C sections - when does it get easier?

[LadyHalesBroach]

I am 10 days PP and desperate to see the wood for the trees.

I had an ELCS due to long term injury sustained during a car crash of a vaginal delivery five years ago. But it feels like by taking back control through an cesarean this time round, I have lost control in the rehabilitation.

The haemorrhoids, the milk blisters, the swollen ankles (no I wasn’t given thinners despite family history of dvt), the sleep deprivation, the hours of cluster feeding - I can take all of that, it’s not my first picnic. But the excruciating pain on my right side, quite deep inside, is other level. I so much as cough, or move my right leg to far, I am in eye watering pain. I’m using compression aids, hot water bottles, paracetamol and ibuprofen.

I am desperate to feel normal again. To be able to get off the sofa without having to be lifted off.

I love my new baby to death, but oh my god I want to get off this ride now.

Sorry you’re feeling like this OP. This may not be what you want to hear, but I felt pretty much “normal” after a few days, in that the paracetamol and ibuprofen was enough to keep me pain free. I didn’t have that deep tugging sensation you talk of but I did have a very wobbly feeling of having no stomach muscles, it was awkward but not painful.

I suggest you call your doctor and get prescribed something stronger. You could also try codeine from over the counter but beware it might make you constipated which is no fun.

Have you had your wound checked with a midwife? Please also get that checked as it should have made good progress in heeling and if you’re still in a lot of pain you might have an infection or if not closing properly.

Have you got a temperature, shivers, lethargy etc?

I felt normal after a few days too, 2 emcs never really was a problem.

I’ve had 2 emcs, one actually was a crash section under GA. Deep, eye watering pain 10 days later doesn’t sound right at all. Are you still under the MW? Have you mentioned it to them?

FWIW - with my first cs (emcs) I was walking a couple of miles with the baby in a sling after a couple of weeks and had no pain to speak of.

The second was a much slower recovery, but that was down to a uterine rupture.

Please seek some medical advice. Hope you are feeling better soon, but what you’ve described is not normal IME.

Hey OP

Congratulations on your new baby!

That definitely doesn’t sound like a normal level of pain. At 10 days PP I was still uncomfortable, had to be careful how I moved and took paracetamol maybe twice a day, but I definitely wouldn’t say excruciating, and it felt quite surface level. I would suggest you need to get this investigated - push for a proper medical examination and don’t be fobbed off.

Good luck

I had an EMCS and felt pretty much "normal" by day 4/5, so I can't relate to your experience at all, though it sounds difficult. Have you spoken to the MW/HV about it?

Are you taking your pain killers every four hours like clock work whether you are in pain or not? How much rest are you getting? You really need to take the pain killers like clock work and rest and sleep as much as physically possible. I did too much after my first and I was fucked. I did nothing but stay in bed and sleep after my second and I was up and about within two weeks. DH dealt with the baby in the day and DC1 went to the childminder.

You need to speak to your doctor and tell them how you're feeling. Don't play it down either, be brutally honest. There's no need to suffer like this and they need to check you over. This doesn't sound like typical C section recovery to me. I struggled with core strength for a long time which impacted my mobility, and I was exhausted which was largely down to other factors (mine was EMCS) but I didn't experience any excessive pain and wasn't taking any painkillers at all once home from hospital. None of the women I know who had C sections described suffering like this either.

First section it took me 3 months and second section took me 5 months.

If you are still in a lot of pain - have you got good pain killers? If not get on the phone to your Gp fir a prescription.

Hey @LadyHalesBroach - I felt ok enough for a very short beach walk after 3 days post surgery. Although getting out the car was excruciating. But it was doable and satisfying.

I would recommend calling a GP to check you’re healing ok.

Hope everything works out well

Congratulations OP!! I think you need to speak to your GP/health visitor as I felt pretty much fine within a day or 2. I didn't even bother with the paracetamol the hospital discharged me with. All the best x

I have had 2 emergency sections, and I remember feeling like I had been run over for the first couple of weeks. The pain began to subside after a couple of weeks I would say, but the swelling to my legs and ankles took about 6 weeks to go down. I would say it was about 8 weeks before I felt "normal" but even now, 6 years after my second one there is some nerve damage and I can't feel parts of my stomach (feels numb) and my scar is sore if I do any heavy lifting. Take it easy, it is major surgery

It took 2 full weeks for me to start to feel human again. Was still feeling dome discomfort for upto 8 weeks after. Hope that you will be feeling better soon.

