Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Childbirth

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

Flip

Original poster

after c-section-what to expect

18 replies

spongecake · 09/04/2007 13:46

hi there, can anyone help?
its a month since my c section and I am still bleeding and the bottom of my tummy is tender. My uterus is nearly down I think- I am on anti biotics, finished today. what is usual and normal?

the first doctor who tried to break my waters was very violent and bashing me about inside, had to beg him to stop- could I still be bleeding and in pain because of him? the consultant who appeared just after did it in 2 secs and said he was quick as he was experienced

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

cheekymonk · 09/04/2007 16:14

I still bled a month after c-section and they were rough with me too. Ds was born with hook marks on his head where they had tried to break my waters.
As for the tenderness, I was still tender too at this stage. it is such a major op so it will take your body time. You should have a postnatal ckeck at 6 weeks but if you are worried then get yourself to docs beforehand. Its normal to feel scared and unsure about things. Take care and rest as much as you can xx

kid · 09/04/2007 16:23

I wasn't bleeding a month after (didn't need to have my waters broken) but I was still very sore after. I had 2 infections when I had DS which meant the scar took longer to heal. I assume you are on AB for an infection, if you are at all concerned or if the scar is weeping/smelly then you should go back to the Drs for swab to be done.
Hope you are feeling better soon and are enjoying your new baby.

Original poster

spongecake · 09/04/2007 16:29

thankhe for that- my scar is fine and healed- its inside that the pain is.

OP posts:

Divvy · 09/04/2007 16:54

Hi, its 5 weeks since my emergency c-section too..and was going to post something along these lines too.....

When will I feel like I havent had this op?

My tummy is still sore inside, mostly when I get out of bed..I feel very well in myself though...just want to feel normal again really!

My baby still has a mark on her head, but I was told this was from where they put in the monitor under there scalp..its like a hook..could this be what your baby had also?

ImpyChica · 09/04/2007 18:02

Hello

I had an induced labour, water's were broken and then a c-section last July. I think I bled for about 6 weeks. I know I started to panic and rang a medical help line here in Spain and was reassured that all was fine. I'm not sure if the doctor could have damaged you - you should definitely go for your six-week check-up just to make sure. But I'm sure you're fine.

It takes a long time to recover from the c-section. I was v impatient and probably hindered my recovery by doing too much physical activity. Just take it easy as much as you can. It's boring, I know, but you've had major adominal surgery - these things take time.

Impy

cheekymonk · 09/04/2007 18:52

Is it like a "pulling" feeling spongecake? If you move at all does it hurt more or is it still very sore if you are perfectly still? If I were you I would definitely mention this pain just to be on the safe side to a midwife/health visitor/doctor etc.
I too had infections kid and it took ages to heal properly. I remember feeling really messed about with and battered and quite vulnerable and lousy generally but womanly and proud too! After 6 weeks though I was not in pain. I'd say it was about 2 months when I felt really normal but from 6 weeks I was much better.
Hi divvy, my ds had cross marks on his head and these soon faded if they are the same thing. Take care all. Can remember all those feelings so well xxxx

Bucketsofdynomite · 09/04/2007 18:58

Your cervix will be tender too as it didn't get to 'ping' back to normal like it does when a baby's gone right through it. I remember asking my GP about it at my 6wk checkup.

Original poster

spongecake · 09/04/2007 19:11

hi, no it just hurts all across the lower part of me inside, above and below the stitches. I guess i'll just have to be patient, which is ok, i also just want to be normal!

OP posts:

kid · 09/04/2007 21:36

I remember feeling very bruised. I was very sore and couldn't lift anything heavy for about 12 weeks. Even now, 5 years on my stomach is slightly numb. Its a weird feeling but I'm used to it now, its been like it for over 8 years (since DD was born)

You will soon recover, it will be a matter of weeks before you start to feel 'normal' again. Then you will forget all about it (until the next time )

Divvy · 10/04/2007 11:12

Maybe we put too much presure on ourselves to feel 100% too soon?

Maybe we should remember that we all heal at different rates, and the way we feel now, is just normal for us.

I am going to stop giving myself a hard time about not feeling 100% just yet.

So what if I cant jump out of bed yet, or walk very far without scar pain...or feeling wacked out..it must just be normal for me.

evenhope · 10/04/2007 11:20

spongecake it is exactly 4 weeks since my section and I still feel sore inside, and am still bleeding. Nobody was at all rough with me during the delivery so I would say this is "normal".

