section recovery what to do/ expect

[Clarella]

hi had an emcs Monday 10th Dec and whilst over the moon about my darling little boy I'm getting increasingly frustrated by the section.

I was very fit and slim before, swam a lot and played capoeira (martial arts dance) and now worried about the thick sausage of scar tissue I can feel above the scar. it felt loads better yesterday morning and we went out ti meet friends for lunch at which I giggled a lot! then during the night my ds needed a lot of nursing and rocking which seems to have re enflamed the area and sausage bit.

the physio advised to do the pelvic floor stuff with the pull your tummy In exercises I think from tho start but everyone else inc 3 nct pals who had c sections said wait a bit. however I feel I can pull my tummy in - will this help at this stage?

I find crunched up sitting positions make it worse but of course have to do a lot of that at mo! we've just worked out a way to bf ds with me lying down flat tilted towards him and he lies up over the other breast in an upright position and I've borrowed a changing table as the floor was getting tricky! any other advice?

and any thoughts on using a moby sling soon? ds was only 5lb5oz so I wondered if actually might help strengthen things if used in short bursts?

thanks in advance!

oh and will the scar tissue fade and whats the best thing to do about that?

as in flatten out I mean. thanks

its been 9 days right?

remeber internally they say it takes months for it all to go back together - dont do too much - be really gentle with your stomach - really genlte!!

There have been tons of threads about feeling better early onand then lifting too much - giving yourself a hernia - splitting stiches or just ending up in loads of pain again...

there is no rush - take it really really easy - even if you feel confiddent -

you have to give the wound a chance to nit together etc...have you got one of the those large boomerang style feeding pillows that was a life saver for me - rest arm - protect stomach - etc and an arms reach co sleeper cot - again much easier than basket at side...

re scar yes it will fade over time - i heard they can flare up at 4 weeks ish then settle down for good.

if you need more help with breast feedin postions ask HV or find local breast f - people - loads of them around...

i was also told that there were more internal stiches just above the wound so that may be what you feel etc...

qtie and Eliza, thank you so much for taking the time to reply!

most of what you've suggested I've been doing so I guess it's the patience bit I'm not! I think as I feel the holding tummy in bit is ok I'll just start now - it'd a bit like the zip up pilates thing isn't it?

great to hear you've been able to go back to sports you did in the past (baby permitting!)

out of interest did/ would either of you choose an elective the second time or vbac? my placenta was small, as was he 5lb 2oz at 42 weeks and it was missed so I'll be having growth scans next time which makes me think I may be induced early and so might be wise to choose elective section in case it ends up emergency anyway. though that's a long way off!!!!

proud mummy; at 9 days he now weighs 5lb 13oz due to me being milked like a cow

Excellent advice here - not much to add, but after only 9 days, you will have bruising and swelling still - really, don't worry about it, and please please don't overdo things in your haste to get back to normal.

I was fairly fit pre-birth - had elcs over 2 years ago and I think I was back to normal within a year, certainly - scar just a silvery line somewhere in my pubes! - but it is MUCH better to take it slow and steady than overdo it and get set back.

I know gentle walks with the buggy feel odd when you are used to doing so much more - but think, if you had torn a ligament or had a stress fracture etc, you'd be having to do a similar process. Slow and steady wins the race, and don't worry that how you feel 9 days post-cs is any indication of how you will 'end up.'

Hi. Congratulations!!

I was driving within 2 weeks of my emcs, going on long walks 2 weeks after and rode my horse again 5 weeks after..... BUT..... I sat on my arse and did absolutely nothing for 2 weeks post section. And took pain killers. I was and am v active but you do need a couple weeks of doing nothing.
Put your feet up and feed!!!! You Will be back to normal soon x

I would choose section BUT only if had alot of help again...I couldnt cope with a small child and section...I would choose section as known quanity - and its been AMAZING to feel my pelivic floor!!!!

The period of recovery was strange to compare to normal birth but with normal birth it took me a few years to feel fully recovered - lower back hurt for ages - pelivic floor weak for years.....

going to the loo normally has also been great and normal birth kicked off a load of migrane and neck problem - from all the straining....it took me a long time to recover physiclaly and emotionally....as i was terrified throughout the birth....

i had a pain after my section that i caused myself from moving wrongly - the pain after i came home in itself wasnt a huge problem BUT it was the fear - is there a deeper problem there - that grealty worried me - the risk of infection etc...but touch wood that seems to be ok now....

I just feel alot more intact and better after section...as people say - calm, it was great to bond with DD after op with VB I had been up for three days already - could barley foucus when she came out - felt like started on the back foot - so tired and drained...

if i had had infection etc though after section may have felt differently...

my labour was so called text book BTW - 6 hours established and 23 mins pushing stage!!!

however - i took it VERY easy for four weeks - my other DD didnt need lifting etc - i was very comfortable just resting.

Lots of helpful advice already posted here. I've had three caesareans. Emergency followed by two electives. I always find the first week of recovery absolute hell in terms of pain. The second week not much better but slight improvements. Then after that it gradually gets noticeably better each week. After DC2 I was back at aerobics 5 wks after the birth. That was my best recovery. First one, I was in shock and tired and sore from labour before surgery. Third one was a bigger baby, also I'd had a lot of scar tenderness late in pregnancy, two other kids to care for and an unexpected allergy to diclofenic (anti-inflammatory drug which I think worked wonders for #s 1&2 coz I really noticed its absence for #3).
Scar will settle and fade by about six months. Rest rest rest. No bending forward, no stretching up, no lifting. Tie dressing how cord to end if bed and use it to pull yourself up to sitting from laying down. Take all the pain killers and anti- inflammatories it is safe to take AND enjoy your baby xxx

Dressing gown cord is what that should say. Sorry!

thanks for all the advice again!

I understand what you mean 1944girl, and I'm not excessively worried and in the big scheme of things I have a lovely son who want stop feeding tonight physical activity is important to me but I can pace myself. swimming seems to be ok fairly soon which makes me happy! the only thing about the two week hospital stay is didn't they also take the baby off elsewhere? it was very hard during the nights trying to pick him up and change him; during the day dh was with me which really helped! it was so much easier when we got home.

I melody you're right about the shock being half the issue, I was also in shock about his weight and consequently went a bit ott on expressing colostrum on the seconds night; bent over cup, glasses sliding down nose, mobile phone in teeth for light as I couldn't reach it and don't think I'd twigged I could call for help and then on subsequent nights was sitting up with an expressing machine but you do have to tip it forward to get the milk into the pot! so I feel like I did loads of bending and sit ups and wish id thought of the robe cord idea that would have really helped! so I've wondered if the hard ' sausage' above the wound is bunched up scarred muscle. however no one can completely avoid using their core so I guess it's probably normal! I must admit I haven't felt so drained this evening so probably starting to feel stronger.

it's nice to hear your recovery stories though esp in relation to exercise. I'm not up to your llevel feekerry that's impressive! I can see that an elcs could be a better known quantity as long as we had a plan of support for ds!

hope all goes well with your ivf qtpie

thanks again :)

rain wise advice thanks :)

and yes massively proud of my ds's rocketing weight - we think he'd begun to loose weight in utero as was 42 weeks and very skinny, .mt placenta was small, so he is literally just filling out hollow legs and arms :) :) :) :)