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Childbirth

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

Original poster

How long after ELCS did you drive?

23 replies

snowydrops · 12/02/2015 22:19

I know this obviously depends on individual recovery rates but in interested to hear after how long did you drive?

I live In a remote area and am a bit worried by not driving for possibly 6 weeks and trying to organise back up options!

My insurance company said 'whenever your Dr says it's ok' so that isn't much of a guideline really.

Interested to hear the experience of others?

OP posts:
BarbieBrightSide · 12/02/2015 22:41

My insurance company said the same, but when I rang the Dr the gatekeeper receptionist wouldn't let me speak to one and said they recommended 3 MONTHS!!

I live very rurally too and after my elcs (2nd pregnancy, 1st was an emcs) I drove to the nearest village after 1 week. Looking back it possibly wasn't the most sensible thing to do, but the wound didn't hurt overly much and I was very much up and about.

I know my midwife said you had to be confident of doing an emergency stop. And it struck me that if it was to do with the seatbelt resting on the wound, it'd be the same if you were a passenger!

Topsyloulou · 13/02/2015 04:55

I live in a village too & I really missed being able to drive after my emcs. I waited 5 weeks but in hindsight I could probably have driven earlier & I'll certainly be trying to drive earlier if I have a elcs in future.

kiwiscantfly · 13/02/2015 05:02

I've had two ELCS, first one the Dr refused to clear me till six weeks, felt fine at four. The second I drove at four weeks, felt fine and had no choice.

Pico2 · 13/02/2015 05:11

My consultant has told me 3 weeks.

Original poster
snowydrops · 13/02/2015 08:44

Wow, 6 weeks will be tricky as I have a three yr old to get to nursery and it's not walkable. I am planning for 3 weeks of extra help and after that I guess we would have to get a yaxi.

It seems silly though because as someone pints out emergency stop will hurt potentially as a driver or passenger...but I suppose it's about insurance!

OP posts:
Fairylea · 13/02/2015 08:51

The reason they say 6 weeks is because it takes that long for the muscles around the wound the repair themselves well enough to be able to put enough pressure down to perform an emergency stop. You may be able to drive but being able to slam the brakes on is the difficulty.

I didn't drive until about 7 weeks post section. I did have some complications but I didn't feel strong enough to be safe before then. (We live rurally too).

Alyx80 · 13/02/2015 14:34

#1 - 4 weeks
#2 - 3 weeks
#3 - 9 days
#4 - 2.5 weeks

The leaflet I got from the hospital said 4 weeks but my insurance and GP both said it was up to me. With my last two I had no choice as I had to do the school run and couldn't walk the 2 mile round trip. DC is 5 weeks and I feel completely back to normal now so would be annoyed to have to wait 6 weeks.

madwomanbackintheattic · 13/02/2015 14:38

6 weeks.

I thought it was all a bit pointless, tbh, but when I actually got back in the car and drove for the first time I realised pretty quickly that just using the pedals to drive normally was causing all sorts of unexpected abdominal discomfort (could literally feel everything moving, tightening, releasing as I used the pedals). Fortunately I didn't have to emergency stop, but I quit being so dismissive of the medical advice after that.

Ludways · 13/02/2015 14:40

2-3 weeks both times. Tried emergency stops and managed.

Minisoksmakehardwork · 13/02/2015 14:45

5 weeks. Drs said I could drive whenever I felt able to and to check with insurers. Insurers said they didn't need to know and it was a fallacy that hospitals seemed to tell a lot of people.

Ended up being 5 weeks as dh was ill and I needed to take him to the Drs. We were trying for 6 weeks just to optimise recovery time. But I didn't have any problems with my section wound healing, had already had 2 weeks post section in hospital and had been generally taking it easy anyway thanks to a lot of help from friends and family with our newborn twins and 2 older dc.

Miele72 · 13/02/2015 14:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

HappyAsASandboy · 13/02/2015 14:55

10 days after each of my ELCS.

