Talk to me about C section recovery

[firsttimepregnanthelp]

Hi ladies,

I am considering having an elective C section for a variety of reasons but I am a little concerned about the recovery. Will I be able to turn to pick baby up out of its cot? How long til I can walk again? I am someone who likes to get out of the house so being unable to go outside for a walk will be challenging for me. How do you care for your scar? Is it worth getting a compression garment? How do you prepare for a C section?

Sorry for so many questions, my midwife has been very vague about all of this

I had mine in the evening so ended up staying in hospital for three nights but was fully up and about by the time I got home although took it easy. Went out after a week. No issues with picking up baby as they are so light.

I've had 2 - one emergency, one planned. The first couple of weeks are a bit tough, it's major abdominal surgery and you're going to be sleep deprived on top. I also reacted badly to the spinal anaesthesia and felt very queasy for 72 hours. I found simple things like lifting the kettle a struggle, and getting baby up/down if you got the angle wrong. I'd say it took a good 3 weeks to feel semi human again and to want to go for walks with the pram etc. Accept all help, and don't overdo it. 2nd time round I refused to iron/hoover for the full 6 weeks

In hospital for less than 24hrs so I still felt like I had been hit by a train on the way home.
Could lift baby but not in and out of the cot for a few days.
You walk fairly quickly because you have to, but not necessarily comfortably.

I had two planned CS. Was very lucky and up and about very quickly. Could pick the baby up and walk find.

Genuinely the constipation from the painkillers was far worse than the discomfort from the op!

I had an elective section and it all went very smoothly. I did struggle initially to lift ds out of his cot but the nurses on the ward were a great help, i also used a snugglebundl which helped. By tea time I was up and walking about but still a bit dizzy. I had a drainage dressing on initially (not sore at all getting removed) so at first there was nothing to do as my wound was covered and the drain kept all moisture away. When that came off I just had to keep it clean with water and gentle soap and was advised to dry with kitchen roll so fibres didn't come away. I was able to walk a bit at the start but needed to take it easy. I opened my wound slightly trying to do too much so the more you rest the faster you'll heal.

I didn't use a compression garment but I was given compression stockings for the surgery and after. I still wrote a birth plan focused around a section birth. I made a playlist of music to play during it for a distraction.

First two weeks are very tough. Top tip is to keep on top of pain meds, don’t miss a single dose and go for anything they give you.

I was out the next day. After the c-section I managed to change my baby on the hospital bed by reaching over rather than getting out of bed.

My dh had to pass me the dc for the first week at night time as I couldn’t get out of bed easily. First week was awful at night.

But I went on holiday after 2 weeks and was fine doing gentle walks. By six weeks it was like it never happened!

Checklist - sorry it’s a long one!

Laxatives - I was more traumatised by the pain of this than the CS itself with my 1st

Peppermint tea/capsules: they blow you up with air and this travels, super painful shoulder tip pain after for some. These will be a godsend.

Painkillers: I had oramorph both times after, breastfed both - no issues with babies. Alternate paracetamol and ibuprofen regularly and don’t stop ideally for at least a week. Tried this first time round after 4 days and regretted massively.

Walking: You can walk after albeit very slowly and cautiously. This will vary person to person. 1st would struggle to be standing/walking still after a month, my 2nd was really mobile after about a week. Do keep moving though, short trips regularly.

Side cot: I kept it on my partners side of the bed as turning for me was very uncomfortable and lifting the baby was a struggle. It also made getting out of bed tricky. We only had to do this for a couple of weeks. He’d pass baby to me but with my 2nd I co-slept off the bat so kind of was a non-issue that time round.

Bed: sheet under bed trick. You wedge a large flat sheet under the mattress/tie it to bottom of bed post, use this as leverage to pull yourself out of bed instead of engaging your stomach muscles. Flip legs out rather than trying to sit yourself up and use as much upper body to push yourself up.

Scar: Keep it clean and dry! Air it, let water initially run over the area whilst it’s healing when you shower. I would fold up a maternity pad length way and kind of wedge it in the fold (depends if you have a tum to do this). I’d use witch hazel in the bath too when I could have one.

No bending, no stretching and when the scar is healed, look up scar massage. People underestimate how much scar tissue and adhesions can form. I had to have an operation last year to remove all of mine as it had adhered to my organs and abdominal wall but I was an extreme case!

