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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

Recovery from caesarian

25 replies

Kerry101 · 14/10/2004 12:27

Help!

Had cs 6 weeks ago and do not feel great. Tummy still tender, scar still weepy and feel like my insides will fall out if stand up for longer than 1 hour. Sneezing and coughing out of question. Can anybody advise as to how long this nightmare will continue? Got no advice beforehand as was an emergency one.

Thanks!!

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pupuce · 14/10/2004 12:29

I'd speak to your GP about this. It is not uncommon but there might be something else. Are you still bleeding?

bundle · 14/10/2004 12:30

definitely speak to doctor, i was feeling much better at 6 weeks, both times. maybe you need a tonic to boost your healing ??

mrsflowerpot · 14/10/2004 12:32

Hi Kerry
You poor thing, sections are horrid to get over. It's over 3 years since I had mine, but I do remember feeling wiped out for ages - tired and sore for weeks. As I recall though (and it is a bit hazy I admit), the sneezing and coughing thing only lasted a couple of weeks, although I did get twinges for a few months. It does sound like you've been suffering for a while - have you spoken to your midwife/doctor? If you are feeling this poorly still, I would try to speak to them. Hope you feel better soon.

dawnie1 · 14/10/2004 12:35

I had an emergency cs also and recovered quite quickly but tummy remained tender for a couple of months (scar didn't weep though) - spoken to some of my other mum friend who had the same and think you should probably just check it out with Dr - I'm sure its not serious but it is worth checking out. For a couple of months afterwards though I had a very sharp pain on one side of the scar when I turned around/over and thought they had accidentally left a stich in but apparantly the scar is much deeper on the side they started cutting (normally the womans left hand side) and it takes longer to heal there.

Donbean · 14/10/2004 12:53

I agree with all the above. After having mine,which was also an emergency i was the same and had no advice before hand. I was sore for some months and couldnt walk far as i also felt that my insides were bulging through the scar (sorry...graphic)Its 15 months on for me and im still not what i would call back to normal but every thing settled down after 2 or three months. Consider the possibility that you could have a wound infection though, in which case you will be feeling lousy. You need to go to the Drs and get your wound swabbed just to rule this out and probably antibiotics. Dont worry though, it will all come right soon enough x

MissTuesday · 14/10/2004 15:51

hi Kerry101

I would SO recommend Arnica. Its a natural homeopathic remedy for bruising and healing etc. I took it before and after my (emergency c-section) with ds as it had been recommened to me. I recoved so well that one of the midwives on the ward actually asked me had I been taking it as she said she really sees the difference between women who've taken it prior. It is still very good after though and aids healing. you could get it from any health food shop and maybe even pharmacies.

Millie1 · 14/10/2004 19:40

Kerry - weeping aside, I was as you describe after my first section. It took a good 6-7 weeks before I could walk the length of the kitchen without being doubled over and one side definitely hurt more than the other. It did pass - and my second CS was soo much better ... I was out shopping the next week. I think first time round the running stitch was quite tight and this may have caused some of my discomfort. Not nice but I hope you feel better quickly.

aloha · 14/10/2004 20:22

I think you should go back to your doctor as you may have an infection. I didn't have any of your symptoms at six weeks. And my scar was never weepy. You really IMO shouldn't feel this bad. Take painkillers as you need them and see your GP and raise the possibility of an infection. Hope you feel better soon.

duster · 14/10/2004 20:48

Same as dawnie1 - I still 'twinge' on the left after 9 weeks and it's only now I think about it that i realise my stomach doesn't feel as 'weak' as it did a few weeks ago. See doc, the only weeping expected after childbirth is from the eyes
hope you feel better soon.

JanH · 14/10/2004 20:53

IIRC (long time ago now) my tummy was still tender at 6 weeks, and I couldn't sneeze or cough without supporting the scar (failing a nearby cushion or something I would drop to a squat - used to get some funny looks!), but the weeping and insides-falling-out doesn't sound right at all. So yes, going to your GP sounds like a good plan. Take lots of vitamin C too, good for healing. Hope it's better soon.

ChicPea · 14/10/2004 20:54

I had two elective c sections and felt normal after 4wks with first and 3wks with second. The scar still felt tender though but no pain and definitly not weepy. I would see ob or midwife about your scar. Are you due the 6wk check up? I wouldn't see GP unless they specialise in obstetrics. Good luck.

Uwila · 14/10/2004 21:20

I too think you should go to the doctor. Perhaps I've just forgotten but I wasn't like this at all. In fact we left the hospital 3 days after caesarean and went straight to Bluewater. Okay, so I'm a bit the other extreme. But I think in 2 or 3 weeks it's normal to be up and around without pain.

I remember a tightness especially when I smeeze or cough for a while (in fact even today 19 months later), but it isn't painful.

