How soon did you drive after a c-secion

[stickybean]

Hi,
I had an emergency c - section last saturday and i understand that one can't drive for 6 weeks afterwards.
I know there is no way i could drive at the moment but am very nervous about being isolated / bored / lonely when i am feeling a bit less battered.

Did you drive sooner? do you have to check with your insurance company?
if you didn't what did you do about getting out and about?

I live in London so plenty of public transport but at the moment can't imagine doing that, am too sore and fragile right now and can't imagine dragging the pram etc on a bus is any easier on my body than driving.

Don't want to rush anything just interested in your experiences.

Lots of questions

I've had 3 c-sections.
1st Drove home from the hospital on day 7.
2nd Drove on day 14 and onwards.
3rd Drove on day 14 and onwards.

hi, had a planned section in Jan and was driving 2 weeks afterwards. checked with the insurance company and they said it was fine as long as I had my doctor's okay. Doctor just wanted to make sure that I could slam on the brakes in an emergency. I wasn't feeling sore by that point but probably would have thought twice if I had been.

I drove about 3 weeks after my emerg cs. I didn't bother checking with my insurance company, but that probably wasn't the sensible thing to do

The first time after the cs, I went out late at night when it was quiet and made sure that I was physically able to drive - which I was. I think the recommendation is that you can safely perform an emergency stop.

I drove at 4 wks after - you need to be happy that you would not hesitate if you needed to do an emergency stop...

I used bus before that - but had ds in baby carrier on front - very much easier to cope with than trying to get a buggy on to the bus.

A lot of insurance companies are happy for you to drive after surgery as soon as your doctor OKs it. That tends to be 6 weeks because postnatal checks are at 6 weeks, but a doctor would probably be happy to give you the OK long before that. But check with your insurance company -- they may not even require you to get the doctor's approval.

I've had one em cs. I was driving after 5 weeks. But we live within walking distance of town, shops, doctors etc so not driving wasn't a problem.

Had to speak to insurance company but their policy was that if I felt ok to drive then it was fine. I took a little drive round the block on my own when the roads were quiet just to check all was ok.

2/3/4 weeks if O.K.'d by your G.P. (insurance company asked me if my GP had O.K'd it) but I'd never have attempted it in London traffic - too scary for me.

Don't mess up your recovery by driving or getting on buses if you don't feel up to it.
Could you afford a taxi for a couple of outings if you really felt the need to go somewhere specific ?

Gentle pram pushing whilst walking will keep you nice and upright so have a walk round the block first

Drove 2.5 weeks after section. Felt fine to do so sooner but I also believed the myth that you had to wait six weeks. Fortunately I found it that that my insurance company were happy for me to drive as long as I got the go ahead from my doctor.

I went to see the doctor and he just asked if I felt capable of driving. I said yes and he noted it on my records.

2 weeks, because I was going stir crazy. Also had bad sciatica and couldn't walk (but no problems driving)

Tried checking with insurance company but the (foreign) call centre had no idea what I was talking about

5 weeks first time 3 weeks 2nd time.

I was told by the doctor who carried out my c-sec that it was a myth the 6 week rule. My ins co said that as long as my doctor said it was ok, I could drive whenever. So, I left it until 4 weeks and then went and asked my doctor but I felt I could have driven before this.

stuck to 6 weeks first time - was going up the wall...

2 weeks second time - insurance co said was fine as long as midwife happy....

I didn't drive til 4 weeks after but I think it just depend on how you're feeling. I hadn't felt up to it until that point.
Agree with other posts-6 week rule is just a myth.

I drove 4 weeks after. To be honest think i could have driven before but was barely leaving the house anyway! Just have to go with how you feel. Good luck!

After 4 weeks the MW said it should be fine, so I called the insurance co. and checked with them, told them "MW said it's fine" and they said no problem then. I could have driven before, but then I had a better recovery than a lot of people I know, some of them wouldn't have wanted to so early I reckon.

10 days: checked both with the insurance company and that I could do an emergency stop.

My GP wouldn't signed be back as able to drive till 6 weeks, despite me healing well and relatively quickly. Insurance wouldn't cover me until 6 weeks or if GP signed me as ok before that.

4 weeks with both of mine. Had to check with GP first for insurance purposes (phoned the insurance company to check on their policy), but I had healed quickly and could react fast enough to do an emergency stop if needed.

Before I could drive I relied on lifts from very kind friends (my DS was in SCBU so needed to get to the hospital daily and DH had to return to work), or got a taxi rarely.

I found the first 2 weeks quite sore but amazingly after that felts lots better quickly so public transport & longer walks were ok. Definitely rest as much as you can now, but keep moving a bit to stop your scar from getting too tight.

Madly a friend of mine had a c-section (emergency) and the midwives/doctors failed to tell her she couldn't drive for a period afterwards. She drove home from the hospital on day 3!!! Turned up at mine a week later and I asked who was driving and she innocently said "me- why?"!!