Getting all the help in/buy is a godsend too…my 1st was a Covid baby in the 1st lockdown and definitely did myself a mischievous by doing too much as we couldn’t have family in to help and my OH had to go back to work quite soon after (construction job). No hoovering!

Had elective c section at 11am, was up for a wee at around midnight. Next day was v sore and I was a bit hunched in pain but mobile and wad out of hospital by 5pm.
We had a divan bed so reaching for baby wasn't too bad. First couple of nights I preferred the sofa with moses basket next to me (downstairs bathroom, had SPD from 35 weeks so was still a bit sore from that). Was out for a gentle walk within 3 days, out on my own with dog and pram a few days later and driving at 10 days. I know i was lucky. I kept on top of pain meds, I did over do it and scar opened a bit but just rested more and it didn't need any intervention, just healed itself. Had stitches out at 5 days pp, had a bath beforehand to soften it up and try and get as much of the dressing off myself.
Use a pillow across your tummy when gettig up/getting in car/into bed etc/coughing and sneezing, took arnica tablets, use your bum and legs to swivel yourself into position to get up, I was 36 and it was first baby. Would definitely do it again and recommend it.

I had an emergency c section after a failed induction - long story short I wish I had opted for c section to begin with. Did find the 2 nights in hospital intense but once I go home with the baby it was great. My parents, in laws and partner have been incredibly supportive though. I was scared to have one before but the thought of it was much worse than the reality. I would do it again x

@SMM2020 they blow you up with air

not during a c-section they don't.

Emergency c -section here. The recovery is a steep curve. The first few hours I didn't think I would ever walk again, it was so painful to move anything and I also felt unwell from being in labour and the anesthetic. But I was soon out of bed and having a wee, and able to hold baby.

Ended up being in hospital for over a week, so I didn't need to walk any stairs or cook or anything in that time, but my recovery sped up once I was home and more relaxed. We set up a changing mat on our dining table to save me having to go upstairs and I tried to take it as easy as possible.

Definitely keep on top of painkillers - we asked all visitors to bring a packet or two to save trips to the shop. Chewing gum helps with the gas pain. I found glucose tablets and gummy sweets helpful for some quick energy.

If I have a second I will have an elective C-section. My physical recovery was easier than my mental recovery from a rough labour and emergency c section.

Ah ok…muddling with laparoscopy as the pain was the same for me. Either way the shoulder tip pain was awful.

Pretty much as described above but my overwhelming memory of my first Cs 25 years ago was the pain of constipation in the following days. I felt as though the surgeon had left her car keys in there. Take safe laxatives. Eat fruit and drink water.

I've had an emergency and elective c-section. Definitely a playlist of music. I found with my elective c-section it was long, quite uncomfortable and also boring at times so music was a good distraction.

If you've got long hair, tie it in a high pony tail and lie on the bed with the pony tail hanging of the end of the bed. Or have a side ponytail and tie it by the opposite ear to the hand with the cannula in. Otherwise your hair will either get in the way or your hair bobble will dig into your head/neck.

Pack anything that will make life easier, like bottles with disposable teats. One of the worst parts of my recovery was washing and sterilizing the bottles in hospital. The nurses did it for me on the day of the operation and then I had to do it myself. I ended up scalding myself a few times because i was impatient to be finished and get back to bed.

When you know you are going to be discharged that day, get your partner or someone to take almost everything home for you. So when you go home you are just carrying the baby in their car seat and a small bag with nappies, spare outfit for baby etc.

This is all SO helpful - thank you so much everyone!

As you will have seen from above, the recovery varies wildly from person to person and even from operation to operation. I’ve had two electives, and I only found the first three days or so tricky with the first one, and none of it particularly tricky with the second! I don’t know if the surgeon was more skilled the second time, or if I was more used to it, or both.

They get you out of bed very quickly afterwards; after six hours with my first and after three hours the second. If you have no health issues they try to send you home in 24 hours, but I have a heart condition so had to stay for 48 hours both times for monitoring.

I had oramorph for pain relief for the day of the surgery and the day after the first time, and just the day of the surgery the second time. I found I didn’t need another dose the second time. I was also on dihydrocodeine, paracetamol and ibuprofen, and was sent home with a week’s supply of dihydrocodeine. I really don’t believe in suffering for no reason, so I took the whole week’s worth of dihydrocodeine and carried on the paracetamol and ibuprofen for a couple of weeks after.

