How was your C-section recovery?

[A home for their hearts]

I may be needing to have a C-section with my 6th baby. I've never had one before but because I've had two previous shoulder dystocia's I may opt to have one with this baby. My main concern is about recovery. I always leave the hospital 24 hours after I give birth and usually up and about doing normal motherly/wife duties right away. So I'm really wondering how much harder a c-section recovery would be? And, when are you allowed to drive after one? This is really new territory for me and I'm a little scared.

[Hockey Mom]

I've heard of some women who are up and on their feet within 24 hours of a c/s. I was not one of those women. It was excruciating pain for me, and I have a pretty high tolerance for pain. I was on a morphine drip the first 24 hours, then oral demoral (sp) for 5 days after that. 14 months later, when DS9 was extracted via c/s, it was just as awful the second time around.

 

I really hope you get to hear some more positive stories.

 

ETA: I agree w/Manah...two weeks + a lot of outside help. Don't try to be supermom....it will only set your healing back. BTDT.

[Forget-Me-Not]

Definitely harder than my vag births. The second one was easier than the first (planned, spinal anesthesia vs emergency, general anesthesia). I agree with the PP--minimum two weeks of really being down. You'll need to rely a lot on your older kids, or if your DH can take at least two weeks off, I'd highly recommend that.

 

I loved the Toradol in the hospital. It worked far better than anything narcotic. Sadly you can only have it for 72 hours, but it got me up and moving, which is what helps the recovery more than anything :)

 

The driving--they say two weeks, but that's because that's about how long you'll be on narcotics afterward.

[Pawz4me]

My first one was an "emergency" after I'd been in labor for over 24 hours. The recovery wasn't pleasant but wasn't awful by any means. I really didn't have any help afterwards, other than friends/family bringing by a few meals. But it was just me and DH and the baby, so there wasn't a lot I had to do.

 

The second one was planned and it was a breeze. DS was born on Tuesday morning, we came home on Wednesday afternoon and I went out shopping (just a bit) on Thursday afternoon.

 

I *think* the recommendation was to wait two weeks before driving, but I drove short distances long before then.

[Reflections]

I've had three csections. The first one was the hardest but not all that bad. I was on my feet within 24 hours - my doctor's orders. Then it was hard to straighten up. But by the next day I could shuffle to the bathroom.

 

The 2nd one, I barely noticed the pain. By the third, the nurses mouths hung open, because I barely needed pain meds and was getting around just fine after the numbness wore off.

 

Here is some advice, take it or leave it: After the surgery, they put those leg cuff things on you that squeeze - use them to help start moving your legs gently while still laying in bed. Move them side to side and bend at the knee, shuffle them, wave your feet back and forth - anything to keep your legs moving and to keep your stomach muscles from tightening up. Try not to take anything stronger than ibuprofin. They have some stuff that they can give you through your IV that is just like ibuprofin. Get up and move to a chair asap. Nurse the baby as soon as they let you. Try to go to the bathroom within a couple of hours on your own (somebody holding your hand to get there) but without the catheter- usually like 12 hours later. Have someone at home that can take care of all the super critical tasks for the next two weeks. Forget about schooling and housework for those two weeks - you need to rest or you could have complications. Pre make a bunch of dinners. When you get your 6 week check up is usually when you can drive again. And most importantly, try not to mourn this - let it go now. A happy healthy baby is the perfect outcome, not whether you were superwoman who pushed out a baby against all odds. (sorry that sounds harsh, but csections save lives and shouldn't be mourned).

[JustEm]

i haven't had a vaginal birth but have had 3 c-sections and recovered amazingly from all 3. requested early hospital release before 48 hrs were up with 2 of them and was back to most tasks by the 4th day. The key is to get up as soon as you can. I was up 8 hrs after my most recent (4 months ago) and it was the easiest recovery of 3 easy recoveries.

 

My mother who had 9 children had vaginal births for the first 6 and after an emergency c/s with the 7th opted for c/s for the last 2 because they were easier for her to recover from. Don't be scared. It may be hard but stressing about it now before it happens will do no good. Good luck and congrats

[MeaganS]

I've had three. The recovery for each took me about week and a half before I was walking semi-normally and sleeping on my own bed, rather than couch with lots and lots of pillows. It took me about 3 weeks before I was functioning on my own on a basic level (taking care of the kids on my own, but nothing extra, like playing outside or excursions). It took me a month or more to feel like my self.

 

In the hospital, they make you get up and walk after 24 hours. I made it across the room to the bathroom, but that was about it. By the end of the hospital stay (4 days), I could walk down the hall and back, but that was it. I always cried when my prescription for my pain killers ran out, because it sucked big time.

 

It isn't the worst thing in the world, but I would have very realistic expectations of what you will be able to do. Also, you will probably be on way more drugs than you are used to. One of my biggest memories is just how stoned I felt each time. I would just sit there (this was at the hospital). I could hardly even watch movies because my brain was so fuzzy. I was able to take care of the baby and function barely, but looking back, I was definitely not myself. I wouldn't give up the pain killers during that time, though. The pain wasn't excruciating, but it was uncomfortable.

