when to drive after a c section?

[mrsshears]

my dd is 16 days old and i don't feel ready yet but i'm feeling much better each day and i'm hoping to be driving again in the next couple of weeks,when did you start driving again after a c section?

I was told to wait 6 weeks both times, this was 10 years ago though.

My GP told me I was fine to once I could hop on either leg. Car insurance not an issue apparently as long as you haven't been advised not to drive. I was 3 weeks with DC1 and about 18 days second time around. Good luck.

6 weeks felt like a long time!

I was told 6 weeks both times (5 and 3yrs ago, and stuck to it), the hospital gave me a sheet of do's and don'ts. But I have heard that insurance companies just want you to feel able to do an emergency stop before you start driving again.

FWIW I had a hysterectomy and was given a stern talking to about how post-cs women are made to recover too fast, take too many risks and that in the gynea dept they take abdominal surgery seriously. Internal stitches take far longer to heal than the outer wound apparently.

IMO it's not worth risking driving for a while yet.

4 weeks first time. Insurers happy.
9 weeks second time. Insurers (different ones) happy with 6 weeks, but I was still so sore, I had no confidence in my ability to do an emergency stop.

It's about your ability to do an emergency stop. Your surgeon will have told you not to drive. Most insurers have a lower time limit, usually 6 weeks.

I thought it was about 6 weeks.
I think I may have forgotten while I was recovering after my c/s as there is a picture of me and new baby aged about 2 weeks at work taking her in for a visit and I'm pretty sure I drove myself!

2 weeks with No 1 and 8 days with No 2. Insueres were amazed and confused when I asked them if it was OK as they had no policy on it and were fine with me driving as soon as I wanted too.

6 weeks with DD1. 2 weeks with DD2. I'd say when you feel comfortable and able to move quickly!

7 days!

It was Christmas day, late evening, and I started feeling unwell (infection after c section). I realised I needed help and this couldn't really wait but everyone else at home had drunk too much to drive me anywhere. And getting at taxi at that time proved impossible.

I did feel ok driving (and the roads were really quiet) - the infection was uterine not in the scar - scar had healed really well. I had been on long walks and was moving quite well. Probably a good idea to wait longer under most circumstances though

I drove at 7 days. Baby in SCBU, older dc's birthday party and things needed to be got, so I drove (albeit slowly and rather gingerly!) into the local village, about 2 miles each way. I had accidentally run down the stairs earlier in the week, though, so I figured I'd be fine. My GPs receptionist told me I had to wait 12 weeks when I rang to ask and given that I live in the middle of nowhere, I decided to ignore her! I didn't drive regularly for a few weeks, though.

Just one other thing - some people say that it's not whether you can DO an emergency stop, but more what damage would be caused if you had to do one. My argument against that is that the surely the same damage would occur if you were a passenger in a car that did an emergency stop?

I drove after three weeks. I phoned my insurance company just to check and they were fine with it.

My GP said as long as I could glance over my shoulder, wear seat belt without discomfort, brake and most importantly do an emergency stop I was good to go. I didn't know this until 5 weeks after the birth (hospital midwife had said 6 weeks) and had walked off most of my excess baby fat by then so that was a good thing.

I was advised to drive when I felt ready. Both times was about 10-14 days I think.

But I was lucky and had 2 great CS