The GP and insurance people both said it was up to the other one. So I spoke to both and then made my own mind up.

To those saying an emergency stop would hurt the same as a passenger or driver; that's not the point. If you're the driver and you think it's going to hurt, you'll hesitate before slamming your foot down. You need to hold off driving until you are moving freely and not hesitating/bracing yourself at all in normal lifting/walking.

Original poster
snowydrops · 13/02/2015 17:33

I cannot actually believe how much these answers vary! It sounds as if 6 weeks was once te time frame given by the hospital...'my hospital will not give me a time they say check with your insurance company so I guess it's when I feel recovered enough to do an emergency stop/three point turn!

OP posts:
bonzo77 · 13/02/2015 17:38

4 weeks after my emcs. 8 days after my elcs. Really my recovery was amazing. Despite lifting my toddler and doing laundry as normal from day 4, I didn't have any problems at all. Barely any pain after 24 hours.

wigfieldrocks · 13/02/2015 17:46

3 weeks this time (my 2nd elcs). I felt fine and had been doing some quite brisk walks from week 2. I rang the insurance company they said it's fine to drive whenever you like as long as you are confident you could stop in an emergency and I was.

jnl0612 · 13/02/2015 17:54

10 days with number 1 and 15 days with number 2
My insurance said as soon as I felt able to do an emergency stop it was fine

Jenjen3657 · 14/02/2015 23:09

4 days lol ! I had started to breast feed but due to baby being to gue tied she couldn't latch on and wasn't feeding so after a fair amount of chatting with my OH we decided we had to get formula so took the car to Tesco and because he doesn't drive I had to! They say not to drive for 6 weeks because that's how long apparently your insides take to recover and if you had to emergency stop or were in a crash the seat belt lies over your scar! X

whosafraidofnaomiwolf · 15/02/2015 18:21

It's not really to do with whether or not you can manage an emergency stop, & nothing to do with the seatbelt on your scar - so being a passenger is not a problem. Its because your wound will heal from the outside-in (so outside heals first and internal knitting together takes longer). You may well feel that you can drive/stop/use pedals whatever before 6 weeks, and of course it's entirely up to you and depends a lot on your circumstance, but be aware that if you are in a situation where you have to do an emergency stop, then prior to 6 weeks post CS the risk of internal dehiscence or wound rupture is high. Basically your inside scar can come apart, and that would be pretty awful!

The reason that insurance companies don't get involved in the debate is because women heal at different rates. One woman can be fine internally at 4 week, another will need the full 6 weeks to heal. You cannot tell by how you feel either. I'd err on the side of caution and get as close to the 6 weeks as you can, or scrupulously avoid having to brake suddenly if you have to drive before (understand that real life means people can't always follow medical advice to the letter - though pale at the thought of driving at 4 days post cs - so very, very risky Shock).

Original poster
snowydrops · 15/02/2015 20:35

Yeah I plan to err on the side of caution! Tbh I'm only driving a mile and a half for the school drop. I would walk it but it's a huge hill and I think that will be worse for the healing with a baby in buggy / sling and a 3yr old to keep under control. Other than getting a taxi there and back every day I can't think of another way to do it. I should be able to sort out help for the first three weeks and then possibly maybe a taxi for week four and then see how it's going I guess. Take your point about healing internally though. I guess lots of people drive before, feel fine, don't crash but if they did it would be a different story!

OP posts:
Genevieve1976 · 15/02/2015 20:50

I put same post a few wks ago as was doing my nut in as also live rurally. Was surprised when learned off insurance company it's entirely up to you. I drove after 4 wks but would have done earlier if had known this. Go on your instincts and how u feel in yourself xx good luck xx

outnumberedbymyboys · 15/02/2015 21:46

3 weeks. Checked with Insurance company first. Absolutely fine!

Fattyfattyyumyum · 17/02/2015 21:00

3 weeks

Only1scoop · 17/02/2015 21:01

About 3 wks or just over

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