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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

driving after a c-section

20 replies

CurleyShirley · 21/07/2007 12:08

I had an emergency c-section last week and just wondeing when it is OK to drive again. I think it should be 6 weeks, but I wasnt really told - how long do people normally wait?
thanks!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

totaleclipse · 21/07/2007 12:08

It should be 6 weeks, but alot of people drive sooner.

beansprout · 21/07/2007 12:09

Apparently it is 6 weeks. I wasn't told this and drove again after a couple but while I felt ok, I could have been in trouble if I had had any sort of accident.

daisyandbabybootoo · 21/07/2007 12:17

My doc told me if you feel fit and well there is no reason to wait six weeks. From an insurance pov, i couldn't find anything in my policy document re abdominal surgery.
I think the main thing is that if your wound is painful such that it stops you from performing an emergency stop (or even if the thought of it being painful makes you hesitant about slamming on the anchors) then you shouldn't do it.

I had a cs 6.5 weeks ago and have been driving for 2 weeks already, albeit only short about town journeys. I had a wound infection too, so would've been driving sooner had this not happened.

I would suggest you check with your gp and also look at your insurance documents.

daisyandbabybootoo · 21/07/2007 12:18

congratulations on the birth of your baby btw

RedFraggle · 21/07/2007 12:27

Congratulations!!

After my first section I drove at around 5 weeks as I was fine. I checked with my insurance company first though. This time around it was just after 6 weeks before I felt well enough to drive. You must be able to do an emergency stop so try stamping your foot really hard on the floor. If there is any pain I would personally not drive.
If you phone your insurance company they will let you know if there is an issue. (Mine didn't seem to care at all!)

evenhope · 21/07/2007 12:53

I rang my insurers (Direct Line) and they said I had to have the OK from my GP or if I had an accident I wouldn't be insured.

My GP always plays everything by the book and wasn't going to OK me at 5 1/2 weeks until I begged her!

Hulababy · 21/07/2007 12:58

My Gp didn't give me the OK until the recommended 6 weeks. Going against medical advise can invalidate your car insurance. You must phone up and ask, don't just assume it will be okay. If you fail to disclose they can just say tough, should the worst happen.

You may feel well enough to drive. But that isn't the issue. It is in cas eof you having to do an emergency stop I believe - this could cause your scar, internal or external, to ruptur.

Highlander · 21/07/2007 22:18

GP OKd me after 2 weeks.

rookiemum · 21/07/2007 22:29

I checked with my insurance company and again they said I had to get my doctors say so, she wrote me a note at 4 weeks because otherwise I was worried that I wouldn't be covered if I had an accident.

Congratulations BTW !

coleyboy · 21/07/2007 22:38

I drove after two weeks. My abdomen felt fine, and I knew that if I had to do an emerg stop, I would. Plus, in reality how many times have you done an emerg stop since your driving test?

A lot of that insurance stuff is a load of twaddle. Anyway, if you had an accident (god forbid) who would know you had a c-section?

This makes me sound really flippant, but I can assure you I am not! And congratulations on your new arrival,

Katsma · 21/07/2007 23:38

Congratulations Curley

I agree the insurance co wouldn't know you'd had a section, but neither would the paramedics!

I drove 4 weeks after my emerg c/s, also with an infection. I left a 'I've just had a c/s' post-it note on the dashboard, in a Baby on Board style!

But then I was also on anticoagulants, and worried about bleeding...and a pessimist

BusyAnxiousMum · 21/07/2007 23:56

it varies from person to person, gps decide on individual circumstances, as adv by DVLA, so yes check with him/her
btw congrats

mymatemax · 22/07/2007 09:16

congratulations!
I drove after about 6 days, ds2 was in SCBU as born at 28wks, so GP signed me as fit to drive.. hospital is an hour drive away & had ds1 at home so needed to drive.
Unless you need to though I should put your feet up & let someone be the taxi.

fearscape · 23/07/2007 15:04

Only read OP. I drove after 5 weeks (really couldn't have managed before but a lot of people do). Hospital told me that I must be confident doing an emergency stop. I rang my insurance company as it was less than 6 weeks but they didn't care! Congratulations btw

just read mymatemax i could barely get into a car after 6 days!!!

Original poster

CurleyShirley · 23/07/2007 17:55

thanks everyone - really helpful to ehar people's different opinions. DH goes back to work next week (3 weeks post c-section) so really wondering if I can make short trips to shops etc then. I will ask my GP (though would need to drive to get to him!).

are people also able to advise on lifting? What should and shouldnt I be lifting at this point? Is car seat OK to be lifting for example? My mum can drive me around next week but isnt able to lift car seat in and out of car - would that be OK for me to do?

thanks again - and for your congrats!

OP posts:

diplodocus · 23/07/2007 18:02

Just to say all insurance companies are different. I started driving after about 3-4 weeks, and my insurance co said it didn't need any confirmation from Dr - as long as I felt happy.

NAB3 · 23/07/2007 18:04

I would wait as long as possible. You have to be confident you could do an emergency stop. Insurance won't cover you if you took a risk I think. Also, make sure you are able to lift the pram in and out of the car. I drove at 5 weeks 5 days and lifting the pram was the hardest bit. I only drove because I had had enough of being stuck in.

RedFraggle · 23/07/2007 18:45

CurleyShirley, try lifting the car seat without baby in first to check it feels ok. You are not supposed to do any heavy lifting for about 3 months but it is a bit unrealistic to be honest. If you feel the car seat is a bit heavy but do-able then put it in the car and then carry the baby out to the car seat. Just try to take it easy. You will know very quickly if you are doing too much! I overdid it at about 4 weeks post-section and was pretty sore and started bleeding again a bit, so I slowed down again for a few more days.

wolveschick · 23/07/2007 18:57

It is not worth hiding it from insurance company as if you had an accident you may ahve to sign a form saying that you had not had any recent medical treatment and they may argue that it invalidates insurance. To save stress find out what their policy is and then ask Dr. I diligently waited 6 weeks first time as hospital leaflet said so but 2nd time around in the snow with DD2 needing to get to nursery I asked insurance co who said I needed GP approval. GP said some heal quicker than others and if I told him I was fine then ok with him. Just do it all by the book.

MumzarelloMcGonagall · 23/07/2007 19:09

Think it is quite a personal thing - people recover at different rates..

I was driving again at 3 weeks - felt fine & wouldnt have driven if I didn't.

Rang insurance (tesco) they said that the doctor needed to ok & put a note on file but otherwise it was fine. No problem with doctor either.

Congratulations btw Curley

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