C section recovery - how long is normal?

[Puddinggulper]

Hi,

I’m almost 6 months post partum with my first child. I had an emergency c section.

Immediate recovery was brutal, I couldn’t even lower myself on to the toilet or get in and out of bed. I needed help for everything. I couldn’t lift my baby out of her Moses basket or bend over a changing table to change her nappy (thank god for my husband!).

Then from around week 5 I started to improve and maybe at 8 - 10 weeks I felt back to normal. But around 18 weeks post partum I started to deteriorate again. There was no major event that seemed to trigger it. I can get by fine it’s just sore and annoying in my stomach. No where near the scar, more further up behind and either side of my belly button.

I’ve been checked over by the doctor, I’ve had a scan looking for a hernia at the scar site and they found nothing.

I’m starting to feel like it will never go back to normal and I’ll feel sore forever! Does anyone else have any experience of this? Lots of women I’ve spoken to have said they were fine and could bend etc no problem on day 3! I don’t know why mine won’t heal!

I felt normal around 3 months, up until then I took it really easy and didn't even drive until I felt comfortable. I too had an emergency C-section after a long and painful labour. Have you been to the doctors about it or spoken to a HV?

Yeah my Labour was long and I had bad bladder retention as well. Yeah I went to the GP and they examined me and sent me for the scan for a hernia but all normal. I’m on the waiting list to see gynaecology. I’m just so fed up and worried there’s something wrong inside or that I’ll be this sore forever.

Does the pain get worse when you’re overdoing it? I‘m only 10 weeks pp bit get pain in the exact same area if I’ve done too much. I’ve been trying some gentle core exercises to rebuild strength in the area and I think it’s working.

(Also had a long labour, and it’s more painful on the side DS was for most of pregnancy, always wondered if that’s linked!)

Yes definitely gets worse the more I’ve bent over etc. Apart from working I’ve shied away from exercise as I thought that could make things worse.

@Puddinggulper Look at the Bumps and Burpees Instagram account if you’re on there, they have quite a few gentle post natal ones and suggestions like this:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/ChpyIBdAFdl/?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

Obviously if you find it’s making it worse you can obviously stop straight away.

Thanks very much. Yeah I suppose I should try exercises and I can just stop like you say if it makes it worse x

In my case, 10 hours after my C-section I was able to stand up and move quickly. The nurses scolded me for this. Although I personally felt very good because I considered myself too heavy in my last month of pregnancy. I guess it depends on the body, the pregnancy and the birth itself.

I felt awful for the first 24 hours, pretty bad for first week, okay by week 2 and completely back to normal week 6-8. I had quite a small scar and it recovered relatively well (after initially having cellulitis)

this sounds like a lot longer recovery time to me? But bodies can be all different and deal with things at different paces?