recovery after forceps delivery

[tomhayley]

hello, i had my baby boy just over three weeks ago-he's magic and feeding well, but the birth was more complicated as i ended up with spinal block and forceps delivery,a cut etc (he was a big baby too).

im home now and we're doing really well together and i have very good support from my partner, but i am feeling frustrated by my immobility-still very sore to walk somedays and also regular urine incontinence(common with forceps ive heard). i know its early days still and am making progress but it would be great to hear any encouraging stories that the wee prob will get better?...doing pelvic floor and getting in touch with physio to do follow up..just having one of those days when you think it may go on forever!

Your delivery sounds very like mine with DD1 (spinal, forceps and episiotomoy). It's good that you are making progress; in the early days after my labour, I couldn't sit down and couldn't even feel my pelvic floor, let alone exercise it. However it did get better as will the wee problem - after a few weeks you should be back to normal. I know in my area you're not allowed to self-refer to the physio if it's more than 10 days post labour unless you have already contacted them so make sure you maintain any contact you've made until you're happy with how things are.

And as an aside, DD2 is now 11 weeks old and I was able to deliver her normally with just G&A even though she was a bigger baby than DD1; had a 2nd degree tear but didn't even feel it and was able to sit down without any problems almost immediately (just in case you wanted any more dcs but were a bit nervous about it )

thanks very much, this is really good to hear,good advice about physio-will get onto that
and also both encouraging and reassuring that your second babies birth was a different story!i have been thinking that if i did it again, it would be hard to go through it physically in the same way recovery wise afterwards
smile

Hi, me too - I can reassure you the wee issue does get better. For me it seemed to reach a peak a month or so after the birth and I was starting to get worried but then it just gradually went away and now I feel completely back to normal. Only difference being I do have to sort of hold everything together when I sneeze!

I also couldn't feel my pelvic floor at all for a while so doing kegels felt pointless but midwife told me to juist try really hard to imagine doing them and something would be happening inside. I have to admit I hardly ever remember to do them unless someone mentions it (or like right now!) but I know you're supposed to.

Congrats on your little blue bundle, treaure this time, it is soooo special - even with all the discomfort. Just lie down a lot and cuddle him - that's what I did.

I think at 3 weeks we expect to be running and climbing again, and of course, you aren't

just hand on in there as you WILL get back, it just takes a while

do pelvic as it encourages blood flow, healing and helps

also maybe accept that like many women, tena lady are a regular weekly buy

congrats and do take it easy, I know it seems like everyone gets back on their feet, but so many are like you XX

hey my birth was pretty much like yours ended with spinal block, cut and tear and forceps delivery :( wasnt pleasant specially after a long labour 30 hrs plus lol, i was in agony for weeks wud cry walking up the stairs and was constantly in the shower, also the best least painful place to pee :) dont want to put u off but will take a long time for you muscles to return, i was told by dr mine were almost non existent afta 6 week check but may have bin cos i was pushing for so long pelvic muscles will eventually tighten tho keep with the pelvic floor exercises

i had a similarbirth experience and have had an awful recovery. my gynae dr (yes ihave had to see agynaecologist to sort out my problems) toldme it would take6 months to recover.its hard wheni hear of people who had c sections which everyone tells you are so much harder to recover from, getting up and about afterjust a matterof days. but then everyone's different i keep reminding myself and ishouldn't comparemyself to them,instead i should compare myself to those similarto me, and for that reason its good to hear that you guys recovered and got better and even had morekids!