[LuvToRead]

My oldest was vaginal but my 2nd was a scheduled c-section. The c-section was much easier, for me, to recover from. (I had a 4th degree tear with my oldest) I was up the same day, and the next morning I was getting out of bed unassisted. I was on morphine the first 24 hours, and I didn't take anything except Tylenol after that. I actually steamed my carpets about 2 weeks after. I couldn't drive for a week.

[Forget-Me-Not]

Try not to take anything stronger than ibuprofen.

I would say take the pain medication you NEED. Some women are just fine with only ibuprofen, even right after the anesthesia wears off. Others need a little more pain medication than average. Everyone has a different pain tolerance. C-section is major surgery.

 

Here's the thing about post-surgical pain: it's easier to manage if you stay on top of it. Pay attention to the clock, take your meds on schedule, even if you don't feel like you need them yet, because if you let them lapse and the pain breaks through, it takes longer to get it back under control again. There is no shame in using pain medication. If you hurt take it. If you run out and need more ask for it. If you end up taking it a little longer than you thought you would, don't stress.

[zoobie]

I've had three. The first was an emergency, second and third were scheduled. Second was easiest. I wasn't taking more than Advil by discharge (48 hours). Third had complications during surgery and was by far the worst. Shortest hospital stay was 48 hours. There's really no way to guess in advance how you'll do because it depends on the surgery and your individual body's response to it and the anesthesia and everything else. Plan on at least 2 weeks of help.

 

Did you post the thread about the OB suggesting c/s because of size? If you've had two prior shoulder issues, then a c/s isn't a crazy suggestion. I would've given different advice with that info.

 

Definitely take your medicine on schedule. I had to call the nurses 30 minutes before in order to get them 30 minutes late. Ugh.

 

Good luck! I hope everything goes smoothly! Speaking of that--drink prune juice first thing every morning. A big glass. The constipation post surgery was terrible awful!

[QueenCat]

Much EASIER than my v*g birth.C-section was the second of two. No bleeding, which was a HUGE issue with the first. Very little post-birth bloating, another huge issue with the first.

[MrsMommy]

I've had five c-sections. I don't have anything to compare them to, but I don't think they were awful by any means.

 

My best advice is to get up and walking as soon as you're able. No one told me to do that with my first, and it was my "hardest" recovery (although it still wasn't that bad). The other four, I was doing laps of the mother-baby unit with 24 hours, and it made a big difference. And don't be afraid to take pain meds when they're offered...taking the edge off the pain helps you start doing normal stuff sooner.

 

I was told I could drive once I stopped taking the heavy-duty pain meds, so within a few days after I left the hospital. I think some doctors recommend two weeks, but my doc has always been very practical about doing what you need to do.

[Alice]

I’ve had three C-sections. I never had a vaginal birth so can’t compare. They got easier with each one, the first was the hardest as I was tired from laboring before the surgery. But none were terrible.

 

I really think it helps to move/get up as quickly as you are able. I personally ask for a spinal and not an epidural because I don’t want to leave the epidural in after the delivery. I hate the feeling of not being able to move. The spinal wears off fairly quickly so I was able to move my legs and got out of bed the same day as the surgery with #2 and 3. It’s painful but moving really helps. I got the Foley catheter and the IV out as soon as I could convince the doctor. :) I was kind of a pain about it. I can’t take Ibuprofen as I am allergic but I was able to do fine alternating Tylenol and Percocet for about 48 hours and then just Tylenol. I hate being in the hospital so went home at 48 hours for each one.

 

I didn’t push it when I got home and my dh is very helpful but he went back to work at at a week and I was fine. I was pretty much able to do what I needed to do at home. We did have great friends that brought us meals for weeks and I definitely took it easier than usual but it wasn’t that bad. They tell you not to drive for 2 weeks. The theory is that you will be in pain and that will make you suddenly slam on the brakes or something. At least that’s what my OB told me. I’ll just say doctors don’t make the best patients and while I can’t recommend not following medical instructions I may or may not have chosen to drive earlier than I was “allowedâ€. :)

 

I will say though that everyone is different and has a different body. I tend to heal fairly fast and have a fairly high pain tolerance. I also didn’t have any other birth experience to compare to. Listen to your own body and to people who know you. Rest if you need to. Let people take care of you, etc.

 

And congratulations. :)

[Wheres Toto]

My first was vaginal after an induction when my water broke at 36 weeks. I had an episiotomy, and an epidural that didn't work (lost heartbeat, had to turn on side, one side dead/one side feeling full pain). I also experienced blood pressure drops. I ended up staying in the hospital a day longer than the usual for a vaginal delivery (3 days at that time, IIRC) and was sore for a couple weeks.

 

My second (11 years after my first) was an emergency c-section after an attempted induction at 43 weeks. The c-section was done when I kept passing out after 5 or 6 hours of labor, and they kept losing my son's hearbeat. (Doctor said I gave him a few extra gray hairs and stopped delivering babies right after). I was totally spaced out for about 12 hours, didn't get up for slightly over 24 hours. I stayed the full amount of time allowed by insurance. I was fine when I went home, didn't drive for about 10 days.

