Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Csection yesterday - daren't move. Tips please!

94 replies

Rarfy · 10/01/2019 06:55

Hi

As the title says i had a csection yesterday morning. They've removed catherter this morning so i know i am up and around today but i daren't bloody move.

Anyone have any tips? Is it mind over matter. Ive kept on top of meds so no real pains whilst laid in bed but i did get a shock last night when i stood up to get changed.

Why on earth i thought i would just be up and about i had no idea. Feel a right dick now!

OP posts:
2019Dancerz · 10/01/2019 06:57

Yeah no sudden movements! I think I ended up sort of holding my stomach in place when I moved though don’t know if it actually helped! You will get more confident though. Think what you’ve been through, no reason to be bouncing about today. Do you know how long you’ll be in? Take it you have a new arrival..?

Watto1 · 10/01/2019 06:57

Take all the drugs! Make sure you take your painkillers a good 15 mins before you try and get up so they have chance to kick in.

Surfskatefamily · 10/01/2019 06:57

It hurts but once you have moved about a bit it gets better. Is oh around to help? Try to get him to help you up so you dont have to tense abs. Avoiding tensing anything in your middle helps.
Congrats and hope you heal up fast

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Families
Watto1 · 10/01/2019 06:58

Oh, and congratulations!Flowers

Winkybum · 10/01/2019 06:58

Never had a section but congratulations!

Nnnnnineteen · 10/01/2019 06:59

Congratulations!
I was the same- people talk about washing the car 5 hours later and j was unable to walk 24 hours after!
You will be ok as long as you are take it slow and don't do any lifting. Just shuffle about - moving is the goal, not elegance.

Enjoy your new baby :)

toolazytothinkofausername · 10/01/2019 07:00

Never had a c-section, but remember a c-section is major surgery so please be kind to yourself.

Graphista · 10/01/2019 07:00

No sudden moves but DO move - it speeds recovery & healing.

Wheat bag held tightly on wound if you need to cough, laugh -poo--

Take all the pain relief.

Don't do anything you're told not to until it's cleared.

fartfacemcfartfaceface · 10/01/2019 07:01

Not going to lie - it bloody hurt to start off with, but I found the more I moved about the easier it got, there's a knack to it basically. Hold your tummy with your hands to start off with and do whatever you need to do to find your way of walking comfortably. Congratulations on the baby!!

Original poster
Rarfy · 10/01/2019 07:02

Thanks. I have just had 2 paracetamol and something beginning with a d! Then gona attempt moving. I pee like a racehorse so imagine ill have no choice to be up and about a fair bit.

Silly question but are you only stitched on one side? When i did stand up last night it felt like it was all the way across.

Ive got canulas in both arms / hands whicj doesnt help as feel like i cant use them much for pushing myself around.

Yes a beautiful baby girl 6lb13!! No name as of yet haha.

So bit of pressure where stitches are will make me feel safer? The wind in unreal why dont they give u anything for wind? I am awaiting dps return armed with peppermint tea.

OP posts:
Fairylea · 10/01/2019 07:02

I felt the same as you after my section, I couldn’t see how on Earth I was ever going to get up! But - once I did with the help of holding onto a chair!- I felt amazingly better. Just take slow small steps and hobble about carefully. It’s amazing how quickly you start to feel better once you’re up and about. Congratulations Flowers

Butteredghost · 10/01/2019 07:03

With mine, getting up the first time was really painful. But after that, even getting up an hour later, it was hardly painful at all. So hopefully you're like me and once you rip that bandaid off so to speak, you'll be fine.