Plibble · 10/04/2007 11:21

I healed pretty fast after my c.s. (not much pain after the first week or so), but after 4 weeks got very worried because I was still bleeding and the flipping Miriam Stoppard book suggests this should stop after 10 days!

I spoke to someone who had been given a leaflet by her hospital setting out the results of a survey of women regarding bleeding. It seems there is a very wide range of experience which is "normal" and 6 weeks is within that range. I did find I bled more heavily if I did too much, so you do need to go gently and give yourself a chance to heal.

I would go to see the GP about the pain, though, just to put your mind at rest.

coleyboy · 10/04/2007 11:27

I bled for about 6 weeks after by c/section.

My surface scar was never painful as I healed very quickly, but where I was stitched up inside was tender for quite a while afterwards. At one end of the incision I had a golf ball sized lump, which I was told was normal. GP told me I should expect it to take 6 months to feel 'normal'.

Whilst I don't get any pain from the internal incision, I still get a weird sensation when I rub my hand over it - and I had my c/sect 8 months ago!! Maybe it's something to do with the nerves?

I really think hospitals should tell you more about what to expect after a c-section. I had the normal blurb about not driving for 6 weeks (yeah right!!) and taking it easy (again, yeah right!!), but not what to expect in the long term.

BetsyBoop · 10/04/2007 21:15

I bled for about 9weeks after my c/s (last 2 wks were brown)

I was still tender for about 2 months & it was a good 6 months before I felt totally "normal" (although 16 months on my scar is still numb in places)

don't forget it's major abdominal surgery & with a new baby you don't get the idea rest that others get after other types of surgery. It takes a long while to fully recover, just take it easy when you can & try not to rush things.

Kbear · 10/04/2007 21:24

I felt sore inside for a couple of months after my c/s. Bled for 10 weeks too, thought it would never end. The scar was numb for about six months too but all is well now, and I've had two c/s.

Don't forget, no hoovering, just when you think you are well enough to hoover, remember you are NOT. You will put back the healing process. I didn't hoover for weeks, dragged it right out .

Original poster

spongecake · 13/04/2007 21:15

thanks again ladies- well, bleeding still, but pain not as bad, thank goodness. am doing nothing really-lucky i like reading

interesting re the hospital and what they should tell you. The physio came round after my op, and threw a leaflet called "what to do after a c-section" on my table, saying "here you go" and walked off very caring! all of us on the ward were in shock!

i had some mw telling me to take it easy, and some bullying bitch telling me i had to "get on and stand on my own two feet, come on, get up, its not that bad" within 12 hrs of the op.

OP posts:

fearscape · 16/04/2007 09:36

Just to let you know I had a cs 8 months ago and still get twinges around the scar - apparently this is normal. I bled for 6 weeks and think I had internal pain (I guess where I had been stitched inside) for about 2 months. If ds kicks me where my scar is it is still pretty tender. I had no labour, not even an internal exam so it can't be anything to do with that, unfortunately I think it's just that it's major surgery and we take time to recover! Sorry about your physio, mine was much more helpful but to be honest I never really remembered to do the exercises. The mws were also very keen to get us out of bed, my baby was in SCBU so I didn't need much encouragement to get up but there was a girl in the bed next to me who refused and they got quite stroppy with her!

nsl · 16/04/2007 21:24

I had a c-sec 8 weeks ago and only really started to feel better at the 5 1/2 week point. I was induced but my waters broke naturally so no bashing around. I got sent back to the hospital at 2 weeks because I was fainting from the pain and had stomach cramps and felt sick. I was informed that they had probably just sewed up a few internal nerves and to up the pain killers (this was after releasing me with 8 days worth of pain killers after 3 days and the GP was only willing to prescribe an extra week's worth).

I never even saw a physio and the only advice I got was don't drive (I have no license so pretty irrelevant) and don't lift anything too heavy but no guidelines on what is too heavy. I tried pushing the pram at 4 wks but was in agony following that. A week and a half later I could manage it quite well and now I can manouevere us on and off crowded buses.

From what I've seen on MN and from people I know everyone recovers at different rates. I know people who were completely fine after a week or 2 and others who said it took them up to a year. Rest while you can and you will get there.

Flip