2 hour car journey 3 days post C-section?

[Spanneroo]

I had very straightforward vaginal deliveries of my two DDs so this is really new to me. One of my twins has turned breech, so I'm now booked in for an ELCS. I will be going to my mum's for the first week or so after discharge to recover, as my 5 and 2 year olds are lovely but boisterous, and we live in a small place which will be difficult to isolate myself in, should I need to rest/sleep/not be mangled by loving DDs.

If the offending twin does behave herself and go back to head down, I will cancel the CS, but if she doesn't, I'll need to make the journey (2hrs by car) once I'm discharged. The hospital policy for twins is for discharge within 48-72 hours. Will this be doable? I'm assuming I'll need to find a suitable cushion for the seat belt. I know we will be taking regular breaks for the babies anyway, so it won't be all in one.

Obviously, I will not be driving.

I mean I wouldn't have. The journey home of 20 minutes was painful 3 days post section tbh. You feel every bump in the road. There is also an increased risk of blood clots etc. Could your mum come to you or could you wait a few more days. Its major abdominal surgery.

2 hours from home post major surgery? It's a no from me.
Your dm can travel to you... Surely easier having dc in their own home?

I found walking hard after 24 hours, I think you may have some mobility issues after 72 hours. Remember a csection is major abdominal surgery, not the same as a straightforward vaginal delivery.

I don’t think I would; I had a 15 minute car journey home 3 days after and every bump in the road was painful. Can your mum come to you instead?

I’ve had three sections and the hospital is around 35-40 minutes drive from home. Each drive home was horrible. No way would I have gone two hours.

I couldn't have done it, and my recovery was considered to be 'good'. The car journey home of 15 minutes was horrendous, and getting through the front door felt like the best moment ever. Is there any other solution? Can your mum come to stay with you and is there any way to guarantee peace? Guessing there might not be.

I breezed through recovery with mine (now five weeks pp) but even with DH being uncharacteristically careful the twenty minute drive home wasn't the most comfortable, particularly when going round corners, over bumps etc. If it was all motorway it might be doable, but you'll have to stop frequently and get the twins out of their seats and stretch your own legs to avoid clotting. It might be a two hour drive but the journey itself could be twice that once you factor stops in.

I left hospital 2 days after my surprise elcs with my DTs - the 15 minute car journey was painful, I felt every single bump in the road! I was practically in tears by the time we got home, there’s no way I could’ve coped with such a long drive.

If there’s really no other alternative to making a 2 hour journey, pop at least one (or a couple) of the lovely maternity pads on top of your knickers over the top of your scar to cushion it. I didn’t know to do it when I came home, but when I ventured out when they were 5 days old food shopping, it felt soooo much better. That and keeping up with the painkillers!

Good luck, hopefully your twin dd will turn back

Do you have a DP who is taking time off?
Could your children go and stay with grandma while you languish on the sofa with your baby while your DP looks after you?

I would not have been able to as even walking hurt! What if he has to do an emergency stop? Or a bumpy road?

Jesus no.

Can your mum not come to you?

Definitely no.

Couldn't your Mum come and collect your older two and take them to hers for a few days?

My mum can come to me, of course. But that doesn't help me get away from my existing children in our 2 bedroom flat, which is why I'd like to travel to hers with the babies and without my other children, who will visit on the weekends during the week or two I'm there.

Sounds like it might be a no-go though. Possibly train instead?

How many weeks are you? Can you transfer care to a hospital closer to your mum?

We went to a wedding 3 days after dc2 was born by c-section 2 hours away and it was fine.

Train sounds just as bad 😮 I was in a two bed house when I had all my kids and it was fine. DH took two weeks off each time and we did great.

I was six days post section when i finally left the hospital and every single bump was agony. The hospital car park was full of pot holes so DH had to meander back and forth as much as possible just to try and give me a smoother ride. It’s up to you obviously but I definitely wouldn’t attempt it!

That sounds tough. I did about 30 mins when I was discharged on day 2 and it was fairly hard going. I then did 15 min journeys several times a day from home to nicu (they moved the baby to my local one when I was discharged). Those journeys were worse tbh as there were a lot of speed bumps. By about day 6-7 I was a lot better, and could drive my car. I probably could have managed the two hours by then. Do you need to go right away or could you delay a few days? A week is a long time in healing.

I'm just shy of 34 weeks (hopefully enough time for the little madam to move but I suspect not!)

I suppose we could probably muddle through a few days with me at home if we had to before travelling up. It's not helpful that it's winter and the kids will want to spend more time indoors than if the weather were nicer. OH will be off for 2 weeks pat leave, then 2 weeks for Christmas so he will be around to help with the big girls.

My biggest worry is being so easily accessible to the toddler/5yo. The baby turned breech because DD1 fell and landed on her, and I worry this could happen again on my belly and cause some serious damage!

This is all so alien to me. I honestly felt back to normal in less than a day with my vaginal births and I'm shitting myself over the recovery from a c-section tbh.

If DD1 didn't have to go to school, my parents would gladly have them for a little while to give me some rest time at home.

Hell no to that drive! My drive home was 20mins, I was nearly in tears when I got there! Honestly the recovery was fine, I walked 15mins each way to the park pushing the pram at 3 days post section, but that car ride was awful!

Are you planning to move at any point?
2 adults, 2 young children and newborn twins in a 2 bedroom flat will be a squeeze to say the least.

Anyway, I think your DP will just have to keep the older two occupied. The 5yo is old enough to understand that you'll need to rest and recover and you could give her lots of encouragement for helping.

If your parents come to visit would they be able to get an Airbnb nearby and take the older two out to do various things?

I think getting the train would be even more difficult than driving because you'd have to carry the babies and luggage, and you'll struggle with that after a c-section.

We did a 2 hr journey home 24hrs after a section. It was fine. A cushion or folded towel over your stomach and under the seatbelt helps.

"We"? You weren't driving, then.