2nd c section and recovery - how was it?

[AbbeyRoadCrossing]

I'm currently deciding between c section and VBAC and for various reasons (small age gap rupture risk, have never laboured and anxiety over another crash section) am leaning towards ELCS.

I was told today that recovery with a second section is at least 8 weeks. I just wondered how your recovery was? Is the second much worse than the first?

My first was a category 1 emergency, blood transfusions etc and I was back to being able to walk about and do most things after a week, albeit slowly, which was much better than they said, so I'm hoping for the same especially if an elective. But 8 weeks with a rather large 13 month old DS at home would be a nightmare!

Mine was easy as pie. First was an emcs prior to labour. Normal recovery: painkillers 10 days, driving after 1 month. Small infection in wound.

Second: painkillers for 4 days. Mobile same afternoon. No infection. Normal household tasks and driving at 10 days. Avoided hoovering ever since (!) and heavy lifting for around 2 weeks. Back horse riding after 5 weeks. The actual surgery second time round was far more complicated due to adhesions and scaring. Getting to the baby took around 45 minutes instead of the 5 minutes of my first.

Having my third in 2 weeks.

Just had my 4th section, with all I was mobile after a week and driving after three, just had to be careful not to lift ds3 who is only 16 months and to do nothing in the first week. Scar infection because you have done too much is your only concern...

It hurt a lot more the first week, I think it was having all the old scar tissue cut through. It stung a lot if I stood up for too long (5 minutes was the limit!). Then it got better in big steps, I was about 75% better at 4w and 100% at 6w.

Thank you all. DH will be able to take a month off to help especially with DS who still needs to be lifted. Hoping that'll be enough to get over the worst of it

I am 2.5 wks post section no2 and recovery has been a bit slower than I expected. Needed decent pain killers (codeine) for first 2 weeks - not all day but certainly overnight. I've stopped taking all painkillers now but I am tender and do sometimes get quite uncomfortable. Managed to bust a couple of stitches early this week so had to rest up to allow those to reheal. I have 2yo twins so can't risk a set back. I have additional help for another 3 weeks and must admit I am very glad. Hoping to be pain free and able to get stuck in by middle of next week but not sure it'll be much sooner.

Both planned sections with no complications as such.

I had a cat 3 emcs with ds4 and a cat 1 emcs with ds5. I found the first one took longer to recover from but I think that was mainly because ds4 was in nicu for a lot longer than ds5 was. With ds4 I was constantly on the go, expressing, sterilizing and taking the milk up to nicu. With ds5 the first few days were worse but then we had 3 days on the postnatal ward when we just cuddled, fed and slept which helped a lot.

My second section was much better recovery than my first. My first (EMCS) I was back to normal walking and sleeping (on my front) in two weeks. My second section (ELCS) it took 10 days.
And the pain in the first couple of days seemed less second time round too.

I found the second section much harder than the first to recover from. It's not too painful, but four weeks later I'm still bleeding and I'm really struggling to manage my three year old and healing. First time round I was able to rest much more, this time even a short walk causes bleeding.