Hard/distended abdomen after laparoscopy - how long for?

[Wingdingdong]

Had laparoscopy/hysteroscopy/biopsy and Mirena fitted last Wednesday. The bruising is quite bad, I'm still in a lot of pain (by way of comparison, I stopped taking painkillers 2 days after both C-sections, on discharge from hospital - I'm still taking them 3 or 4 times a day 4 days after minor surgery!) and it seems to be getting worse. When I came out of hospital I was fine. My abdomen is getting more distended and harder each day. I'm also still nauseous - unlikely to be the anaesthetic, it's my 7th GA and never had any nausea at all before). Is this normal? Does it get worse before it gets better? I have 4yo and 18m DC, which doesn't help with recovery.

As it's less than a week since your lap it's very early days in recovery terms. It's normal to feel swollen, battered and bruised for up to two weeks after and often longer depending on what work's been done inside.

It's also important to rest as much as poss. Is there anyone who can help with your DC? Also try and keep on top of the pain and take painkillers before it gets too bad. Hot water bottles also good.

Hope you start to feel better soon.

Thanks! Whilst I didn't want to hear it could be a couple of weeks, I did want to hear that it was normal! Sadly no help available with DCs. Had it been a month earlier or a fortnight later, DC1 would have been either at nursery or school, but TBH she's not the problem (and I didn't get to choose the date). It's lifting a kicking, wriggling, big-for-age 18mo that's the biggest issue - and bending down to change his nappy, pick their stuff up off the floor, etc.

I just really didn't expect it to be worse than a CS. I was managing full days out with both DC by this point after CS surgery, getting buggies up/down steps and on/off buses etc. Maybe I was just lucky. Maybe adrenalin/euphoria carried me through. Oh well. This too shall pass!