 

My third (two years after the second) was a scheduled c-section that I ended up going into labor on my own for the first time ever, 5 days before the scheduled date. We had to use a covering doctor but other than that it was easy. I had my tubes tied during the c-section, was up walking within 8 hours, didn't take anything but ibuprofen, and went home the next day. I was careful about lifting but didn't have any trouble sleeping or taking care of my son.

[Tammyla]

My c-section was with my first. I didn't really have any pain afterwards except for a big backache and a headache something awful. I wanted Tylenol for the headache, but had to wait 24 hours for some reason to get it. The staff insisted every c-sec get up and walk the same day, that was pretty difficult, but it was the way it was done there overseas. (They also kept c-sections mothers and babies in the hospital for one week because we lived so far from the hospital. Moms who lived on base stayed 3 days.) I was told not to drive until my 6 week check and not to lift anything bigger than my baby either.

 

Recovery was good for me, no complications and minimal pain; I was sore for a long time though. Getting up for me, from the bed wasn't easy. They suggested a pillow to hold over the tummy for getting up and rolling over. It also helped to keep the baby from kicking me while nursing lying down.

 

I'm glad my hubby was around the first week I was home and came home everyday for lunch after that. I remember feeling so much better at 6 weeks; even the second week felt much better, but doing anything took so much time and effort. You'll be moving slowly so as not to stress your incision and in all honesty, that was the only way I could move for a few weeks. Both of my neighbors also had c-section two weeks before me and they had different experiences. Expect the worst and hope for the best, but don't over do it.

 

*Plan for some help.

*Freeze meals if you can and plan for help.

*A list on the refrigerator or on-line will allow those who have a little time to pick something that fits them and lessens your load.

 

C-sections are very common and rest assured that everything will be okay. I was surprised that it wasn't as horrible as I envisioned.

[Pawz4me]

I got the Foley catheter and the IV out as soon as I could convince the doctor. :)

 

I did the same thing with my second. I made the doc promise before the c-section that he'd put in an order for the catheter and IV to come out ASAP after DS was delivered. And he somewhat reluctantly agreed. Sure enough, within a couple of hours of getting me back in my room the nurse came in and unhooked me from everything, although she did leave in the port for the IV, and she did a bit of good-natured grumbling. I think she thought I was going to cause her a lot of work needing assistance going to the bathroom (I didn't). When the doc came in later that afternoon he said, "You were so eager to get up and moving I was afraid I'd find you mopping the floors or something." :rofl:

 

But it really, really does make recovery faster if you get up and get moving sooner rather than later.

[HS Mom in NC]

I had to have a c-section instead of the homebirth I wanted with my 2nd child.

 

I'm one of the 2% that got a uterine infection from the surgery. No one was at fault, that's just a known risk with any type of surgery. I had a c-section because my left fallopian tube spontaneously ruptured and the placenta started tearing off in early labor. I lost more than half my blood supply. They only give you enough donor blood to get by because the possibility of transmitting diseases in donated blood is a real risk.

 

Because my blood supply was so low I couldn't fight the infection on my own very well. My body didn't run a fever at all so it wasn't even trying to fight it. It was very painful (I say that as someone who had a no drugs of any kind 48 hour labor and delivery at home with my first.)

 

***Forgot to put in the original post*** I had never been given morphine before my c-section and it turns out I'm allergic to it. I had a physical reaction to it and I had a psychological reaction to it. I was very irrationally angry and upset in a kind of fight or flight mode. They switched pain meds and it was so much better.

 

I was passing out when I tried to stand up. The OB doing the follow up (he didn't do the surgery) was incompetent and decided that because I wasn't running a fever it was no big deal. I passed out in the waiting room on my way out of that useless follow up visit and his well trained staff asked if I'd like a glass of water 'cuz, 'ya know, that can solve the problem....

 

Anyway, we said "good bye," saw another OB and she said I had a life threatening uterine infection and needed a couple of rounds of IV antibiotics to get it back under control (the uterus is a closed system and fighting infection there is much harder than infections in other parts of the body.) I was in bed for a full month needing family to watch my then 23 month old while my husband worked from home and helped me with our newborn.

 

A few years later all blood recipients a few months before and after I had my blood transfusions had to call the hospital where we were treated because some were coming down with Hep C from blood donations collected by The Red Cross. Fortunately mine came from United Blood Services and there wasn't a problem with those recipients. I didn't need any other problems-I had had my share.

[Reflections]

I would say take the pain medication you NEED. Some women are just fine with only ibuprofen, even right after the anesthesia wears off. Others need a little more pain medication than average. Everyone has a different pain tolerance. C-section is major surgery.

 

Here's the thing about post-surgical pain: it's easier to manage if you stay on top of it. Pay attention to the clock, take your meds on schedule, even if you don't feel like you need them yet, because if you let them lapse and the pain breaks through, it takes longer to get it back under control again. There is no shame in using pain medication. If you hurt take it. If you run out and need more ask for it. If you end up taking it a little longer than you thought you would, don't stress.

