FTM .C section when did you feel better??

[mrsjoker35]

I had my baby on the 8th at 21;53, and I'm just wondering when,or how long it will take for me to feel better ,my backs really sore ,my hips hurt constantly feels like I'm going to split it ,i know its very difficult for that to happen lol. I had a lot of gas and i definitely needed to have a BM and i did about two hour's ago and it wasn't as bad as i thought also when i got the catheter taken out i was back at going normally within 3 hours or so,just the sitting on the toilet and wiping is the worst .... But i get there. Do i just keep pushing myself? I find it the hardest when the OH isn't with me at home times, he helps me so so much when hes here.
I just feel so uncomfortable but I'm hoping I'll feel better now that I've started going number 2 again and it wasnt anywhere near as bad as i thought. Im just wondering when I'll be able to walk without having my back hunched, holding my stomach , and i keep thinking about going home, we live 3 up. So how do i get up stairs ,is it safe??
My legs can move more tha they could the day after i had the section ,which has made sleeping a little better. Should i sleep on the sofa when im home? So many questions ! Sorry ,i just want to be able to care for my newborn without feeling like im going to snap in two ,even though i basically did get snapped in two to to have her lol

[thenewaveragebear1983]

Generally better? A few weeks. Really truly properly better? My D's is10 weeks and 'd say I'm about there. Still can't run up the stairs. My back is still weak- I've never had back pain before, I think its more from pregnancy though than the Cs. Go easy on yourself. Really don't lift too much or be too active, you'll know if you have because your lochia will bleed again if you do. I had very sharp pains in my scar up until about 8 weeks post section from turning over in bed! My tips are: lots of pillows to support you and baby while you're feeding etc. , take the pain medx they offer you, and hold a pillow over the scar to walk. I found I got very breathless so I'd straighten up and get my breath before walking to the loo. You will feel better I promise, but take it easy. Are you still ijn hospital? Is it your first baby?

[thenewaveragebear1983]

Make sure you tell them you live 3 floors up as well, they may keep you in a few extra days due to this as you will post probably struggle with those stairs for a while. Do not carry your baby up those stairs!!! Do you have help OP?

[mrsjoker35]

How did you feel after a week? Any better,or no?
When were you able to take out your pram and whatnot?
The hospital keep telling me to try stroll around and whatnot. But i always end up achy :( but the way i need to sit in the hospital bed i end up getting sore once i move from the once comfortable position
And yes im Still in hospital ,and been blessed with a very content, happy baby who settles beautifully.
And no i certainly wont be carrying baby up them! I have alot of people around me,yes :) i feel like a wounded soldier

[TheTravellingLemon]

Was your csection planned or emergency? I've had both and the planned one is a much quicker recovery time. About 3 weeks before I was feeling mostly normal with just a couple of niggles. Emergency one was much slower. 6ish weeks really. And I had to be really careful with lifting etc. I lived in a flat at the time, which was great as I had no interior stairs to negotiate, but I was trapped as I couldn't do the stairs to get out .

[DulcetMoans]

You have to take it easy, you can end up feeling a whole lot worse if you force it too quickly. I went for a walk about a week later but really couldn't go far for a while. You need to have a walk about at the hospital but nothing too much.

In terms of feeling better, physically it took about 10 weeks maybe but I had an infection and think I made it worse by not resting it enough. Emotionally took much longer. Nearly five months in and I can talk about it now but probably only in this last month. Mainly shock I think.

[mrsjoker35]

It was an emergency, yeah
Those stairs are going to be awful. How often should i go up and down them??
Im really fine emotionally, the labor has shook me up more than anything ,actually... I find it harder to come to grips with that.
Im so worried about my stairs!

[VenusRising]

Congratulations on the birth of your baby mrsjoker.

A crash section is usually worse, so do let the nurses and doctors know if you're in very bad pain.
I had a cras section with my first and had a huge incision. It took a few years for the area to stop feeling numb and sore.

Please book a physio therapist and get some pain relief.
Ask a lactation consultant to show you how to do feed lying down if you can.

Let them know about your accommodation concerns.

Fwiw stairs aren't too bad, once a day is about all I could manage.
The first week I didn't go out. Get your groceries delivered.
Please take it easy about bending and lifting. Get a wrap for your abdomen. Use a scarf around and around and belt it.

Your DP may have to sleep on a mattress / spare room, and you take the big bed. I would under no circumstances sleep on the sofa ever. Let your DP do that. You've had major abdominal surgery and need to recover in bed.

