How soon did you drive after forceps and episiotomy?

[fireflyz]

How soon did you feel ok to drive after a forceps and episiotomy delivery?
Thanks in advance.

I had both and also a 3rd degree tear and drove after 3 weeks

It was about 2.5 weeks for me

4 and a half weeks but had to sit on an NCT Valley Cushion to do so. Probably closer to 6 or 7 weeks before I drove without it.

I can't really remember but I think it just depends how you feel. I had forceps and episiotomy with my first but was able to drive within a few days. I'm fact, getting ds to go in the car seat without puking/screaming was much more of a problem than me physically being able to drive.

About 5-6 weeks, but I had a hemotoma, so couldn't sit down for several weeks!

About 9 days, but only a short distance into town. I probably would have been okay a couple of days before that too though.

I had forceps and a 4th degree tear and was driving after 2 weeks.

I drove after a week! Had to take the baby to clinic and dh doesn't drive. Was ok for short distance but think I would have been sore if I had driven much further

Forceps and 3b tear - drove after 3 weeks. I found sitting on a carrier bag made it easier to swing my legs out of the car without wrenching anything

I didn't have forceps (although nearly did) but did have an episiotomy and also tore a muscle, so had quite a lot of stitches. My baby is a week old today and I had to drive yesterday as my car was being fixed and I had to pick it up. It wasn't the most comfiest but also wasn't as uncomfortable as I thought it would be, and that's with one of my stitches slightly coming undone too (which I have had to have antibiotics for).
I'd just say that perhaps my bleeding was a little bit heavier yesterday, but that was because I'd been out on Sunday (reluctantly) and been out yesterday for food shopping. The midwife has said to take it easy to let stitches heal properly, and luckily I have no desire to be driving anywhere in a hurry due to tiredness of baby keeping me up all night! Good luck

I had forceps, tore inside and out and was admitted for 6 days due to chronic swelling down there meaning I could stand for 4 days. I drove the day after I got home on day 8.

Driving was not a problem. I found walking much harder work.

*Couldn't stand, not could.

Probably two weeks. I wanted to drive myself to breastfeeding group after 5 days but still felt too wobbly and as if I would crumble if someone cut me up at the lights, so got Dh to drive me. It would have been ok physically though.

Depends on the type of episiotomy you had, it should say in your discharge notes somewhere? Mine was quite large going off to the side into my buttock tissue IYSWIM. I wasn't driving at the time but I remember the time scale of it becoming liveable with because I was seeing the doctor about it - I would have needed to wait 4 weeks, maybe 3 for important short journeys but would have risked inflaming it and slowing down the healing.

Due to an extra-tight stitch it took me 20 mins to get into the car for the first 3 weeks. I certainly couldn't drive.

After 5 weeks I was able to drive but not lift the baby in the car seat.

A rolled up towel under each thigh worked wonders.