Interested in real-world experiences following a C-section

[Anonymous]

I'm shocked by the responses. I was told not to pick up anything larger than 10lbs (except my baby who was just over 10 lbs). I couldn't drive. I couldn't go up and down stairs for a couple of weeks (doctor recommended waiting longer). I popped 2 external stitches lifting my fat cat (she's 17lbs). You should plan on getting help from friends, family, etc. This is a serious surgery. That's why they keep you 4/5 days in the hospital. I took lots of pain medicine. We are all different but if you do end up having a c/s, it will be very hard to take care of your toddler. Also percocet (the pain killer) gives you temporary memory loss which is a really weird feeling and you are sleep deprived.

Good luck to you and I really hope you don't need the c/s.

[Anonymous]

The recovery from my c-section was a breeze. I was walking our dog 5 days later. One of the posters made a good point-if you can tolerate a narcotic, take them on a schedule and you can control the discomfort. Just make sure you have something in your stomach while taking them-I took Percocet. My husband did help me shower for a couple of weeks because I didn't want to look at the incision, I'm a whimp.

[Anonymous]

I'm shocked by the responses. I was told not to pick up anything larger than 10lbs (except my baby who was just over 10 lbs). I couldn't drive. I couldn't go up and down stairs for a couple of weeks (doctor recommended waiting longer). I popped 2 external stitches lifting my fat cat (she's 17lbs)

My C-Section recovery with #2 was quicker and less painful than my vaginal recovery with #1. I was up and about in a week. When you have a toddler, you will probably have no choice but to pick your older child up at some point during your recovery.

I took the narcotic (percocet) for five days. I took it on the 4 hour schedule at the hospital for the first two days, and gradually cut it down to twice a day by day four. When I got home, I stopped taking it and took only the advil.

[Anonymous]

I had a scheduled c-section. What no one told me leaving the hospital was to have 'granny panties' at home and very heavy pads, i think bleeding is worse after C. Also, if u try to wear your regular underwear (like i did) it rode down unto my scar and hurt like a #^$#^#$# -- ask the hospital for extra mesh pairs and be sure you pick up some GIANT pantaloons at target before. you will never be so happy to wear granny panties in your life good luck ! all in all not bad.

[Anonymous]

East recovery here...just needed advil, lifting, climbing stairs and everything else within a week or so. GL!

[Anonymous]

2 C-Sections here also - both were totally fine. Didn't fill the percocet prescriptions either time and was fine with Advil. We have no bathroom on our main floor which I was very concerned about with C-section #1, but I had no problem going up and downstairs. All in all, it was not bad. Though I have nothing to compare it to, I imagine breastfeeding might be a little easier without a sore stomach? I could only do the football hold for awhile because it was uncomfortable to lay the baby across my mid-section. Don't recall having problems picking up my toddler - but I know I went a week or two without picking her up - which was possible for us since she still went to daycare.

[Anonymous]

I had a c section with both and recovery with both was relatively easy.
1. in the hospital I got UP and walked (i was bored any how)
2. i had a BM as soon as I could which was probably the most painful moment of the entire thing
3. The hospital gave me this wide, stretchy white elastic band to wear around my middle. it helped the muscles as they were healing. I brought it for number two. This was probably the biggest lifesaver for me.
4. I had an allergic reaction to the tape used to cover the incision...apparently I have an allergy I never knew about. itched like the dickens!

5. i did not much like the epidural procedure, but it didn't hurt.
6. I loved the catheter!

7. moving around the house was slow for about 7-8 days, but I truly remember a relatively easy recovery. I still picked up baby, held baby, etc.

Best of Luck!

[Anonymous]

I needed the granny panties for the vaginal delivery, but not for my C-section. Bleeding was minimal.

[Anonymous]

The 11:22 poster makes an excellent point about the BM. That was the one thing I didn't know about c-sections...it took me over a week for my first one and almost 4 months before everything was moving well and normally in that department (really sorry for the TMI, I just wish someone had warned me). Eat lots and lots of fiber pp and it will speed your recovery...

