Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

Flip

Original poster

To those who have had a CS.

23 replies

CrapBag · 27/02/2011 11:18

How long before you were totally back to normal?

How long before you could drive again?

How long after did you stop your pain medication?

How long before you could lift and deal with toddlers?

Mine was 3 weeks ago tomorrow, I have cut down the pain relief, no longer using ibuprofen, just paracetamol. I did cut this to twice a day but I noticed I was feeling sore so I am taking it about 3 times a day. Yesterday I couldn't feel it at all so thought it may be getting better. It hasn't been that bad though and the recovery has been better than I thought. However after resting and hardly doing anything the first week, the second week, apart from driving and lifting, I was pretty much back to normal, although I'm not doing any housework (I also have M.E. so I have to be careful not to overdo things anyway).

This morning though, DS hit me so to put him in time out we have to put him up on the landing as we have no hallway and as he refused to go upstairs, I pulled him up, he is a pretty heavy 3 year old.

Then I put some washing away and unpacked DS's overnight bag from when he stayed at my GPs that I have waited for DH to unpack, but it was still sat on the bedroom floor.

Now it is feeling a bit sore again after I couldn't feel anything. I did take paracetamol this morning though.

DH only has another week off work and I was hoping to be 'normal' (as normal as I can be with M.E.) before he goes back but I'm not sure.

OP posts:

Bonkerz · 27/02/2011 11:27

i had a CS 5 years ago and am due to have one in about 9 weeks.

recovery was good. Day after i was walking around carrying DD in hospital and collecting food etc from kitchen up corridor, first week was hard but pain relief worked and it was only really getting up and laying down that was an issue.

By week 3 i was driving again with the consent of midwife (felt ready after about 12 days but it was new year and didnt really need to)

Still got the odd twinge and scar felt sore to touch if it hadnt been dried properly or if i spent too much time sitting down allowing scar to sweat a little. (I actually took to wearing a sanitary towel over scar to keep it dry whilst i still had a slight overhang of pregnancy belly!)

stopped using meds after week 3 and after 5 weeks felt normal completely and functioning fine (started back childminding with 2x2year olds and 5 week old DD)

Original poster

CrapBag · 27/02/2011 11:30

Sounds good then! I think thats pretty much what mine has been like, it isn't painful, like at first, although I could get up and about the day after, lift DD and walk around to find DD some bedding that I was promised by 4 hospital workers and never brought, anyway...

Hoping I can drive before DH goes back to work then, I will go mad if I have to be stuck at home.

OP posts:

Chynah · 27/02/2011 12:02

I have had 2 ELCS 15 months apart.

Would say I was totally back to normal within 5 weeks - by then I was back innormal clothes, back out running, doing all the normalstuff etc.

I drove after 2 weeks with #1 (but could have managed sooner) and after 8 days with #2.

I was off the pain meds totally within 10 days both times.

I had a 15 month old at home when I had #2 and had to deal with him from the off as DH went back to work straight away - was fine I just kept lifting him when totally necessary (into car etc).

gloyw · 27/02/2011 12:36

I felt totally back to normal after 5 weeks too - I actually felt pretty good 5 days after the op, which I only remember because that was when my stitches came out. At that point, the stitches pulling was my main discomfort.

However, I think feeling pretty ok very early on is a tiny bit misleading - there is still a fair bit of healing to be done inside. I noticed I felt slightly sore after pushing the buggy around during weeks 2 and 3. Although I felt fine, and was going slowly and carefully, I was still using stomach muscles going up and down kerbs etc. Stomach muscles that had been through 9 months of pregnancy as well as a CS.

Don't feel the need to be a hero with pain meds. And unless you have a good reason, personally I would keep going with the ibuprofen rather than the paracetamol - ibuprofen keeps inflammation down as well as dealing with pain.

FourFortyFour · 27/02/2011 12:38

I drove at 5 weeks and I day but lifting the pram in and out of the car was difficult. My scar wasn't healing though so might have been the issue.

