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Childbirth

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

soreness after c-section - how long does it last?

19 replies

dot1 · 27/04/2004 10:16

Hello!

I had a caesarean 18 days ago and have recovered really well and quickly - am getting out and about and the scar's fine - but I've got this really sore strip across my tummy - just above my scar that's still really sore. It's extremely sensitive to the touch - I hate even my clothes on it - so it's making me walk slowly and feel quite down, as I can't walk as quickly or as far as I used to at the moment. It's painful to sleep on my side and front aswell.

How long does this usually last? I'm not taking any painkillers, 'cos it's not like a 'sharp' pain - just annoying..!

OP posts:
mears · 27/04/2004 10:18

Dot1 - go to the doctor and have it checked out. It shouldn't be really sore - might be that you have a low grade infection working away there. May need antibiotics.

LadyMuck · 27/04/2004 10:19

Can't remember specific areas of pain from that far back, but would say that after 4 weeks I felt totally "normal". But I did take the painkillers

twiglett · 27/04/2004 10:21

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aloha · 27/04/2004 10:22

See the doctor and TAKE THE PAINKILLERS There's no point in suffering any pain if you don't have to.You say it's making you feel down, so check out for possible infection and take the painkillers.
And congratulations!

Nutcracker · 27/04/2004 10:29

I did have very sore skin just above my scar. The skin there seemed to be very dry too. Wasn't red or anything, just very sore to touch.
Am racking my brains trying to think how long it lasted for, i think it was about 4/5 weeks.
Am pretty sure it wasn't any longer than that.
I did take painkillers and just tried to make sure none of my clothes rubbed on it at all.

nightowl · 27/04/2004 14:11

Mine really hurt for weeks...it stung as if it was a blister or burn..that kind of pain. i didnt get dressed for ages.

muddaofsuburbia · 27/04/2004 14:17

Mine really hurt for about 5 weeks and then after that if I lifted anything stupidly heavy or walked too much. Agree with Aloha - take those painkillers and get a repeat prescription if necessary - no point in being stoic when there's a newborn to be carted around the place Bend your knees when you lift and look after your back - it's so easy to start walking/lifting differently to compensate when your tum's still sore. Hope you feel better soon

dot1 · 27/04/2004 17:04

thanks - that's just how it is Nightowl - like a blister. Think I might go to the doctors -but I feel a complete wuss...Will probably give it another week or so - get to 4 weeks and then see how it feels - maybe I'm rushing things a bit?!

The boy is completely gorgeous!! A bit colicky at the moment, but bright as a button and doing really well!

OP posts:
tatcity · 27/04/2004 19:35

Dot1 - go sooner if you can. I had similar thing, which turned out to be infection. It was fine, didn't need antiobiotics, healed on its own - but needed cleaning and dressing at GPs. Shouldn't be so sore that you can't bear your clothes on it. You are not being a WUSS!

dot1 · 28/04/2004 19:51

I know - but I'm such a wuss I can't bear the thought of the dr examining and prodding it... will have to be brave and go for it. I've got baby clinic tomorrow - do the health visitors look after me as well as baby?? I'll mention it to them and see what they say - if not, I'll book an appointment with my GP. sigh... I think I just want the whole labour/caesarean thing to be behind me, and having to go and see someone about it means I have to think about it again...

OP posts:
tatcity · 29/04/2004 16:36

dot1 - how did you get on?

dot1 · 01/05/2004 16:48

Well, as I suspected - I'm a complete wuss..! I went to see the GP - really nice woman I hadn't seen before - 'cos I also thought I had a breast infection - one's been so painful I thought there must be something wrong. So she examined my breast and looked at my scar/tummy - I explained about the soreness - and declared everything to be fine..! In fact she said I had " a beautiful scar"... She did say that some women do experience hypersensitivity around the scar area because of the nerves being cut - sounds like what I'm feeling. The breast thing is just one of them taking longer to toughen up...

But even since I started this thread my tummy's feeling a bit better - still weird - I think it's probably that I'm getting used to it. Just hope it'll get back to 'normal' soon.

Thanks for asking!

OP posts:
tatcity · 01/05/2004 22:58

Glad its ok - better to be safe than sorry though.

My scar is 18 months old - and still felt a twinge when I was gardening today! It'll get better soon I'm sure!

Glad to hear you've got a "beautiful" scar though! Someone said that about my nether regions when I had DD1 - yuk!

bloss · 02/05/2004 07:04

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valleymum · 13/05/2004 12:01

Hi Dot1
I am a new to the forum and new to mothering. I had a really good pregnancy, no morning sickness, no problems what so ever, well only constipation., so assumed a natural birth would be on the cards, the thought of a section scared me to death and as far as I was concerned wasn?t really an option unless totally necessary.

Well I had an emergency section due to the baby being breach and no one found out until I had had three lots of progesterone gel to start me off, I was 2 weeks late.

DS is 5 weeks this Friday and weighed in at 8.13oz (by the way I am 5ft tall and fairly petit) and I too am troubled by numbness, hypersensitivity and general dull aches. I have to get some one else to push the pushchair up hills (not to bad on the flat) and my mother who has had a back operation and a hip operation can out walk me, I have to ask her to slow down when we are out and about.

I find I get tired quickly, my back aches easily and doing just the general bits around the house takes ages.

Then there?s the stitches, that have yet to dissolve (anyone now how long they take to dissolve), the in growing hairs from were they shaved me and the swelling that?s just to the side of the scar.

Like you I too get down quite easily, especially when I see other mums I know who have had a normal birth only three or so weeks ago and look like the just walked out of the beauty parlour, while I still cant do a size 14 pair of trousers up around my tummy.

When I do get down I just look at DS and think how lucky I am to have him. But the section ordeal has defiantly put me off having any more children. Glad to here everything was ok at the doctors, it reassured me that these things are normal, so thanks for that.

aloha · 13/05/2004 12:38

dot1 - I'm really not sure about that 'toughening up' thing. My breasts never had to 'toughen up" - positioning can be really different depending on which side the baby is feeding from. Keep latching on on that side until you get comfortable - also watch for thrush - gps are bad at diagnosing it.
Don't just accept painful breastfeeding.
I must be very lucky - I've been cut there twice - once for ovarian cyst surgery, once for my c-section and don't feel a thing.
Valleymum, why not ask your GP to have a look at that swelling to make sure you don't have an infection? Can you afford a cleaner to help around the house for a couple of hours a week so you can take it easy?
If you are fed up with how you look, my advice express some milk and leave your baby with your dh for an hour or two while you go for a cut and blowdry and a pedicure. It will make you feel much more human. You've been through a lot and need a bit of looking after IMO.

aloha · 13/05/2004 12:39

BTW when my baby was tiny I used to take him with me while I went for a pedicure. I've even breastfed while having my toenail painted! Nice and relaxing.

aloha · 13/05/2004 12:40

BTW, backache and general aches and pains and exhaustion are perfectly normal parts of new motherhood - however the baby got out, I suspect.

valleymum · 13/05/2004 13:11

aloha, I have my six week check up soon, I did ask if I could go sooner but was told by the receptionist that I had to wait the six weeks?

Your pampering suggestion sparked of a some thoughts about getting a massage, is there any reason to avoid this?

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