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Had my c section.... Ouch :(

27 replies

Sheptonmum12 · 18/11/2014 21:41

So my section is done.... Pain wise I'm ok, however when I get up I'm so so so sore
My stitches feel like they're on fire and it's like s burning/ stinging sensation
No pain releif completely removes this! When I'm finally up I feel ok -ish just uncomfortable. But the transition is sore

Midwives are pleased with how I'm doing and said I can go home tomor row ( tonight is my first night)
Did anyone find they recovered better at home rather than in hospital?
I'm struggling at night when visiting is over and my help leaves :(

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WhodidyousayIshouldbe · 18/11/2014 21:47

Try to stand up as straight as you can, it helps in the long run. You might need to hold on to your stitches the first few times. My midwife recommended this to me and I never had any problems. Enjoy your little one Smile. I found home to be much better. Night time at home wasn't as scary as in hospital. Remember it's early days, there's lots of getting to know each other to do!

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Sheptonmum12 · 18/11/2014 21:55

Oops meant to say tonight is my second night! thankyou I can't take my eyes of him
It's frustrating having to ring a buzzer for them to pass him to me I really wish I could reach him from bed!

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Jodie1982 · 18/11/2014 22:00

Oh bless you. I dread ever having to have a CS, it looks so painful and plus the long recovery period, seems dreadful. I hope ur recovery is quick n easy, and congratulations on ur little one. Enjoy. :)

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firstposts · 18/11/2014 22:02

I found it much easier recovering at home. You have someone to pass you the baby, you can sleep in your own bed, someone on hand to make you tea etc. Definitely keep on top of the pain with codeine / diclofenic whatever they've given you. Take it regularly, even if you feel okay. I remember being convinced after my second CS that my stitches were about to burst, it was just so uncomfy, but only for a week or so. Enjoy your gorgeous new baby Smile

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LondonMummy2013 · 18/11/2014 22:02

Try holding a pillow against your stomach when you're walking. I remember that helping initially. Congratulations on your baby!

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helensburgh · 18/11/2014 22:03

It will get so much easier. Keep moving around. Kings home tomorrow seems v soon.

Congratulations

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LuckyAugust · 18/11/2014 22:07

Congratulations Smile I had my first section 18 months ago and for me the second day was the worst pain wise, after that it definitely got easier. Maybe I was one of the lucky ones but I healed quickly and had no problems at all. My biggest problem is hospital was that I couldn't get comfy so for me it was much easier once I got home. You will be sore for a bit longer yet but I remember by about day 6 thinking that things seemed and felt not too bad. Currently 28 weeks pregnant with ds3 and having another section Wink

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DudleyDoRight · 18/11/2014 22:09

Home is soooo much better! Definitely stand as straight as you can to protect your back. The pain on moving will get better soon. Give yourself at least a week, you've only had a couple days yet. Congratulations!

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dementedma · 18/11/2014 22:09

I've had 3 cs. It will be easier at home when people can help. Top tip for me was if bfing using the football hold - tuck him under your arm with his body lying away from you, rather than across your tummy if that makes sense? So,if on right boob, have his head towards left boob and feet pointing away to the right!

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Quitelikely · 18/11/2014 22:14

I had a burning pain that wouldn't disappear and it turned out I was backed up! The painkillers stopped my bowels from working properly so I had to drink lots of movicol on day 3. After I finally went to the loo the burning pain disappeared. I found out that my bowel was pushing against my internal stitches.

So if you haven't had a bowel movement yet consider this.

Once you get home please please do not push yourself. It's frustrating I know but just sit down for two weeks and do nothing but love your baby. Don't bend down to change his nappy either!

And on that note congratulations on your new bundle of joy

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TallulahTwinkletoes · 18/11/2014 22:17

Sounds similar to my experience. You'll be surprised how quickly you'll feel better tho. Stand up slowly, basically become one with a pillow to ease pain, take it easy!

Congratulations ThanksThanksThanks

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imip · 18/11/2014 22:18

Start drinking peppermint tea! It may help in a few days... I've had four sections, all very good recovery except for the last. In all instances, peppermint tea has helped me from about day 7 til 4-5 weeks when I experienced digestive problems (wind, sore shoulders from excess air trapped inside from surgery).

It hurts, but I never found it agony (except once when stitches are too tight and I was given morphine). By week three or four, I was really moving :-)

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muddylettuce · 18/11/2014 22:21

I had to stay in for 5 days due to complications. Plus points to hospital: adjustable electric beds, made getting up/ picking baby up so much easier. Bad points hobbling around with no help outside visiting hours, at least when I got home dp was around to help. X

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Showy · 18/11/2014 22:22

I have had two cs and found the recoveries straightforward and easy. No pain relief at all. I was very lucky indeed. However, in my hospital, they encouraged having the baby in bed with you at all times. Is this something you'd consider? It means if you need to be still, you can be. Not up and down all the time. I was okay, up and walking within a couple of hours and could have retrieved the babies from the fish bowl but actually it was nice not having to. Helped massively with bfing too.



