Interested in real-world experiences following a C-section

[Anonymous]

I had two large babies and I think you should read more from the experts. Yes, it's possible to give birth vaginally, but it can be hard on mom and baby - the last thing you want is for the baby to get stuck in the birth canal and for you to end up with an emergency c-section. The recovery for those is way more difficult than for an elective.

I think it's great you're asking for real-life experiences here, but only you and your doctor should be making these sorts of decisions.

For me, it came down to the safely of my baby. I didn't want to take any unnecessary risks, so I had a c-section. I posted above, but again, my recovery was easy.

[Anonymous]

just had my second -- I thought the recovery from the first was pretty easy, but recovery from the second was really a peace of cake

the baby was born in the wee hours of the morning on a Thurs. and I was home by noon on Sat. (would have gone home Fri. if they would have let me)

you won't be able to drive for two weeks and it is recommended that you don't lift anything heavy for about two weeks (I think even if you think you can)

I have a toddler also and I did have someone in the house with me at all times for the first two weeks to help with lifting, but I wasn't in any pain and wasn't even taking Advil by the time I came home from the hospital

Some people do have a more difficult recovery, though, so you should plan on having helpers at your disposal for the first few weeks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:got a staph infection that would not respond to antibiotics, was in a bed for 6 weeks, and had to have a nurse come daily for the 1st 4 weeks to drain the puss and fluid out of my servely infected wound. I don't know who would have taken care of my newborn if my mom did not come and stay with us. If I had a toddler on top of that, who knows...

C-sections are "routine", but are still surgery and for #2, I will do everything in my power to have a VBAC. Hospitals are dirty and the instruments they use are too sometimes.

Interesting. I also got a staff infection after the birth of my baby and it didn't respond to antibiotics. I believe I picked it up in the hospital, but of course I can't be 100% sure. I was hospitalized for six days on IV antibiotics, had abscesses surgically drained, and am still on antibiotics (more than a month later). What a nightmare!

[Anonymous]

Same thing (recurring staph infections, IV antibiotics) here. I was pretty severely sick a few times over the first 6 months PP and I am still having problems 14 months later. I got it at Sibley...anyone else?

[Anonymous]

I am the 20:09 poster. Just wanted to say I delivered at Fairfax INOVA. Maybe start another thread on the topic?

My advice to everyone is to wash your hands a lot.

I also had a C-Section, but recovery from that was a piece of cake compared to the staff. I did have a lot of trouble getting in and out of bed (using my abdominal muscles) and picking up the baby during those early weeks. Laughing also hurt. My husband taking two weeks off work really helped.

[Anonymous]

I delivered at Georgetown last week, was scheduled csection. I had a bad reaction to the epidural medicine and was throwing up all the first day (including before they even cut me open). I consider myself very tolerate of pain, but the incision site really hurts, is tender to the touch and when I move from being still for too long, it stings. I am able to get around relatively easily, am walking around, picking stuff up, and trying to get back to normal.

What no one warned me about which I wish they had: That your feet may swell after you have the baby, that having the first BM after delivery can be VERY painful, that the incision site while numb, stings and swells, and that trying to nurse with an incision can be awful. But whether that is unique to csections or not, I don't know.

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

More superficial: how have your stomach muscles responded following the C-section? I know this is a low priority concern and not a driving factor, but I do wonder if the cutting of the muscles means your stomach doesn't go back to normal or anywhere close to it -- either in tone or strength -- as it might after a vaginal birth, all other things being equal. (This is not a purely cosmetic question, as I need strong ab muscles to alleviate back issues.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:More superficial: how have your stomach muscles responded following the C-section? I know this is a low priority concern and not a driving factor, but I do wonder if the cutting of the muscles means your stomach doesn't go back to normal or anywhere close to it -- either in tone or strength -- as it might after a vaginal birth, all other things being equal. (This is not a purely cosmetic question, as I need strong ab muscles to alleviate back issues.)

They cut below the ab muscles, but some women get a c-section "shelf" they can never manage to get rid of without a tuck. Your muscles should return to full strength though, no problems there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I delivered at Georgetown last week, was scheduled csection. I had a bad reaction to the epidural medicine and was throwing up all the first day (including before they even cut me open). I consider myself very tolerate of pain, but the incision site really hurts, is tender to the touch and when I move from being still for too long, it stings. I am able to get around relatively easily, am walking around, picking stuff up, and trying to get back to normal.

What no one warned me about which I wish they had: That your feet may swell after you have the baby, that having the first BM after delivery can be VERY painful, that the incision site while numb, stings and swells, and that trying to nurse with an incision can be awful. But whether that is unique to csections or not, I don't know.

Good luck.

This is the way I felt. Also my friend got first a spinal headache (caused by epidural problem) and then she had a staph infection. My legs swelled like two balloons which was shocking. Each step was pins and needles. The incision really hurt for a long time. I took the pain meds for about a month.