 

 

 

For my first csection I took everything they gave me without question. And then, strange things started happening, I couldn't listen to the nurse without closing my eyes. When my eyes were open they spun in different directions. When I moved into the chair after 8/10 hours I almost passed out and not from the pain. The next day I realized it was because they were doping me up hard - 2 oxy pills every 4-6 hours. When I got home, I had breakthrough pain from trying to do too much and I took a pill they sent me home with - I slept on the kitchen floor after I threw up. After I stopped it all, I recovered very quickly and there was no telling what kind of reaction the baby was having with that stuff in my colostrum/milk. Everyone is different, not everyone can handle heavy duty pain meds.

 

So, really, if you are in a lot of pain take what you can - but sometimes, a little hammer is better than a big one. And pain is there to tell you to dial it back a bit and put your feet up.

[poiema]

Yikes! Some of these stories are convincing me that I do not want to have another baby (all because I don't want to have to have another c-section).

 

I've had 2 c-sections. Both times I was out of the hospital in about 2 days because I was anxious to get home. If I had a do over I would probably have stayed longer the 2nd time to recover. The first time I only had a newborn so it was easy to do motherly things. The 2nd time I also had a toddler to take care of, lift up, chase around so it was a lot harder. I think that's why my recovery was harder the 2nd time. I only took Motrin because that's all I can take. I was up moving around right away, but it was several days before I could even stand up straight. I don't remember when I was permitted to drive again.

 

I would have preferred not to have c-sections. The recovery wasn't pleasant. The 2nd was so bad that I wanted to sign a legal document swearing I would never do it again. But I have 2 amazing kids who were definitely worth the pain and now I am even considering a third.

 

Good luck! :)

[theYoungerMrsWarde]

My first one (emergency): I don't remember.

My second (emergency at 32 weeks): I had a bad reaction to the anesthesia they used and I couldn't get out of bed without puking, fainting, or both, for over 36 hours. My baby was in the NICU for 7 weeks, and Dh took almost the whole time off, and my in-laws watched ds#1 a lot, so I didn't really have to do much.

This one (and it WILL be my last) is scheduled for August; we'll see if it turns out like that or if I have another emergency.

 

Have a good support system in place for help, cleaning, cooking, etc.

[Melissa in Australia]

I haven't had one . But in the hospital where I had all my babies there was a big poster on the wall of the nursery with information on how rocking in a rocking chair really assists people's recovery after a caesarian.

[Freckles]

I had a c-section with my second because I had severe shoulder dystocia when I delivered my 11lb 10oz dd. I think the recovery would have been better had I had help. My husband deployed the day Pippi was born for 3 months. My belly hurt like h. e. double hockey sticks. It's major abdominal surgery. Snow was just a little over two at the time. I forgot and picked her up once. OUCH! Get up and walk as soon as possible. Have family and friends help you. That would have made all the difference in my recovery. I was driving within a week because I had no other choice. I moved across country with my kids at 6wks postpartum due to a change in duty station. The reason I share that is to say, even if it is hard you can do it. A healthy newborn is worth the extra healing time in my opinion. :grouphug:

[ProudGrandma]

here is my expereince with c-sections. I had 3. My first was emergency after pushing for hours. My other 2 were planned.

 

Don't bust my chops for this, but my recovery time was so easy , that I didn't even want to have my children naturally. I was in the hosptial for 3 days (which, honestly with my 2nd and 3rd child I was thankful for the time I got to spend with just my newborn and resting.) I had help all 3 times with my parents and my in-laws. I was out taking walks with my newborn in tow the day I came home from the hosptial with all 3 kids too.

 

What was probably the hardest was not being able to pick up anything for several weeks (including my other children who were very young...but again I had lots of fantastic help). The staples were bothersome, but they came out a week after the c-section...so that was short lived as well.

 

If I had another child, I would opt for a c-section again.

 

But that is me, and I know of other people who had a really hard time recovering. So, just like every pregnancy is different...this is too...I am sure.

[6packofun]

I had an emergency c-section with #6 after several hours of labor. I thought the inconvenience/frustration of a longer recovery bothered me more than anything else. LOL It was a bit more painful than expected, but then I had a nurse tell me to just take the pain meds already and take them until they were gone and THEN start on any OTC pain relievers if I needed to. :p (I was trying to only take them if I was reallllly in pain, which was dumb.)

 

I thought it went pretty well, considering I didn't know what to expect! I did cheat and drive before I was supposed to...but only twice. It's amazing all the little movements that affect that area--the sudden pains surprised me many times! But it was definitely manageable and I think everyone was actually glad that I had no choice but to chill for a bit longer than usual. I'm usually up and shopping the day after we get home because I'm so antsy!

[mamajag]

My C-section recovery was pretty uneventful. It was easier than my first vaginal delivery (3rd degree episiotomy and forceps). When I first got up, it was horrible, but my nurse had 3 c/s and told me to keep moving as much as I could. She was right. The only time I had unbearable pain was if I'd been still too long and got stiff. So first thing in the morning sucked.

