Please be honest about ELCS recovery...

[AllTerrainMammy]

I had an ELCS two weeks ago today and have no idea what to expect about how long/sore recovery will be. When I had DD1 I had a very traumatic delivery after a very long labour and by the time I came home from hospital, felt like I'd been knocked sideways and recovery was a long and very emotional process!

This time round I feel great in myself (it helps that DD2 is sleeping well at night and is very content during the day) but I was not anticipating how sore the recovery would be from a section. Don't get me wrong, I know it's major abdominal surgery but I think I'd been swayed by friends who've had easy recoveries.

When the midwife came to visit on Monday (day 11), she seemed surprised that I was still taking Diclofenac as well as paracetamol. I'm managing to walk round the house and have managed a few VERY short walks outside but finding things very painful and lifting baby from floor level is virtually impossible. The wound itself is healing nicely but the pain feels very internal. I've no signs of infection. I really just wanted to hear other people's experiences so that I (hopefully) get some reassurance that this is normal. I know that everyone has different recoveries and different pain thresholds but please tell me it's not hugely unusual to still be in a lot of pain two weeks post section...

Thanks in advance.

I had my ELCS 11 weeks yesterday and being absolutely honest I was up the same night showering and 4 days later was walking and pushing my pram, I personally had a very easy recovery! All my friends that have had CS have been God smacked because they have taken as long as 5 - 6 weeks to feel able to do anything fairly normally! So I think from what you have said and what my friends have said you are pretty normal recovery from a CS! Really hope you feel a bit more able soon cxx

And congrats and new baby xxx

I also had an easy recovery and was driving after 3 weeks (felt fine, able to take long walks, etc). I guess I took painkillers for about 5 or 6 days in total. Is the scar healing ok?

Yes I was the same as you. EMCS with both deliveries and dc2 was a large baby.

I put the changing mat on the dining table, and changed them there for about six weeks. I cursed anyone who left the shampoo and shower gel on the floor of the shower, rather than the shelf, as I couldn't bend down to reach them. I only went for very short walks for the first three weeks, and didn't push the pram until about week four. I took ibuprofen and paracetamol for at least two weeks, maybe three.

I thought that was normal! It really is major surgery, and you have two children to look after, are sleep deprived, very emotional and hormonal, and in my case, I was also recovering from a long labour before the EMCS happened.

Be kind to yourself.

Congratulations on your new baby.

OP what you are experiencing is perfectly normal, please don't worry.

Don't try and do too much - if it hurts then stop. Now is not the time to push yourself.

If everything seems to be healing ok, then you could do some VERY VERY gentle massage around the site of your scar to limit internal scar tissue building up.

I was still on regular painkillers during week 2 IIRC. Nothing severe but I could still tell when it was time for another difene. Definitely wasn't comfortable enough to drive till 6 weeks even though I always thought that was a slightly ridiculous limit prior to having CS. I think it was around week 5 before I felt totally comfortable and confident to stand up fully straight and push the buggy uphill! DP had to keep gently un-stooping me
I had an absolutely straightforward recovery- no infection, all healed really well. Maybe I just have a low pain threshold but it did take me longer than I thought it would to be off pain killers.

I didn't take any pain killers once I got home and I didn't after keyhole surgery for an ectopic either. I try to avoid taking strong pain killers as I find they increase my anxiety quite significantly and in the past I have "crashed" into depression etc after taking them. So it's not that I am being particularly hardy. Just picking the best of two not great options, pain or massive anxiety.

After my EMCS (DC1) - yes, same as you are now. I was sore for ages.

After my ELCS (DC2) - fine much more quickly, but then my sensation from my belly button downwards never fully returned after my EMCS, so I wonder if that actually helped with reducing the pain after the ELCS.

EMCS with DS1 - I had a drain (major blood loss, high dependency unit due to placenta abruption). i was up, showered and walking after 36 hours. Although it took 30 minutes to get to the shower! I had all pain relief normally given - ibuprofen suppository, diclofenac, paracetamol. I had staples removed on day 5 but on day 6 I was weeping (I laughed at Big Bang Theory). I was feeling normal after 2 weeks.

ELCS with DD1 - on day 6 of recovery! Up, showered and walking after 22 hours although I felt worse this time round. Pain, light headed and nauseous. I was only on paracetamol and three doses of tramadol when I needed it. Ibuprofen etc not given due to devloping an allergy a year after EMCS. Staples removed on day 5. I am feeling almost normal - had my first sneeze today; not too bad. The only difference this time is my bladder feels bruised due to the catheter. I think they pulled it out too hard.

Now and again I keep getting tightening sensations along the scar and the odd pin prick pain that takes my breath away.

1st baby EMCS,painful recovery.
2nd baby non planned C section (but not an emergency iykwim) and was totally fine. Even the midwives were surprised I'd had a section when they saw me on day 2.
I do remember after the 1st c section that I couldn't stand up straight for at least a week.

I think it just really depends OP. I was off painkillers within a week - we went out, I forgot to pack them and realised I hadn't needed them.