Trinaluce · 27/02/2011 14:29

I stopped painkillers while still in hospital - the nurses were a little ! Drove at 3 weeks (after checking with MW), got told off by my dad (a doctor) for lifting the buggy into the car at 2 weeks. I just asked who else was going to do it?

By the way, what are these 'stomach muscles' I keep hearing about, not sure I ever had any

PaigeTurner · 27/02/2011 18:51

These are all amazing stories - and the kind that made me feel like I was being lazy when recovering from mine

I didn't drive until 6 weeks as I couldn't lift the car seat into the car until then. I couldn't leave the house for 3.5 weeks. I still feel pretty rubbish now at 8 weeks, to be honest (anemic).

I think some people just take longer to get over an op.

FourFortyFour · 27/02/2011 18:54

Some people rush things and then end up worse off, PaigeTurner. A lot of people forget they have had a major operation.

CameronCook · 27/02/2011 18:56

I bounced back far better after a planned C/S than I did after a 24 hour labour.

I was up and about later that evening; home by day 3, no pain relief after day 5 and driving after 2 weeks.....but everyone is different. Although I did have horrific wind for about a month

Stangirl · 27/02/2011 19:52

Only ever took 2 paracetomol then nothing. Can't drive anyway. Was pushing pram up hill by end of week. Felt normal straight away but suffered sort of after shock contractions for a week or so after a few days whenever DD cried - which hurt a lot.

Original poster

CrapBag · 27/02/2011 19:58

PaigeTurner there is no need to feel lazy. It isn't a competition or any rush, people just recover differently. I was fully expecting it to take a lot longer than it has done.

The recovery from this has been far better than the 3rd degree tear and forceps birth I had with DS. If I ever did have anymore, I would be opting for an ELCS straight away.

Its the driving that is the main thing I want to do. Luckily DS doesn't need me to lift him about and I'm hoping that in another week, taking the pram in and out of the boot won't be too much of a problem.

OP posts:

GrumpyFish · 27/02/2011 20:01

PaigeTurner, I took ages to get over mine (EMCS). Drove at 6 weeks but only because we are in the country, was becoming a PITA not to be able to get to shops - didn't really feel ready for driving. Was a good 3 or 4 months before I could contemplate any exercise more strenuous than walking. Not sure how long I took painkillers for - quite a while anyway. I did have a wound infection though, was on anti-bs for it for about 8 weeks which obviously made things worse than they needed to be. Am having an ELCS in a few weeks and planning on staying in my PJs for at least the first couple of weeks!

theborrower · 27/02/2011 20:17

The first week was obviously really difficult, and I was still slower into the second week, but could walk about ok, just not racing about. I think I stopped taking painkillers after about a week and a half, and was feeling pretty much back to normal(ish), or so I thought, at about 2 weeks. However, I was pushing the buggy up a hill and found it really hard so had to handover to DH, and went back to taking it easy again for a few weeks, I think I was overdoing it. About 2 months later I seemed to get really achy again and took painkillers for a day or two, but this passed quickly.

Just take it easy! And like Grumpyfish said, I'll be staying in my jammies for a couple of weeks next time (if there is a next time!). I can't imagine how difficult it must be recovering from a CS with a toddler to deal with too, take advantage of your DH while he's still off and take offers of help when he goes back.

KristinaM · 27/02/2011 20:24

its lifting AND twisting that the real problem. so pushing buggy might be ok, as you are doing it with your shoulders and back. but lifting baby plus car seat into car or screaming kicking toddler out of car is very unwise. ditto lifting buggy from the ground, turning and twisting / stretching into car boot

littleyellowchicken · 28/02/2011 14:32

Mine was also 3 weeks ago. Scar feels totally fine and I'm not taking any pain killers any more. I really really want to drive again as we also live in a very rural spot and can't get anywhere without a lift. But I daren't do it for fear of being told off by family and friends and also horror stories of people ripping internal stitches. But if I can:

carry DD around the house and garden and up and down the stairs
hang out washing
sweep floor
cook dinner
push buggy around town

among other things, am I OK to drive and get on with things?