 

I repaired my washer (tore it down and put it back together) a week after my c/s and was taking care of 3 kids without my husband.

[magnificent_baby]

I've had 3 and the recovery was not bad. It's painful, so keep up on painpills or it's hard to catch up on your comfort. Take stool softeners right along with them too!

 

My best recovery was my 3rd, and it was because Ds was in the NICU for 10 days. As soon as I was dismissed, I went home, changed clothes and drove right back to the hospital. I had to be up and moving, so I could nurse him and go back and forth home to the other kids. I think I healed quickly because I was up and moving as much as possible. But I was very careful not to lift or clean, etc. Just walking.

 

It is a little emotionally difficult though, as you feel a little helpless and have to rely on others to the things you would normally do for your other kids.

[LizzyBee]

I had an emergency C section with my third because she was in distress during labor. After the first day, it really was no worse than a vaginal. I had the C section very early Wednesday morning and went to church that Sunday. I was pretty irked that the dr wouldn't give me percocet; if so, I think even the first 24 hrs would have been no big deal. They gave me some kind of hopped up ibuprofen that didn't really do anything. Heck, my first OB gave me percocet in the hospital and to take home after a vag delivery, but I can't get even get it for the first 24-48 hrs after a c-section???? That would be something worth discussing with your OB in advance.

 

I think I wasn't supposed to drive for 2 weeks.

[JustEm]

Here is one thing to really consider... Do you want a spinal block or epidural. With my 2nd I got a spinal block and they put the block too high and my entire body went numb. I couldn't breath on my own, couldn't open my eyes, or move my hand. But I could hear everything and was entirely conscious. It was the most horrifying experience of my life.

 

with my 3rd i spoke to the doctor and he said he preferred spinals because they are more effective than epidurals but if that happened again he'd just knock me out if i wanted so i didn't have to experience that again. luckily, the spinal went fine but it was good knowing if it hadn't he would have made me comfortable

[hmvaughan4]

I have had two and they were both a breeze. After the anesthesia wore off, I did not take any pain meds. I got up as soon as they let me and walked. I usually faint with blood draws, visiting hospitals, shots, etc., but I was completely fine with both c sections.

[LMA]

This is my ob-gyn's approach on c-sections and she gives this speech to every patient before they have a c-section: You are being prepped for major abdominal surgery. The surgery is to birth a baby. You will be cut open and sewn up as if you had major surgery. You will need to recover for 4 to 6 weeks. The only difference between this surgery and other major surgery is that you go home with a baby. Hence, you need to rest like you had surgery. If you have major surgery for anything else, such as a hysterectomy, no one even questions why you have 4 to 6 weeks, or even more, of recovery. However, because you have a baby, people think you have to get up and move as if you did not have major surgery. Do not push yourself. You can drive when you are comfortable. It is not a race to see which mother has the least recovery period.

 

I approach my recovery in this fashion. I've had 5 c-sections. Every one was different and some had complications.

[nd293]

I had a homebirth with dd and an emergency C-section (bleed from complete placenta previa ) with ds. I had a 2-unit transfusion with the C-section, but honestly, recovery was fine - I never had any pain killers beyond what they gave me at the time of the C-section, and basic stuff for a headache. I had done my research about "natural" C-section - there are things you can ask for to allow you to be more "in control" of the situation - but as it was an emergency I hadn't had time to discuss my expectations with my doctor. One thing I did manage to do, was to get up as soon as possible, and walk as often as possible, and I think that was critical in my speedy recovery. A physio showed me how to get out of bed at about 12 hours, and I walked (crept? staggered?) to the toilet on my own at about 24 hours (before then I was in a high care unit with ds and had a catheter). After that I was backwards and forwards between my room and the high care unit where ds was every couple of hours. I was in hospital for 5 days, as my "package" allowed it, and ds was in hospital that long, but I thought at the time that I could have staggered out at 24 hours, and walked out at 48 hours.

 

I was living somewhere with slightly hit-and-miss medical care, and no-one told me not to drive, so I made my own decision and did (Day 7? Day 10?) and it was fine. I remember four real "problems" with the C-section recovery. The first was that I ended up with a very sore back from walking hunched over to "protect" my incision - not sure if that's avoidable, but posture is worth remembering! The second is that the drive home hurt - roads are a lot bumpier than you notice when you haven't just had surgery. Thirdly, it hurt a little to climb stairs, which I really noticed as we had a multiple storey house. Finally, and this was more of a psychological issue really, but the incision site bothered me - the skin on either side was numb for a long, long time afterwards and that just gave me the creeps. It finally healed beautifully, though, and is barely noticeable (also below my panty line, so very discrete).

 

My best advice is to go into the C-section as informed about options as possible, and try to get up and about as soon as possible afterwards. It will be fine.

 

Oh, and one thing I was glad I did while I was in hospital was to have dd (then 6) come in and visit before bedtime - I'd read her bedtime stories as normal, then dh would take her home. We were in a private room, so on a couple of the nights she actually showered and changed into PJs and ate dinner with me.