Congratulations again, and let the nurses know you want appointments with physio, lactation consultant and some more pain meds.

Try and straighten up, get a wrap for your belly. Try and relax!

[elliejjtiny]

Congratulations on your baby. I was still taking morphine on day 3 with my emergency section. I was off painkillers after about 3 weeks, lifting my one year old without pain after 6 weeks. It takes time but you'll get there.

[Raxacoricofallapatorius]

I had a crash cs and an emcs. I felt fine after a few hours with both. Discharged after 12 hours and moving a little slower than normal but largely okay. I had a post partum haemorrhage after dc1 so was exhausted and dizzy but the cs recovery was fine.

I only tell you this to illustrate that there's a spectrum of normal and really, there's only what is right for you. You have to listen to your body and ask for help if you need it.

Your priorities are pain relief, a meeting with the physio and adequate rest.

It sounds counterintuitive but do stand up straight as you walk. I know it feels like you'll tear but you won't. Stooping and shuffling will be hurting your back and stressing your stomach.

Peppermint tea, capsules or water are good for residual wind pain which you may feel in your chest and shoulders too.

[BlurtonOnKites]

It's down to luck. I had a EMCS 8 weeks ago today. I felt a lot more myself after 7 days. I stood up and walked about after 12 hours. I think the back ache your having is maybe from tensing up if you are worrying about it hurting when you move. I was told it was important to stand up straight and shuffle about as often as possible to prevent this. Maybe see if you can have stronger pain relief so you can try to get up more? I went out with the pram a week later but only on flat/smooth routes. After about 14 days I could carry my daughter up stairs (slowly!) and walk up hills with the pram. After 5 weeks I felt completely fine. When it was raining the other day I broke out into a run! I'm pretty unfit and unhealthy too so no reason why I should have made a quicker recovery.

[Doublebubblebubble]

I had an emcs on 16/10 and I was in hospital 3 days (4 if you include the failed induction) I couldn't walk, much more than to go to the toilet for 12 straight days. The pain is worse where they started the incision and 8weeks later in still having pain (all normal according to hv and Dr at 6 week check)

[BlurtonOnKites]

Congratulations! You will feel better.

[Chococroc]

I was in hospital for 5 days after my EMCS and thought I felt more or less fine after that, I think I was trying to convince myself though and ended up at A&E on day 9 with split stitches - not fun! So definitely take it easy. I probably felt properly better around the month mark but things like exercise took longer.

[mrsjoker35]

Im home now and on antibiotics,
I have no appetite, i feel shaky and I've had diarrhea. ?

[Roomba]

With my first CS, I was in so much pain for the first week or so that I felt like I was about to die. I had no appetite and felt weak, shaky and just dreadful (no infection). They like to have you up out of bed within 12 hours normally, but I couldn't even get up for almost 48 hours as I just fainted with the pain every time they tried. After the first 10 days though, I was surprised how quickly I improved. I could roll onto my side to sleep without too much pain after 2 weeks, and was pretty much back to 'normal' within 6 weeks I'd say, though I got tired if I overdid it for a while (sleep loss didn't help with that though).

With my second CS I was dreading it, but I was very surprised as I was up within a few hours, it hurt but nothing like before, and I was home and going out for short walks after 4 days. It took me longer to get completely back to 'normal' though as DS never slept for more than 30 mins at a time for five months.

[Roomba]

Oh, I got terrible back ache too as I was tensing up all my back muscles to walk, to avoid using my stomach muscles.

[megletthesecond]

I was in pain and hunched for 3 weeks after my EMCS. I didn't rest enough.

Take it easy until new year, pj's and xmas tv. Please don't push yourself. Let your body heal up.

[jmac88]

I had a planned section on 4th December op! Almost 2 weeks later and the worst thing is the wound is itchy where it is healing and I also have some hard swelling above the wound which is oozing quite a bit. I did have cellulitis infection so I hope it's just that draining. Did anybody else get this firm swelling above incision? How long did it last for? I have done a couple of trips out for about an hour with pram on flat walks but it does hurt if I go too far. Don't push yourself! I sleep fine now and only taking paracetamol every now and again. I would say the first 4/5 days were the worst. Definitely stand up straight and lay completely flat at night to help your back. I'm still not doing any lifting but can bend down to pick things up now, which I couldn't do for the first 7-10 days and drove me mad!