emcs recovery - experiences please?

[shelley72]

I had dd2 by emcs 11 days ago now. We were going for an elcs as she was breech but she had other ideas and I went into labour quite fast - nothing to 4cm in about an hour so ended up with a section in the middle of the night. I had an elcs with dd1 who was also breech.

Now I realise that I'm a bit older and more worn out but my tummy still feels incredibly sore - at each end of the scar and kind of inside rather than on the surface of the skin iykwim. I just don't remember still feeling so bad at this stage last time around? My tummy also hasn't gone down yet, i still have a puffy bulge, is this normal too? I'm trying to get out and about a little bit but I can only manage an hour or so then I need to come home an bf lie down for the rest of the day

I'm seeing the midwife tomorrow to be discharged but just a bit worried that things aren't going as well they should be. I'm keeping on top of my pain killers and also taking arnica. The scar is clean though it does look quite grim.

Has anyone had an elcs and emcs? Did you find them much difference in terms of recovery?

I have had two EMCS. The second time I was in pain for longer because of the scar tissue from the first one and had to get more pain medication from the GP. The puffy bulge will go down, I found baths with salt and tea tree oil in helped. Just give yourself time, if you are tired then rest, there is no shame in needing longer to recover. When you have an older child you try to do more earlier in your recovery because you have to, but it is still major abdominal surgery and there is a tendency to do too much too soon.

Sorry to hear that you are still so sore. Have you tried taking arnica? It sounds a bit woo but I found taking Arnica brought immidiate relief after my elcs. DCs 1 was an emcs after 48 hours of labour and DC was elcs. I found that recovering from my second cs was harder and definitely took longer. DC2 is six months and although my tummy is smaller now I think I regained my normal shape much faster after the first emcs.

I also had a scar infection second time around so would say take care that your scar area is kept nice and dry all the time. Most importantly give yourself time to heal and don't overdo things. I think I started feeling properly mobile without any pain at all after about 10 weeks with the planned cs. I think it was sooner with dc1. Probably I was fitter back then and after two pregnacies and two cs my body has taken quite a beating.

Do you have anyone who ca look ater dc1 and help you around the house so that you can focus on yourself and the baby? Tell the mw about you concerns, hopefully she will be sympathetic and reassure that it is normal or suggset what else you can do. Are you still taking any pain killers? Take them until you feel better.

Please try to rest as much as you can and not be too hard on yourself. Congratulations on your little one!

Thank you for the replies. I do have help, dh has been taking care of the other two and looking after the house cooking cleaning etc so I've not had cccc to do anything in that respect. I do feel rather neglectful of everyone though

Have spent a couple of hours at a time out and about the last couple of days and my goodness I am in pain now. Am taking regular paracetamol, ibuprofen and arnica to try and keep on top of things, but I think I may have over done it slightly.

It sounds from what you say that with each section the recovery can take longer. I feel very frustrated /low at not being able to do much or feeling back to my normal self. I think I was expecting to bounce back quickly as I did after the first section and its come as a bit of a shock that I haven't !

Quite hard going. I was having short walks after a week but looking back I should have stayed on the sofa. It was over a month before I stopped taking pain relief as I didn't rest enough.

Slow down a bit and let everyone else help, you've had a baby and a major operation.