[LizzyBee]

This is my ob-gyn's approach on c-sections and she gives this speech to every patient before they have a c-section: You are being prepped for major abdominal surgery. The surgery is to birth a baby. You will be cut open and sewn up as if you had major surgery. You will need to recover for 4 to 6 weeks. The only difference between this surgery and other major surgery is that you go home with a baby. Hence, you need to rest like you had surgery. If you have major surgery for anything else, such as a hysterectomy, no one even questions why you have 4 to 6 weeks, or even more, of recovery. However, because you have a baby, people think you have to get up and move as if you did not have major surgery. Do not push yourself. You can drive when you are comfortable. It is not a race to see which mother has the least recovery period.

 

This made me chuckle because the only speech I got before my C-section was, "We're going to the OR NOW." And then we were running down the hall. I felt like I was in an episode of ER. :-)

[Debbi in Texas]

You have received good advice. Here is something I would like to add. After the surgery, when you start getting up and down out of bed, this is how a nurse taught me.

 

When getting up, use the button on the bed and raise the "head part" all the way up. This puts you at almost a sitting position. Next work your legs over the side and it will be much easier to get out of bed.

 

When getting back in the bed (the bed is still in the up position) first sit on the bed as far in as you can. Then kind of walk your feet up the rails of the bed until they are on the bed. Then lean back on the raised part. You can then lower it recline as you wish.

 

In other words, use the positioning of the bed as much as possible so you don't have to raise and lower yourself as much.

 

Hope I have explained this well enough for it to make sense.

 

Congratulations

[Forget-Me-Not]

The hospital bed was pretty much the sole reason I stayed as long as my insurance would let me, both times.

[Debbi in Texas]

The hospital bed was pretty much the sole reason I stayed as long as my insurance would let me, both times.

Yes, I missed it a lot when I came home.

[sassenach]

I had a no labor crash c sect and it was a much, much harder recovery than my other deliveries. I was down for weeks (and I'm really not a wimp). I was on pain meds for at least 10 days (memory is getting fuzzy now) and couldn't drive for several weeks. Even after I was past the time period to drive, I was really foggy headed and waited another week.

 

I don't want to scare you, but I can't lie. The c section was not even in the same ballpark as the vaginal deliveries recovery wise. There is no way getting around the fact that a c section is major abdominal surgery.

 

ETA: My only c sect was my 2nd child. I went on to have 2 successful vbacs.

[Myeightkiddies]

My eighth baby (and last) was my only c-section (not planned but necessary). I'm no expert, and I am sure that experiences vary - even from child-to-child. All I can say is that my recovery was easier than I had thought. I've had some really long and challenging labor/deliveries, so recovery from those weren't always a piece of cake. It could be why I thought the C-Section was better than expected.

 

You've been given some good advice in this thread. Remember to get moving as soon as you can. It does help.

[Rebecca]

Just wanted to chime in- because I had a c- section after 6 vaginal births. It was shocking. Shocking, I tell you.

 

Your recovery will be totally different. It is a valid concern. You need to be prepared for it to be totally different and have supports in place for yourself and your family. You will have to take care of your physical body on a whole new level. There is incision care on top of all the other recovering from pregnancy.

 

I usually leave the hospital after 24 hours - in fact, I just had a VBAC with baby 9 and that is exactly what I did.

 

I was in the hospital the extra day with my c-section. I did have twins- so I know that added to it- but I also react badly to narcotics and I had to stay another day.

 

If you know your personal response to codeine, morphine, and other narcotics like percocet (and it is a good one)- it will go much smoother for you.

 

I took a tylenol/ibuprofen combo for weeks after I came home (again nursing twins- it added to it) but I hurt.

 

It hurts and you need meds. Everyone I spoke with in real life who had had a c-section told me to take the medicine.

 

You will not be on your feet the way you are used to being after a vaginal birth. It is a totally different experience.

 

I feared it, and it was hard, and my husband and I did NOT like the experience- but it was what had to be- and so we went through it and we came out the other side. You will too. Feel free to PM.

Rebecca

[Maplecat]

Two things made my last C better. I talked with the anesthesiaologist before about not using Versed. It is pretty standard before most surgery and really does a number on your memory. I wanted to clearly remember every detail of my daughter's birth and our first meeting. I'm also a big fan of Duramorph. The pain relief was fantastic and it lasts for the first day. It really made getting out of bed, nursing, and snuggling with my little one pain-free. After that, it was pretty easy to step down to less fun pain meds.

[Pippen]

I had an emergency C-section with my 2nd and it was a much harder recovery than vag delivery for me. They tried getting me out of bed right away but I passed out, just as I had with my first recovery.

 

You will have the advantages of knowing ahead of time and being able to plan, as well as having kids in the house that are old enough to help out. My kids were older for my hysterectomy and it made it so much easier not to have to get up and chase for every little thing myself. I was glad for the extra nights in the hospital.

[Mommy22alyns]

Mine was very painful. I don't know if that was because I'd been on hospital bedrest for a month prior, but I had to stay on top of all of my meds until I finished them. I woke up one morning and stood up, but I couldn't move because I was in so much pain. I had to get DH to go get my meds. It was just not an easy recovery. I also stayed the extra day in the hospital, partly because they weren't ready to discharge Sylvia yet.