I was absolutely fine picking up the baby, but didn’t twist, bend, turn or lift for the full recommended six weeks to make sure I healed properly. Getting out of bed was fine - they teach you how to do it in hospital using your upper arms to push yourself up, and I just did that.

Once at home, I didn’t lie in bed in the day time, and made sure I moved around gently and often. Stairs weren’t a problem. I was out on my first short walk outside six days post op, and was walking outside comfortably after 2 weeks. My husband got a nasty chest infection by the end of week two, so I was more or less in sole charge of all our three children for a few days, including trips to the park etc.

I was told to use water only on the scar. After each shower I dried it using a new, clean maternity pad - it’s a tip I heard here, and it’s a great one. I then lay down for 5 minutes to air the scar. I wore mesh pants and dresses at home, also to air it as much as possible. Personally, I would worry about infection risk with a compression garment but others might not agree.

I took months to recover after my first, vaginal, birth, so found the C section recoveries so much easier after that. Very best of luck, hope it goes smoothly for you!

I could have written this! I had the same experience.

Second time I was back to driving after 2 weeks.

I was back home the following day and had no issues reaching for the baby or getting out of bed. I think I took painkillers for a week but don’t remember being in pain or struggling at all, so they were more than adequate.

Yes first two weeks are tough and after my first birth I panicked that I'd be disabled forever. But it's incredible how quickly it heals... you go from barely being able to stand up straight to being right as rain in a month or two.

Keep on top of painkillers, take codeine and oramorph if they'll give it to you, and above all take it easy. If your partner can take extended leave, make sure it's at the beginning to support your recovery.

Having said that you'll feel right as rain in a month... you'll feel 90% better in a month. After that you'll plateau and there'll be the odd niggle of pain or weakness. Suddenly when your DC is about 18 months old you'll realise you're totally better.

And no no to the compression garments (imo). Anything pressing on that area is agony for a while. Invest in huge granny knickers and roomy nightdresses instead. Keep all your maternity leggings and stuff for a while.

I had an emergency one and it was fine. Up walking the same day, albeit not as easily as after my first (vaginal delivery). Walked to the end of the road within a couple of days, walked to the pub and to get eldest from nursery within a week. No issues lifting back in and out of cot though think we had the side down (next to me). Minimal pain, Just huge weakness. My only issue came from an infection after overdoing it, I think the lack of pain meant I pushed myself a bit too much! Oh and my scar healed great but I didn’t do anything to it to help it.

I don’t say any of this to brag, just to show that c section recoveries aren’t always the horror stories they’re made out to be. Mine was after a difficult labour too. I remember being terrified of a c section and with hindsight I really wish I’d seen more positive recovery stories out there as that would have helped minimise my fear around it.

2 electives here. Found the first 3 days with both super painful, I definitely needed more than paracetamol and codeine to cope. After that it got better pretty quickly, I was able to walk to the local pub with the pram by day 5 and was driving by day 10.

I didn’t use compression, but actually having since used a binder post tummy tuck, I would have loved one post c section (can buy on Amazon).

Agree with need for laxatives! Start them early.

As you can see, everyone is different but for me it was awful. Emergency after 24 hrs of labour, both me and baby very distressed, blue lighted from birth centre to hospital 25 mins away. I add this because I think it contributed to my inability to recover quickly. I was so traumatised I came home as soon as they’d let me, about 36 hours after operation.
I consider myself to have a decent pain threshold but it was the worst pain of my life without a doubt. Getting up and down, coughing and sneezing were unbearable. I had a low bed and had no idea how hard it would be to get in and out of it that I considered sleeping in a chair. It literally hurt to do anything for weeks and it contributed to my PND quite a lot.
I know a lot of people who had EMCS followed by elective and all said the elective was completely different and easier to recover from. I think it’s because you’re ready for it and more relaxed than with an emergency.

It surprised me how wobbly and weak dd was for about ten days after, and I had to help her shower, as well as helping to look after the newborn and toddler. I thought that being only 20 she’d bounce back. She had had five days of nothing very much happening during the induction though so was worn out even before she had the c-section.
She said the constipation was awful.

Forgot to add bring something really interesting to do like books, tv programmes etc while you wait to go to theatre as that bit can be really boring.