Having another one this time around and hoping for the same experience but you never know. It's good that it's healing nicely. Just take it easy. Doesn't sound like there is anything to worry about medically but speak to your doc if you're concerned. I must say for the first two weeks I did no bending whatsoever, DH was on pat leave so did all nappy changes and handing DD to me for feeds, I basically sat or lay down, BF, walked slowly, took stairs one at a time etc, never picked anything up from floor level, didn't reach for anything.

My recovery sounds similar op. I wasn't really up to do anything other than staying in the house until about week 3/4. I didn't feel up to driving until week 6. You will get there, take it one day at a time.

Took me weeks, felt the same as you.

Don't do the mother warrior, I was diiging trenches after 48 hours, you have had a major op, you need at least 6 weeks recovery time before you even Hoover.

I had an emcs with dc1, it took about 4 weeks for me to start feeling my normal self with no pain. Dc2 was an elcs and I had two infections so it was nearer 9 weeks till I was feeling better. Dc3 was an elcs and I walked two miles on day 12 and felt great. Looking back I did nothing different with any off them, just take it easy and enjoy not being allowed to Hoover!

your not unusual. I was in pain for longer after my EMCS but still tender for weeks after my ELCS. I didn't really get dressed for the first 2 weeks.

hang in there a bit longer, you will feel better before long.

I had a section four weeks and two days ago.

The first few days were difficult (coughing became a nightmare, couldn't NOT cough, but really hurt ). Wasn't allowed to get up for about 24 hours due to high blood pressure but was walking shuffling down to neonatal within about 36 hours.

Came out of hospital on day 5, and was walking normally by then but still using paracetamol. Stopped taking the paracetamol on about day 10 I think and pretty much back to normal by day 14, until I tried to iron! I took it easy but blimey the ironing floored me!

I know if I am over doing things but I am pretty much recovered.

I've no personal experience (sat here awaiting my first) but my friend's recovery sounds similar to yours. She also recommended the snugglbundl blanket /wrap as it makes lifting the baby loads easier.

Hope you're feeling better soon x

Thanks for the replies, good to know I'm not completely 'behind' in my recovery compared to others. I think I just feel I should be able to do more as I feel so well, but then I try and end up in a great deal of pain for the rest of the day. Oh well, one day at a time I guess.

I had an awful time. I was still crying in pain at my 6 week check.

Honestly I'm 10 months on now...stomach/pelvic area still numb and scar still sensitive. I'm only just starting to feel normal.

I really struggled as I had a needy 17month old at the time too.

Just take it easy and you will heal as you heal would be my advice. i'd have loved to have been one of the women who just hopped out of the bed but sadly it wasn't to be!

I have had two emcs after very long labours and been up and about within a few hours and was even discharged 12hrs after one of them. I never needed painkillers and was doing a school run on foot 4 days after the second. I was back running at 8 weeks after dc2.

My friend had an elcs 6 weeks ago and is still sore, internally as you say. The wound is fine and no infection but it still pulls when she moves, particularly if she sneezes.

We are both normal.

The important thing to do is to listen to your own body and do what is right for you. You have to find the balance between moving around which will help healing but not doing too much which will set you back. There's also the problem that if you're on a lot of painkillers, you might not be adequately judging when your body has had enough and pushing through.

The recovery from cs isn't a reflection on your pain threshold or anything else. It's luck, just like most childbirth eventualities.

I promise you'll feel better and if for now mother nature wants you to take it easy, then do so.

Congratulations.

I totally forgot about the coughing and laughing and how painful it was. The sneezing....omg. Knowing you were going to sneeze and panicking because it was going to hurt.

Thank you for all of your replies, very reassuring. Yesterday and today have been marginally better.

However...next question - what is normal in terms of blood loss? I had four/five days of very light loss straight after the section then have had no bleeding at all, not even spotting for about ten days. Then, last night, I went to sit down and felt a big gush so dashed to the bathroom and was bleeding again. Have continued bleeding today and it's like a heavy period. Is it 'normal' to have stop/start bleeding like this? Just got such a shock having not had anything at all for so many days.

Stop start bleeding is normal. I found that if I tried to do too much I bled more, for example one day I walked too far and really ached that evening and noticed the blood loss got heavier too.

I'm booked in for an elcs in 3 weeks, starting to worry about the recovery, especially as I'll have a 2 year old this time.

I think I took the heavy duty painkillers for about 10 days but my pain was due to sciatica left over from SPD so I don't think it had much to do with the ELCS. I think I was 100% by about 6 or 7 weeks but I was at 90% (i.e. felt good, just a few twinges) by 3 or 4 weeks. I was swimming (i.e. laps, for exercise) by 4 weeks. Felt so nice to have my body back to myself!

I dischaged myself from hospital home after 48 hours (CS Monday a.m. home by Wednesday a.m.) and the midwife said it was the best thing I could have done for my recovery - even if you're not doing much at home you're still moving around a lot more than you are if you're confined to a hospital bed.