Granted I didn’t breastfeed but my 2 were nothing like that even in the very immediate aftermath. I concur with seeking medical advice ASAP. Do you have adequate pain relief? Paracetamol and ibuprofen taken on a schedule to get ahead of the pain, can be good but if you’re already doing that and still in pain ask for something stronger as well as getting checked out.

Am nearly 3 weeks pp.was on paracetamol/ibuprofen stopped at around 2 weeks. Feeling loads better now . The pain was so bad too at first. Had piles too have since disappeared been using Anusol. You will get there in the end

Get back to the MAU now. They will discharge you after 14 days, so time is of the essence. Call them. The number will be in your notes.

They need to examine your scar and check what is causing the pain.

I had exactly what you are describing and a doctor friend advised me to do the above. I was invited back in to hospital, examined and given dihydrocodeine. Having proper pain management was a game changer. It improved my mobility which did away with that awful pain on the right hand side - after that, my recovery was very swift.

Good luck!

Push them to check for infections too - surprisingly common.

This is why in some countries - eg South Korea - you stay in hospital or under very close supervision for the full two weeks.

I’m also 10 days post section. I had a couple of nights around 7-8 days in of similar pain to what you describe. I’d only been taking paracetamol and ibuprofen but my MW sorted me some dihydrocodeine and it’s made a massive difference. I feel so much better today. Don’t suffer, ask for something stronger! This is my second c section (first was EMCS) and the recovery from this has been more painful than I remember from the first time, but it is improving. You won’t feel like this for ever

I've had two, and I certainly wasn't normal at ten days but I wasn't in pain and was moving around the house normally. I took diclofenac for about a week or so each time but think I was off it by ten days.

I agree you should speak to your MW or GP. Is there any chance it could be trapped wind? That was the worst pain for me both times. Peppermint capsules helped.

My next (and final?) midwife home visit is on Monday - I’ll mention it then. I did call them and tell them yesterday but it was the classic ‘it’s major surgery you just need to rest’.. along with ‘if you have swollen ankles, you need to mobilise’ so…

Will they be able to feel the incision and see if it’s healing inside ok?

I’m trying so hard to get up and move around, do a supermarket trip or tidy up the kitchen but there’s no way in hell I can bend down to say unload the lower level of the dishwasher or pick something up from the floor. These two mile beach walks PP mention are an impossible fantasy.

God I hope they take me seriously. I doubt they will.

I don't think you should wait until Monday. I think call 111 this evening or does your GP have a community hub you can call tomorrow? I also had an ELCS and this seems to be a disproportionate amount of pain for Day 10 which could signal an infection.

Actually crying at all the good advice here. Within 20 hours of my surgery I was discharged, I didn’t even see a midwife or given any wound advice. Just a packet of paracetamol and ibuprofen and a midwife’s assistant congratulating me on being able to pee 2 x 300ml.

The after care is atrocious and I’m just too scared to waste people’s time. This isn’t a criticism of midwives, just the situation in general.

@MindyStClaire

I've had two, and I certainly wasn't normal at ten days but I wasn't in pain and was moving around the house normally. I took diclofenac for about a week or so each time but think I was off it by ten days.

I agree you should speak to your MW or GP. Is there any chance it could be trapped wind? That was the worst pain for me both times. Peppermint capsules helped.

Really good point. Trapped wind was really, really painful just before delivery and just after. I cried and was sick from the pain. And felt so silly! strong painkillers as soon as it felt like it was coming on helped.

I am five months on, OP. I have zero regrets about ELCS. Definitely push for medical help and take heart it gets better

That doesn't sound right to me either - doesn't fit at all with my experience of recovery - I don't think I was taking any painkillers at all at 10 days and I don't remember problems moving. I'd get someone to check it out as soon as you reasonably can just in case something's wrong.

And please don't be fobbed off. Be insistent. Anyone wh9 tries to fob you off ask them for their name/registration number (if that's a thing). And tell them you're recording/making notes on the call.

The amount of women (including myself) I have seen fobbed off by medical professionals when something has been seriously wrong is insane.

Your experience sounds similar to many other friends in the U.K., OP, both for vaginal and c section birth. It is incredibly shit. Go and be pushy! Good luck.