Recovery after C section

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HI I had a ELCS due to previous 3rd degree tear on 8th April, so just over 2 weeks ago.

I left hospital 2 days later with drugs but no information on recovery and wasn't visited at home until day 5 by midwife.

I'm aware I shouldn't drive for 6 weeks so as I was feeling 'ok' I walked by other lo to nursery and back twice this last week. Felt a bit tired but then bleeding started up again.

Midwife said I was stupid to attempt it and I must rest. We don't have family nearby to help out and dh has gone back to work.

Just wondered what advice others have been given about recovery? I admit I might have been doing too much but without any guidance I just carried on and it's not always easy to 'stop' when you have another child as well.

No one has said what the risks of doing too much are although midwife is referring me to physio to look at stomach muscles????.. worst case scenario an operation apparently!

When did people start to feel more human? (that might be a stupid question!

bump

You don't need to stop driving for 6 weeks, you just need to see when you feel ready and check with your insurance. I started driving again after 2 weeks, and generally was ok by then, but did get more bleeding if I overdid it.

Basically if it hurts or make you bleed more, stop whatever it is you're doing for a few more days. You just have to go by your own body.
Hope you feel better soon.

It all really depends how you feel, however my HV told me only to do walking and gentle swimming (breaststroke) as activities for 6 months after and definitley no hoovering! She said that as a nurse she had seen many women readmitted to hospital with adhesions as they over did it. Apparently adhesions are when your bowel sticks together as you don't heal properly.
Not trying to a are anyone just repeating what she said! Everyone said I overdid it but let's face of you have to look after the kids! But do make sure you rest. I felt normal as cab be after 8 weeks.
Take it easy on yourself :-)

It all really depends how you feel, however my HV told me only to do walking and gentle swimming (breaststroke) as activities for 6 months after and definitley no hoovering! She said that as a nurse she had seen many women readmitted to hospital with adhesions as they over did it. Apparently adhesions are when your bowel sticks together as you don't heal properly.
Not trying to scare anyone just repeating what she said! Everyone said I overdid it but let's face of you have to look after the kids! But do make sure you rest. I felt normal as can be after 8 weeks.
Take it easy on yourself :-)

I have to say I still feel sore when walking nearly 2 weeks later- I have graduated to walking as far as the park (about a quarter mile) just this weekend, but others have been walking about fine by this stage so everyone's different. I've had a lot of help at home as well so haven't carried heavy things about or done much housework, and haven't overdone it either, I just feel it's taking longer than I thought. Definitely on the mend though, as it isn't sore afterwards anymore, only at the time of walking.

Could any of the other nursery mums take your older child back and forth for the next few days? Good luck with your recovery.

I am 3 weeks +5 days on from cs and feeling pretty good. I have been walking up to about 3 miles a day and doing all the usual stuff really. I was told not to lift anything eg laundry basket, shopping, for 6 weeks but that just isn't realistic. I have no family around either and DH is back at work. I still have a little bit of soreness around the scar but I think I will be able to drive this week. I'm still bleeding a bit but I don't think that's necessarily a bad sign.
Sounds like your doing fine, just do what feels right for you.

HI I'm 8 weeks post emcs and I have been attending physio for SPD, but also my stomach muscles. I was diagnosed by the physio as having an 8 finger width gap of my abdominals. I had a very large bump and a big baby at 10lbs 1.
I did a search on here and found old threads mention something called the tupler method, a lady in the US who has specialised in treating women with this abdominal separation. In 3 weeks of doing her exercises (which can be done sitting and when you are feeding the baby) I have closed the gap in my muscles by half. This is good news I feel. Here's a link to the website. I want to say I am grateful for the other posters who mentioned it. My phsyio is very pleased with my progress. My tummy is still pretty swollen though - but apparantly it can just take a bit longer and it was very very stretched.

www.maternalfitness.com/diastasis.html

www.fitpregnancy.com/general/40871562.html?page=1 - follow through the links to see how to get up from bed properly to avoid making the separation/diastasis any larger
Good luck, it does get easier. Just try to take it easy x

I had an emergency section (2.7 years ago) and it took me 10 weeks to be able to drive. I was really sore and in agony, I couldn't even get up the stairs in my house. But I know everyone is different, my friend recovered very quickly from her section but it took me at least a year to feel back to normal, and then last Nov I had a VBAC.

I walked a mile to the shops and back a week after my emcs and was running again 5 weeks after. Not saying I wasn't a bit bonkers, but it worked for me.

The walk wasn't very quick and was (understandably) uncomfortable but was fine (I had walked DS round the block in his pram in the days before), and as I had read that walking helps recovery it seemed like the right thing to do.

I told my midwife what I'd done and she thought I was bonkers, but didn't say it was stupid, just to be careful.

Before I left hospital I asked midwives and doctors what I could and couldn't do and was basically told that if it hurt a lot to stop doing it, otherwise, crack on. There was no more specific advice than that. I was concerned that I would split my stitches or something, but apparently that was incredibly unlikely.

Worst pain I had was from laughing / coughing / sneezing - that lasted for weeks!

I guess it is tricky because we all recover differently, so specific advice is difficult to give. Personally I think the "if it hurts don't do it" thing is best, accepting that it's going to hurt a bit.

Thanks ladies

Bleeding stopped again but feeling sore today. Thanks for links indigo, will take a look.

I'm amazed at lack of info from midwives, even though everyone is different there should be some guidelines.

typing this one handed whilst breastfeeding so going to sign off before I get repetitive strain injury !!