Chynah · 28/02/2011 16:26

Thwe whole 'not driving for 6 weeks' thing is rubbish. Most insurance companies aren't at all interested in whether you've has a CS or not. Make an appointment with your GP and ask them if you're OK to drive - then get back in the car and enjoy!

gloyw · 28/02/2011 17:41

Yes, I think I was driving pretty soon afterwards - can't remember exactly when - 3/4 weeks? My insurance company didn't care at all. I could have driven sooner if I'd needed to.

FWIW, I think the main concern over driving is that if you are in a bump or a crash, then a jolt or whiplash or a seatbelt pulling tight suddenly (i.e doing its job) isn't a great thing to happen when you have a healing abdominal wound. More likely to haemorrhage etc.

However... having a crash isn't a great thing to happen anyway. It's also pretty unlikely. I also figured that if that was the main risk, then it was the same risk as being a passenger in a car (same impact/seatbelt risk).

Normal driving, as in 'not crashing', presents much less of a physical challenge than a lot of things CS mothers are happy doing a few weeks after birth. I was happy to risk it.

Meglet · 28/02/2011 17:48

How long before you were totally back to normal? Afrer my EMCS it was about 10 weeks. After my Planned cs it was about 8 weeks. Waited until 12 weeks before I went back to the gym, both times.

How long before you could drive again? I waited until my 6 week check both times, same for sex.

How long after did you stop your pain medication? About 4 weeks for my EMCS, 10 days for my planned cs.

How long before you could lift and deal with toddlers? I didn't have to lift 2yr DS for a couple of weeks and even then I would only lift him out of his cot in the mornings, after that I had someone round to help for the first few weeks.

paigeturner don't feel bad about not doing loads after a cs. I refused to do nappies in hospital for the first 24 hours and we survived on ready meals for weeks at home. Housework didn't happen at all. My aim was to recover safely and with the minimum of pain relief. Listen to your body, it's not worth risking a set-back just because you feel you should be able to cope with things that other mums have managed. I'm in the better safe than sorry camp - although I was fortunate that all my family were roped into help after my planned cs. The EMCS had been such a shit recovery I wasn't willing to go through it again on my own.

PaigeTurner · 28/02/2011 20:33

Thanks for the reassurance everyone. It's good to know that I'm not abnormal because I'm not back at the gym yet (although planning going at 12 weeks!)

Original poster

CrapBag · 01/03/2011 10:37

I'm not going to the gym at all so I wouldn't worry about that.

OP posts:

theborrower · 01/03/2011 18:29

LOL I've not been back to the gym either, but not because of the CS

Mind you, I don't know where I'd find the time!

BettyBleu · 02/03/2011 00:43

After 2nd ELCS I was out and about after 2-3 days with DH and out of hospital after 24hrs.

I took the anti-inflammatory tablets for the prescribed course and paracetamol for a few days longer.

I drove after a couple of weeks - my insurance company said that if I felt able to do an emergency stop then I could drive. If you think you're ready, take the car out and try doing an emergency stop. BUT I couldn't lift the car seat with the baby in it.

I had a 20m toddler who I 'trained' in advance to get in/out of car, car seat, bath, with me there for support and stability and his cot had a drop down side so he could climb out with help. I think it was about 5 weeks before I lifted him properly.

If I did too much it felt a bit like a chinese burn and my bleeding would increase so I took that as a sign to take it a bit easier.

I felt completely back to normal after 5-6 weeks but still played it a bit safe until 12 weeks.

grumpybumpy · 03/03/2011 20:24

I had my EMCS 6 weeks ago and am still taking it easy. To be honest I'm a little disappointed it?s taking this long to recover. Have been taking vitamin C and Zinc that?s supposed to help with healing as well as eating more protein based foods but not sure if any of it has helped. The scar looks great and the deeper pain has just about gone for good (I can sneeze and laugh again!), however I find it difficult to keep my posture in place. I actually find it easier to walk with the pram for stability.

Flip

Swipe left for the next trending thread