Quackers · 15/10/2004 20:45

Sounds like infection. I had this for the first 9-10 weeks. I had a very positive experience of c section, but the infection I got after was pretty bad. My wound was lumpy and weeping all the time, red, sore etc.... I tried bathing it and drting off by lying in the fresh air. The Doc gave antibiotics for the infection and now 11 weeks post op, I feel more like I should. Hope all goes well for you. xxxxx

Original poster

Kerry101 · 18/10/2004 19:42

Thanks everyone. Feels good to know people know how it feels. Did go to GP who said scar not quite healed on left side and that sharp pains are nerves knitting together. As for tummy and womb pain, he did say that was normal up to about 10-12 weeks. So will wait and see how I go on. My twin girls are in SCBU so doing more running around than should be (have 4 year old in school too) so that's probably making it all drag on longer. Thanks everyone for great advice.

Anybody got any great tips for feeding twins (to be bottle fed)??

OP posts:

pupuce · 18/10/2004 19:56

Sorry - what do you mean about feeding twins ? You will bottle feed them when they come out of SCBU ? Are they already formula fed? or are you expressing ?

nightowl · 19/10/2004 00:14

just wanted to say that my first cs i dont remember feeling any pain at all when i went home but my second was awful. it was only four weeks but it felt like forever..it was so sore i couldnt get dressed...midwife said there was a "tuck" in one side...it did heal up ok although i have to say it still twinges me now 9 months on.

Original poster

Kerry101 · 19/10/2004 12:33

Expressed breastmilk for 5 weeks but now both are on full formula. I wondered if anybody else had twins and whether they fed one after the other, fed at same time (how?), woke them up at set times etc? They are in a routine now at SCBU but may not keep to it when they switch them over to demand feeding later this week.

All advice welcome!

OP posts:

pupuce · 19/10/2004 12:47

Have you contacted TAMBA?

Original poster

Kerry101 · 19/10/2004 13:55

Not thought of that-will try them

OP posts:

Kezzar · 21/10/2004 19:58

I too had an emergency c-sec 6 weeks ago and also am called Kerry!! Thank goodness I only have one boy though. Just to let you know I saw my consultant yesterday who said my weeping/ bleeding scar would heal. There is bruising round the edge and it is tender on the left side too. My doc gave me antibiotics following a swab test that revcealed an infection but the consultant said don't take anymore. Get yours checked. Hope you are feeling better. Picking up my boy aggravates my wound, but I drove for the first time today so feel that there is light at the end of the tunnel!!

NotQuiteCockney · 26/10/2004 18:48

Ack. I'm currently 4.5 weeks post-section (semi-emergency) and I'd been feeling sorry for myself because I'm still not entirely back to normal. Sneezing and coughing were ok after the first few days though! (And the scar was dry after a few days, too. I was lucky, though, I got out of the hospital the next day, and have good support.)

Baby yourself as much as you can. Lie down when you can. And if you hold your lower abdomen when you're coughing, sneezing, whatever, that helps.

Also, if you can avoid it, don't pick up your four-year-old! I picked up my three-year-old a few too many times, and was knocked backwards a bit.

MrsBigD · 26/10/2004 20:34

Kerry101
Definitely sounds like you might have a wound infection. Would recommend seeing your doctor just in case. When I had my 1st c-section (emergency) the scar didn't heal properly so I applied a mixture of teetree oil and aloe vera gel to the infected areas whicht aided the healing. However yours sounds a bit more serious as you're still in so much pain. I had to take painkillers for about 5 weeks. Took a while to get 'back to normal' but that's normal.

Had my second c-section (ouch) 7 weeks ago and still feeling some twinges on the left... now I know why! Also when I'm tired it's a bit more painful and irritating - assume that's because the muscle supporting the area gets tired too, especially when carrying my 3 year old - thankfully she's a light weight

hope everything clears up soon.

beansprout · 02/11/2004 12:32

Really useful to read this thread. Had an emergency c-section 8 days ago and in the scheme of things feel ok but won't expect to feel great for a while!! Also, good to know why one side is more painful than the other. Ho hum....!

sandyballs · 02/11/2004 12:45

Kerry101 - I've got twin girls and I bottle fed them. I found the easiest way to feed them when I was alone was to give one a dummy to soothe her whilst I fed the other, then swop round. Didn't want to use a dummy really but found they were a godsend! I also got them into the same feeding routine at night so as me and DH could get up together, feed one each and then get back to bed for a longer stretch of time - we used to race for the same baby at night as she was really easy to feed, wind and change (about 20 minutes) compared to her sister who could take anything up to an hour and a half!

As they get a bit older you might be able to lay them in litte baby rockers, or car seats either side of you and feed them together, although I didn't have a great deal of success with that.

One good thing - they learnt how to hold their own bottles at a young age! It was either that or wait so they soon picked it up. Good luck

suzywong · 02/11/2004 12:50

that's interesting to know why one side hurts more than the other, although it's my right side afte both my emergency Cs.

My ribs really hurt for a few days afterwards, later found out that was from all the pressure being applied in order to get ds2 out (he thought he was coming out the other way). I mean that was the bruising and pain from the doctors leaning on me.

I know you've already had a lot of good advice on here Kerry101 but does your hospital not have a special post natal physio department, may be worth a try.

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