The only pain I did have on occasion was the sharp, fire like sting right in the wound. It feels a bit like somebody's holding a red hot blade to the wound, yes? My midwife said it was where the nerve endings had been cut and everything was knitting back together. It only lasted for a few days and only when moving into a certain position. Lying down/reclining was much, much more likely to cause it and being up and about I barely noticed it.

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micah · 18/11/2014 22:24

Can't you pull the crib to the side of the bed so you can reach? Then use the bed mechanism to sit yourself up. I'd have been waiting days for someone to answer the buzzer, it was actually easier to do it myself.

Being at home was much easier. Dh could pass me the baby, do nappies, keep me company. I just had to feed and recover. Plus my own hot shower, and clean clothes :)

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meglet · 18/11/2014 22:29

what quitelikely said. Rest and rest a bit more. PJ's on at home, hunker down on the sofa or rest in bed for 2 weeks. It's a major operation and you'll do better in the long term if you allow your body to heal up.

The outside wound will heal faster than the internal wounds, that takes around 6 weeks. I've had my fair share of abdo surgery (EMCS, ELCS and hysterectomy) and the hysterectomy was the least painful because the post-op care is a million times better than the piss poor post-natal ward that is only interested in clearing the beds as fast as they can (as told to me by a wonderful but fed up midwife during my birth de-brief).

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cheesecakemom · 18/11/2014 22:36

Congrats - as others said, home is so much better! Try to walk around especially day 2. The sooner you do that, the better. Definitely get your DH to pass him to you. I think I went home on strong painkillers but you do heal surprisingly fast for what it is.

I'm not sure I took many pain killers at home - I was too focused on DD to worry about anything. I know the worst pain in the hospital was shoulder pain - they gave me peppermint water for that and morphine! But I could only have so much morphine.

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Sorehead · 18/11/2014 22:59

I had a similar experience to showy- I had minimal pain after my section, apart from wind and didn't need help from the midwives to get my baby from the crib.

We were kept in for 6 days though for other reasons and I think being in hospital helped because I was pretty much confined to one room and there were no stairs etc, or temptation to do housework! I think it helped that DH was allowed to stay with me though- had he had to go home, I probably would have been begging them to let me leave.

Sorry to hear you're in pain, it will get better though, and probably quicker than you think! Make sure you keep the midwives updated about your pain so they can try new pain killers and make sure there's nothing wrong, like infection

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feelingunsupported · 18/11/2014 23:06

Ouch! I didn't keep on top of my pain meds (ds was in scbu so I was down there all day sitting on the lowest fecking seats in the world and missed the drug trolley) and was in so much pain.

I'm also quite shy and hate asking for stuff so I just kind of gritted my teeth. The second night was agony. I got up to go to the loo and was clinging to the wall! All private rooms at our hospital and I really think it was isolating and being out of view wasn't helpful to a first timer who had no clue whether the pain I was in was normal.

Keep on top of your meds op!

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junkfoodaddict · 19/11/2014 08:17

Just getting up out of bed and out of a chair is uncomfortable but the trick is to take it slowly and know which movements Re most comfortable. On my third day, I was walking down the long corridor to the shop in the hospital to get a daily newspaper (I was kept in for a week due to placenta abruption and DS was in SCBU). I think I had difficulty getting in and out of bed for about a week. After that it was okay.

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Pointlessfan · 19/11/2014 08:22

I felt like that for about. 3-4 days then it eased a lot. I know it's hard but try to move about if you can. The midwives made me do that and I'm sure it helped.
Congratulations!

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ApocalypseNowt · 19/11/2014 08:27

With my second section i only stayed one night in hospital as the midwives on the postnatal ward were so horrible and useless. Much easier at home - i think you do need more help on hand during cs recover and i've found hospitals don't really account for this (i've had 2 csections).

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Sheptonmum12 · 19/11/2014 18:48

Thankyou for the advice !! I'm home now got home this afternoon :)
I was managing to get in and out of be at hospital today using the adjustability and pulling myself up... However now I'm home I've never noticed how low all my furniture is !!! Any tips on getting in and out of bed ? I've just been staring at how low it is and it seems impossible to get out if I get in!

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Callmegeoff · 19/11/2014 19:00

I remember how sore I was and used to roll onto my knees, all fours to get out of bed. My GP visited and changed my prescription to 75mg Voltarol twice a day rather than 50mg three times a day. This worked better.

Congratulations btw Flowers

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RevoltingPeasant · 19/11/2014 22:51

OP I've never had a CS but I've had kidney surgery and remember that feeling of "shit, how am I ever going to lie all the way down??"

I coped by sleeping propped up at 45 degrees by pillows. I used to sit on the side of the end, feet on floor, lever myself onto one side with my arms, and then carefully roll back the 45 degrees. That seemed to work!

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