[Ravin]

Both of mine were C-sections.

 

My first was dreadful. I was miserable, in pain. I was in the hospital as long as they let me (4 days). By day 6, I managed a short outing, but it was a couple of weeks before I started feeling anything like myself.

 

The second went MUCH easier. I think maybe because of my relative emotional resilience the two times, and that I'd been through it before and it didn't feel like a "failure" of a birth the way the first one did to me, because I'd done everything possible to ensure a VBAC and the situation genuinely called for a C-section--the first time I was railroaded into a typical "chain of intervention" that created its own emergency.

 

Both times, being gentle with myself and mindful that I'd not only just had a baby but had major abdominal surgery on top of it, were key.

[MommaOfalotta]

I haven't read the other replies yet.. but I have had two c-sections. The second was a failed VBAC.. so anywho..

 

I was always told I could drive once I was off of the pain medicine. (With my second I stopped taking them about 4 days post op)

 

With dd the c-section was perfect. There was one time when a staple got caught on something and I thought I was going to pass out... but other than that I kid you not, I was pretty good! It smarts, but I recovered pretty good.

 

With ds... it was a bit of a nightmare. BUT let me explain. After my operation I had a heartbeat that wouldn't come down from 140, I had to be moved to the heart floor and ds was only brought up 2-3 times in an 8 hour period. It was horrible. Im one of those people that NEVER send the baby to the nursery. I finally got moved back to maternity but due to a shift change, being short staffed or something, I wasn't able to get up and moving until about 26 hrs after he was born. The catheter didn't come out until about 7 hours after that. This (I think) was due to my son being born at 12:02 AM on August 3rd, I think it threw them off. Basically, you are supposed to get up and WALK as SOON AS YOU CAN. Please, I beg you, WALK. You aren't going to want to. It will hurt. BUT the sooner you walk, and the more you do it you will heal incredibly fast.

 

The first time I stood after ds I thought I was going to die. I blacked out. I literally couldn't breathe. It was horrible. After that I was scared to death to stand up again, but the next time was better. The time after that was even better. By the next day I was walking down the hall, taking a shower, etc. I walked out of the hospital and to the car when I was discharged because I felt so good. The key is walking as soon as you can, and as frequently as you can.

 

My recovery was complicated with the heart issue, the lack of walking for so long, a skin infection (from the pads-this might have been more of a pain than the c-section) and a UTI that had me in such horrible back pain I was crying and shaking, etc. Needless to say when I fought all of this and tried to breastfeed I went about 5 days with no sleep, shower, or food (=nervous breakdown) plus I had PPD. We failed with breastfeeding and it still breaks my heart.

 

I dont mean to scare you, I just want to show you that each experience is totally different. As for the recovery of a csection specifically... WALK. Walk as soon as they give you the option.. and walk frequently. Its unbelievable how quickly you start to feel better. Every time you get up the pain is less. Prayers for you! C-section deliveries can be just as special as natural birth. Good luck!

[A home for their hearts]

Thanks everyone for all the advice and suggestions. We still haven't decided if we will go the C-section route. My ob said she would delivery me either vag, or c-section but her recommendation would be a c-section. She didn't delivery any of my other babies so she's going on what I've told her. My first shoulder dystocia was with my third baby, he was 4 days late and weighed 9lbs 7oz, my second dystocia was with my last who I was induced for at 39 weeks in the hopes he would be smaller. He weighed 7lbs 14oz. My doctor at the time was completely prepared for it. He didn't even sit on the stool, he had the nurses raise my bed as high as it would go, (and he was over 6 feet tall) and he stood for the delivery. He told all the nurses in the room to prepare for a shouldar dystocia since I had a prior one and actually had extra nurses come in incase they were needed. When the shoulder got stuck one of the nurses climbed on the bed and put pressure on my belly to deliver the shoulder. We've been lucky that our babies weren't injured from it and everything turned out okay.

 

All of my recoverys have been pretty easy, even with the shouldar dystocia. My first delivery was the worst but even that wasn't too bad. I never had to take strong pain meds for them. I'm actually always surprised at how fast I recover. With a c-section I worry about something going wrong, infection, etc. Since it is major surgery. The other major factor is we don't have insurance. We were able to apply for financial assistance which has given us 80% coverage of our bills, for the first 3 months, however this amount might change since my dh got a raise. So there's a lot to consider. A c-section is a lot more expensive than a vaginal delivery.

[higginszoo]

Mine was uncomplicated, but slow. My other dc were 6, 5 and 4, though, so only able to help a little. As long as I took it slow and didn't overdo things for the first couple of months, we did fine. My baby was a winter baby anyway, so we used the excuse of it being germ season and stayed in a lot for the first 10 weeks, which helped.

[Hannah]

My first one was an "emergency" after I'd been in labor for over 24 hours. The recovery wasn't pleasant but wasn't awful by any means. I really didn't have any help afterwards, other than friends/family bringing by a few meals. But it was just me and DH and the baby, so there wasn't a lot I had to do.

