Reality of ELCS recovery

[katiegolightly]

Hi all, as I try to get my head around this option (for breech) I'm keen to know a bit more about how cs could affect ME. Knowing that I'd not be advised to drive for 6 weeks is not so helpful, I live in London and I don't drive.

I'm fit and healthy, I've gained about 9k in pregnancy and have felt fit and healthy the whole way through. In the last 3 months I've been doing 4 pregnancy fitness classes a week.

Whilst I'm aware of all extreme and edge case outcomes, I'd like to have a realistic idea of how long it will probably take me to

• get out of bed and potter around the house
• lean out of bed to pick the baby up from the crib without help at night
• take a 1 mile walk around the block
• the above pushing the buggy
• getting back to my regular weekend 6 mile stroll!

I don't want to be stupid and impede recovery time as I think things are going better than they are, but equally I don't want to sit on my bum for 6 weeks going mental because me and baby are too scared to head out for fresh air and a leg stretch!

Basically if you were fit and healthy and had an ELCS, how soon did you get 'back to normal'? Thanks

My second was an ELCS and my experience is as follows:

• got out of bed at hospital late afternoon on day of the operation
• never had any help picking up dd - although not in a position to do this on the first day
• pushing pram was fine - although up and down the kerb was a struggle at first
• day after operation took a few slow walks up and down the hospital corridor and one week later was up to 20 minute walk. Good luck!

Forgot to add I gained 28 pounds and was healthy before I had dd (if somewhat ancient at 38)

Well I recovered pretty quickly from my EMCS. Out of bed in 4 hours, able to walk up and down easily to day room in 12 hours. Home in 24 hours and able to pick baby up and down fine, it's the getting up out of bed that is difficult for first few days.
Able to potter round house as soon as home. Able to walk with pram after about a week/10days into town (just less than a mile return trip)
Never walked six miles at a weekend in my life but was doing postnatal fitness classes by 3 months (buggy fit)

I wasn't particularly fit before hand.

I think you have to bear in mind though that it isn't only the section that will have an effect on what you can do its the overwhelming tiredness associated with a newborn. Please don't push yourself and just enjoy snuggling up with your lovely new baby.

i was out of bed later the same day, needed a bit help from DH the morning after to get in shower, which i had to step up to get in. however, since DS was on SCBU (was delivered 6 wk prem) for 3 weeks and i was discharged 2 days after CS, i was back and forth to hosp every day until he was allowed home. first few days was a bit slow going, but fine after that. they tend to encourage you to get up and about asap so you dont run the risk of developing blood clots. they let me go home 2 days after as i could (albeit slowly) walk from the ward to scbu, which stupidly are at different ends of the hospital

I think every woman recovers at a different rate, dependent on various factors. I have had an emergency section and an elective, and recivered well from both, although with the elective it was a bit quicker.

I couold:

Get out of bed and potter around within 12 hours of the birth, and was well able to walk about, make tea, go up and downstairs as soon as I got home (2-3 days after section)

Lean out of bed to pick the baby up from the crib without help at night from day one, although I had tobe slow and gentle with my movements.

Take a 1 mile walk around the block from the first week. Go eas on walking, though,a s you lose a fair bit of lochia in the first few weeks and it floods out quite a bit of you walk too much or exert yourself physically.

I could push the buggy withi a few days, but couldnt lift it/fold it for more than a month.

I was doing BuggFit, yoga, aerobics and the gym 12 weeks post partum, and I wasnt even very fit beforehand!

My top tip is to take it VERY easy for the first few weeks - as easy as is practically possible - as if you let the initial wound heal in those first few weeks, you will heal much more quickly over the next few months, iyswim.

It took me about 2 days to feel comfortable picking DD up. By that point I was ok walking around the maternity unit. However it took me 4 days to be able to sit in a low chair or get in a car. This was because the cut for my EMCS was over to one side and the part closest to my hip was very painful. Within 2 weeks I was happy pushing DD in her pram up a hill to the doctors. I don't know anyone who couldn't get out for as long as 6 weeks.

It took me a day or do to get out of bed but I was EMCS in the middle of the night so knackered. DH/ midwives did all nappies in hospital and I was home within 48 hours of the birth. We had a cot top changer which reduced the need for bending down to do nappy changes.

I was out for walks round the block within a few days of getting home pushing the pushchair, used the sling after 3 weeks. Not sure about 6 mile walks but then I am lazy! I did walk dd 2 miles each way to get to her 6 week check.

I was advised to roll out of bed rather than sit up as it puts less pressure on your wound. Also get massive granny knickers that go right up to your waist to reduce rubbing on your wound.

I spent about 3 days on the ward both times, and took a day or two to be able to walk, shower etc. Once home I could pick up baby easily, get up in night, potter about and so on. One mile walk at about 2 weeks (I remember it well, the first time - I walked to asda, I was beyond excited after being sat at home for 2 weeks!) I always walked with the buggy as I found it much easier than without - it helps support you, unless it's v. Big and heavy.

However one word of warning - both times I got infections. First time in the scar, second time a mystery infection that sent me back to hospital for another week for IV antibiotics. You have to watch out for any signs of fever, redness and swelling etc and get medical attention ASAP if they appear. Also get as much rest as possible - I probably tried to do too much too soon.

Thank you, everyone. It's nice to hear some normal sounding recoveries! MagsAloof, good point re the lochia, I hadn't really given that any thought at all, it's been so long! I don't really know what to expect in terms of lochia for a CS as opposed to a VB, but I guess that's a whole other question... google to the rescue.

Thanks again everyone, that's made me fret much less!

People react really differently after cs, some jump out of the bed at the earliest opportunity, others find it agony to sit up or get out of the bed(worked on a pn ward).

Obviously it's different for every operation, may depend on blood loss or pain management/threshold, some may have been manhandled more than others.

For me it was down to attitude and expectations I think, with my first cs I was of the opinion that I had had major surgery and therefore should be lying flat and ferried about in a wheelchair by dp for as long as possible . I was quite shocked that I was expected to take off my own dressing and shower myself lol (I was a clueless young un). Once I had gotten over myself and was up and about the pain was actually fine.

With the next 2 cs's I got out of bed asap, I kept up the painkillers for at least a week and just followed my own body, I was back to normal quite quickly really, obviously had to be anyway because with the subsequent babies dp went back to work after a couple of weeks. I would say after all 3 I was able to walk a fair amount with pushchair at the latest about 2 weeks after the birth. The worst of the pain was gone by about day 3 I would say, I was surprised how little pain I was in tbh considering what they do to you, it obviously hurts when the painkillers wear off in the first 2-3 days, but not as much as I had imagined .

You will be turfed out of bed after about 12 hours, it then becomes easier to get up and pick up the baby from the cot once the catheter and drip have gone.

Like I say for me, I was a bit stir crazy and was doing reasonable walks at 1-2 weeks (school run etc) with pushchair and without.

God knows about 6 mile walks, I wouldn't be in any great rush to go rambling tbh just when you feel ready.