[Anonymous]

Wow! I am envious of all of you with easy recoveries! My c-section went well but the recovery was rough. Even with the pain meds, I had a hard time walking and going up and down stairs. It just HURT! I cried when they actually made me get out of the hospital bed to walk! It hurt to laugh, to cough, to sneeze and to go over bumps in the car. Part of the problem was that I overdid when i got home, the help that I had at home didn't really help, so that sucked. The pain lessened after time went by, but I do have a numbness around the incision area. The bad pain was for about one week. I hate taking meds but could not have lived without the percoset!

But, as you can see from prior posts, I am in the minority and I did find that I have a low tolerance for pain!

[Anonymous]

Ok, so you've seen that there's a HUGE range of experiences here.

The only thing I have to add is, watch out for infection. And not just the redness, oozing, etc. I got a minor wound infection that didn't show on the outside, and I wondered why the pain was getting worse, instead of better. Once I started antibiotics at 10 days post-partem, I started to feel much better. I expect that in the absense of infection, I would have been feeling good in half that time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:it's not so much that u can't but more that you shouldn't! C-section is a major surgery. Lifting, bending and twisting in the first few weeks can increase the risk related to the incision. as PPs said you r usually up and about in a few days. majority have no consequences, some do though, could be an infection, wound dehiscence, pain. definitely not recommended first two weeks to lift, after that do as much as you tolerate. complete healing of such a wound takes a while!

Have you actually had a c-section? I had two, and I didn't have any of these issues.

I have had two. second was in emergency c-section. had great recovery. no issues. what I meant is that even though we feel great it is not wise to start lifting or bending bfore 2 weeks. c-sections carry the same surgical risks as any other surgery in its category. just need to be careful.

[Anonymous]

I've had 2 c-sections. The scheduled one was definitely an easier delivery, up walking that day, able to lift the baby carseat within a week, etc. However, I would never have attempted to lift my toddler, no matter how good I felt. It really could pop those stitches! I probably over-did it and was usually popping a few motrin by bedtime, but it was not a rough recovery.

HOWEVER, if you labor first and then have a c-section, it is much tougher. YOu're tired and recovery is definitely a bit slower. By day 4 or 5 you're in the same place as you would have been, but day 1 and 2 are really hard.

If your older child can walk (you don't say how old) I would really try to get out of the habit of carrying him/her now. Even if you don't have a c-section, your arms will be full with a baby and car-seat. If your child is big enough to climb into the carseat alone, let him/her try! It will make your life so much easier if you have a big kid instead of 2 babies.

Good luck to you. And dont' stress too much about it - plenty of big babies are born vaginally too!!

[Anonymous]

PP here:

Better than the granny panties: they have these "disposable" panties in the hospital that are designed for an abdominal surgery and recovery. You can wash them out and reuse them (be careful or the nurse will throw away). WAY better than granny panties.

I think we can summarize the responses as "you may have an easy recovery, but you may not."

[Anonymous]

You know I had one of those easy recoveries but my husband reminded me that I was in fact in a bit of pain but I think you sort of forget over time and only focus on how great to be a mom. I do think my recovery went well and one of the reasons was that we lived in an apartment at the time so no steps and I did not go outside with baby for the first eight weeks. Don't laugh on that but I am from an old fashioned Catholic Family and it is part of our culture not to bring baby out until baptism. I think then that alleviated me having problems trying to shop and drag a carseat around. This time I will have a toddler and will face a harder go of it since I am now in a large house with two sets of stairs. What I am doing to work this out is hiring help for the first month mainly to help with the toddler since I will be trying to get the nursing thing down again (doesn't come easily to me) and I will do my best to have a lot of meals frozen so hubby can pop stuff in and I won't have to come down the stairs. I am trying to be extra careful because I do know a bunch of friends who had problems when they had number two and say in retropspect that it had a lot to do with taking on too much too soon because the first few days the adrenaline and the drugs mask things and that it's the second week that gets a little shakey.