 

The second one was planned and it was a breeze. DS was born on Tuesday morning, we came home on Wednesday afternoon and I went out shopping (just a bit) on Thursday afternoon.

 

I *think* the recommendation was to wait two weeks before driving, but I drove short distances long before then.

 

I had a similar experience. First one was an emergency after a very long labor. Afterwards I had extremely low blood preasure which meant no pain meds, but once I could take some I started moving and the recovery speeded up.

 

I went into labour with the second and then had a planned c-section. She was born on a Monday afternoon and we went home on Wednesday morning. I drove myself to her first baby checkup after a week (about 15km on quiet roads).

[Tap]

2 C-sections. 1st was an emergency, second was scheduled. No problems with either one. 2 different doctors, but both very experienced. I was up walking within hours and never had problems taking care of the normal baby duties and (with number 2) taking care of my other child. I have a high tolerance for pain, but honestly I think the quality of surgeon is vital for recovery. I didn't have a choice with my first, but with my second, I talked about surgery from the first interview with my doctor. I have a lower bikini line scar that the first doctor favored, but the second doctor said was more risky. The second doctor reopened the same scar, so I only have the one scar. After basic recovery time, I only had some slight itching over the years on the scar, no other issues.

[AngelaNYC]

I may be needing to have a C-section with my 6th baby. I've never had one before but because I've had two previous shoulder dystocia's I may opt to have one with this baby. My main concern is about recovery. I always leave the hospital 24 hours after I give birth and usually up and about doing normal motherly/wife duties right away. So I'm really wondering how much harder a c-section recovery would be? And, when are you allowed to drive after one? This is really new territory for me and I'm a little scared.

 

 

I had 3 C-sections and the recoveries weren't bad. None of them were very painful afterward. It takes a good week or 2 to be somewhat back to normal. Just walk a lot and don't lift anything heavy. I would advise you ask for absorbable sutures rather than staples. Also, car rides are rough the first week - brace yourself for any bumps. Wearing a stretchy, tight band around your surgery area helps a lot.

[higginszoo]

I would say take the pain medication you NEED. Some women are just fine with only ibuprofen, even right after the anesthesia wears off. Others need a little more pain medication than average. Everyone has a different pain tolerance. C-section is major surgery.

 

Here's the thing about post-surgical pain: it's easier to manage if you stay on top of it. Pay attention to the clock, take your meds on schedule, even if you don't feel like you need them yet, because if you let them lapse and the pain breaks through, it takes longer to get it back under control again. There is no shame in using pain medication. If you hurt take it. If you run out and need more ask for it. If you end up taking it a little longer than you thought you would, don't stress.

 

I agree. My midwife wanted to keep me in for 72 hours, knowing that I had 3 other little kids to go home to (though my mom was there to help, and is a postnatal doula/hospital nursery nurse). On day 3, though, the floor was short-staffed, and my nurse wasn't able to get in to get my meds to me on time. The midwife's MD partner came in for afternoon rounds and discharged me, because at home, I could have ready access to my pain meds and get them on schedule and stay ahead of the pain. It was easier on my recovery to be home, as long as I stayed on top of my meds.

[MusicMama]

Oh, I can completely relate. My last pregnancy was with my twins and I was so scared of having a c section. I have had completely normal v deliveries, and have always left the hospital within 24hrs. AND, my dh is legally blind and can't drive. So, I had many reasons to be nervous.

 

The girls both remained breech, despite weekly chiropractor visits, music, ice packs, inversions, and stretches. They really, really wanted to come out bottom first! I had a scheduled c section. I was in the hospital for 5 days, which was longer than normal because my littlest twin needed the bili lights. The nurses were very, very helpful. The first day, I was completely off my feet, sore, and tired. I fought my way to the hall kitchen the second day, and was exhausted by the trip. Third day, I was walking laps around the postpartum unit and felt so much better. I went home on day 5, and never took my prescription pain killers, and went off the ibuprofen at a week. I found that I would overdo it because the pain was masked by the drugs, and would be very sore because my body had been screaming "Stop!" but I didn't get the message. So I had a few more days of being tender, and then was fine. I spent a lot of time in bed, wanting to be proactive in my recovery and not wanting to overdo it.

 

My dh was very, very helpful as were the ladies from church who brought food for two weeks. I was driving by 2 weeks after surgery. My Dr said I could as soon as I was off pain pills and felt up to it.

 

The biggest surprise was the gas pain. It was the worst part of my hospital recovery. Air pockets can get trapped in your abdomen after surgery and put pressure on nerves that refer pain to your shoulders. Have some hot packs ready, and try lying on your side to shift the air around. It went away around day 3. I didn't expect that cramping shoulders would be the most painful part!

 

Overall, it was not nearly as bad as I expected. I wouldn't choose to deliver that way, but it was a positive experience. I was nursing my babies as soon as the surgery was over. I was wheeled into the recovery room about 30 minutes after they were born, and the babies were just finished getting cleaned and weighed. I saw Baby A in the OR, but didn't see Baby B for some reason. That always disappointed me. :(