ZeroFuchsGiven · 10/01/2019 07:05

I think it is a case of mind over matter, if you take it slow it won't hurt half as much as you expect it to. Congratulates op Flowers

brokenhead · 10/01/2019 07:05

I was bent over for three days in pain
Then it suddenly improves
Take a laxative so you don't get constipated
I found laying with my feet on a pillow helped take the tension off the wound

Xx

troubleswillbeoutofsight · 10/01/2019 07:06

I’ve had two and I really sympathise. One thing I found helped was to try to stand up as straight as you can. I know the natural thing is to sort of bend and hold on to your abdomen but standing up right helped me to walk quicker. It’s much more painful to start with though. Oh and please accept you’ve had major surgery and be gentle with yourself even if occasionally midwifes forget this as it’s so common place

brokenhead · 10/01/2019 07:08

Is your baby with you? Mine was in scbu so I was walking around a lot and it hurt but I think it did help me heal better

I would rest and move as much as possible no chores just be with your baby and husband
Are you being discharged today

If the I bet it's diclofenac and paracetamol are not enough ask for more.
They gave me ibuprofen and paracetamol and I was in tatters
Thankfully I had other painkillers at home

Also if it is diclofenac make sure they are giving something to protect your stomach like omeoprazole

SoupOnMyTableNowSir · 10/01/2019 07:09

Small steps, take everything slow. Standing up and then sitting down will not be as easy as normal as you use your core muscles to stabilise yourself.

Try to avoid sneezing, if you do and you have time, put a pillow across yourself and brace yourself.

You will have a scar across your body not just on one side. There are lots of images on the internet, I have photos of my own scars from the day after the c sections were done. If you look at your hand and stretch out your thumb and first finger it is about the length of that. I have had 2 c sections.

Take all the meds they give you, pay attention to the aftercare of your wound site.

When you are home, you should be doing nothing. You have had major surgery that cut through a lot of layers. Ask for help.

Remember, this was all to get that beautiful baby of yours. Flowers congratulations.

LittleMissEngineer · 10/01/2019 07:10

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

Original poster
Rarfy · 10/01/2019 07:11

Thank you ladies!

I will take all of this on board. I feel completely useless being left with baby and not being able to do anything for her. Luckily it was under GA so she is still rather sleepy and hasn't needed much.

We are both being screened and treat for sepsis too after my temp spiked when being moved onto the red hot ward.

Feel like one drama after another. I have been in hospital 4 weeks today was admitted due to a bleed with placenta previa 4 weeks ago Confused

I have to say my exprience so far is that antenatal care is much better than post natal.

OP posts:
user1493413286 · 10/01/2019 07:12

Physio told me to hold a rolled up towel against my scar when standing, coughing and first using the toilet. It really helped although I have no idea why.

user1493413286 · 10/01/2019 07:16

I had a similar experience; it was quite odd going from being checked all the time and having lots of medical attention to then baby being born.

Gonzales27 · 10/01/2019 07:17

When you get home you might find it hard moving around in bed. Are you using the support rails in the hospital bed a lot at the moment?

I ended up sleeping in our spare room day-bed for the first few weeks do that I could use the rails around the sides to get up and shift around in bed. A single bed against a wall might provide more support, or even a sofa if you have one large enough.

ForeverBubblegum · 10/01/2019 07:22

Do you have a control to move different parts of the bed? You can use it to push yourself into a nearly sitting up position the rotate using hands and feet to push / pull you round until feet are over edge of bed. You can also alter height of the bed so once your feet are on the ground you can raise it as you slide off so it helps you into standing position.

It will get easyer.

Original poster
Rarfy · 10/01/2019 07:23

Do u think getting dp to push / pull me up is a good idea?

Sounds like a definitely need something against scar when moving? Thats good to know.

Yes i had lots of help / checks up in antenatal. So far ive been left to my own devices here really. Dont know if thats just because its busy at mo? They say press buzzer for help takes ages for anyone to come lol.

OP posts:
3boysandabump · 10/01/2019 07:25

I've had two sections and I had an infection after my second as well. IMO the infection makes you feel worse than the section.

I find just getting up and doing things is the best way to start healing. Once you've done it that first time it isn't so daunting.

I staggered my painkillers so had paracetamol then 2 hours later the ibuprofen so there was always something topped up.

I got out in under 24 hours with both of mine as well which I think helped because there was much less chance to sit around at home so I had to just get on with it. (Already had 2dc/3dc)

I wasn't washing the car straight away but I did come out of hospital and get straight onto the ironing which would have seemed impossible before I'd gotten up but was totally doable when I'd been wandering about a bit.