after 4 years. I exercised and got skinny... and then I got pregnant with DD2. I did not manage to get rid of the pooch after my 2nd cs, but I didn't try that hard. I exercised some off and on and got down to a size 8. But I was also a full-time student and mom, so I was a bit stressed and didn't get enough sleep or exercise. Now that we are on our last baby, I will be a lot more motivated to exercise because I know I won't be getting fat/pregnant/swollen again. For a small person, I gain a lot, 70 lbs, with my 1st, 60 lbs with my 2nd, and so far 50 lbs with this one but I still have a week and a half to go.
After each cs, I was able to start exercising at about 5 months pp. but not to my max exercising, just basic stuff. Just know that it'll take time, there is a chance that the pooch may hang around for a while.

jennbaylor12 · November 2016

I didn't have any external stitches, just staples which were removed before I went home. I started walking pretty quick but it was quite some time before I got into any "real" working out. I had a super easy recovery, was walking laps around the nurses station before I was discharged, felt great by 7 days pp. Still tired easily, had to remind myself to Slow Down!! since I wasn't in any real pain. I didn't take anything but some Aleve once I came home. I wore the belly band from the hospital for a while but it stretched out and I shrunk and it just got to be too big and not really work.... I wish I had gotten something, seriously considering looking for something on Cyber Monday!

dmontgo · November 2016

@yellingbanana If only they'd pay me!

There are a lot of great support garments out there--and Blanqi makes some awesome leggings too! Mother Tuckers, haha.

Thank you for everyone being candid about recovery. I'm under no delusion that the pooch will be gone super quickly and I'm going to be running marathons any time soon.

I don't want to sell myself short and try to neglect ample healing time. I feel good about my body right now despite the pooch. Pumping and breastfeeding have really helped me slim down to *almost* my old self, and that's ok for me--my body just did something pretty amazing! I'll probably just start off walking for a while.

sourlemon · November 2016

@dmontgo I started walking a mile at 3 weeks and was walking 3 miles by 8 weeks when I returned to work.

I started a run/walk regimen I made up at 10 weeks. it started with the 3 mile walk loop and I'd run about 10 seconds, walk 50 seconds. I did that the whole 3 miles. once that wasn't bad, I'd do 20 seconds run, 40 walk..and so forth until I was at 1 minute run 1 minute walk.

it was close to 6 months before I ran a full 5k without walking, and 17 months before I ran a half marathon but that took so long because we just didn't have time to train with a toddler, both of us work8ng full time, and DH doing his masters.

I'm hoping this time is smoother. DH graduates the week the baby is due. I know how recovery feels like and the warning signs to stop...or signs that I thought were bad before that I now know is ok to work through. basically, we have a goal for a half marathon in october...so 11 months. it's a goal I want to work to but won't be too upset if I don't hit it.

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