After the caesarian

[Alfee]

It's 14 months since I had Alfie by emergency C-section. Foetal distress after induction etc etc. I still get aches, twinges, stiffness regularly, especially when I'm tired. I've been checked out and everything is OK. Is it my age (I was almost 39 and he was my first baby)? Am I just one of the unlucky women who falls out of the 'average' category as my Doctor told me? Anyone experiencing symptoms so long after the op?

[SofiaAmes]

Alfee, I had a c-section at 37 with my first (after 40 hours of labor) and found it took a really long time to feel like my body was back to normal. In fact it was just around when I got pregnant again (at 15 mo.) that I was starting to feel ok again. I found that Yoga helped quite a bit. And I hate to say it, but I do think if we were 20 years younger (when our bodies were designed to have babies) it probably would have been a lot easier.

[Alfee]

SofiaAmes many thanks for that. It's great to know that I'm not the only one. Did you have a natural labour second time round? Perhaps the second pregancy stretched out all the scar tissue and helped the process.
I reckon you're right about the age too. At nearly 40 you get tired - really tired!

[SofiaAmes]

Yes, I did manage to have vaginal birth (with only 5 1/2 hours of labor) second time around.

[LEWEI]

Does the numbness around the wound area go away? i don't feel as if it is part of my body. I am sure if someone stuck a pin in it, i wouldn't feel it.(not that i would let them)

[LuM]

Alfee, I had a cesaerian 14 months ago, elective as my baby was breech. I still have numbness around the wound, and it is still quite red and raised. My sister had one at around the same time and she had a boil on hers that they said was an internal stich that was infected about a year later!

[Alfee]

I had numbness down my left hip and hip flexor for many months. It still doesn't feel right to touch. And the scar still feels sensitive to the touch 14 months on. Anyone had problems with painful intercourse? I did as soon as we started having sex around three months after the op. Severe itching and really painful. Not so bad now but still not right. They doctors seem to think it is Vaginitis but they're not sure and put it down to hormones! Any answers? Is it unrelated to the C section?

[karenanne]

i had my daughter 2 and a half years ago by emergency c section and my scar and tummy just above it is still numb.it also hasnt gone back and its getting to the stage where im seriously thinking of seeing my gp.i have lost a lot of weight but my tummy is still there and to me feels mainly like loose skin.it is bothering me and he'll probably tell me theres nothing he can do and i cant afford anything privatley so i'll probably have to put up with it.

[Alfee]

One of the midwives told me that it is not uncommon for some women never to regain normal 'feel' in certain areas, ie numbness remains because the nerves, after having been severed, never go back to normal. I'm afraid the old lose skin and big tummy is something most of us have to get used to unless we have the time to do countless tummy exercises...I wish

[Faith]

Had dd's by emergency c/s 5 1/2 years ago, and its only in the last year or so that i've finally felt that the numbness and twinges around the wound have disappeared! It feels completely normal now, but I remember thinking that it never would! give it time! Hopefully you'll recover all normal sensation.

[janh]

My last caesarian was 9½ years ago and the skin above my scar is still numb; I also have a major overhang!! Can't be helped I don't think.

I had surgery for breast cancer 2 years ago and the area around those scars is still numb too; at my last check-up I mentioned it to the consultant and he said it's highly unlikely that I will regain any feeling there now - for the nerves to reconnect is a very hit-and-miss business.

Pain needs investigating but numbness is just one of those inevitable side-effects.

Alfee, my c-sections were elective, I never had labour so I'm in a different situation to you but I'm sure you shouldn't have pain on intercourse because of yours - it might be because of what happened during your labour physically, or it could be psychological (you might be subconsciously frightened of getting pg again because of the labour/emergency CS) but as it's still bad after 14 months your GP should be trying to sort it out for you. Does your health centre do their own well-woman clinic or family planning? They might be more sympathetic at those.

[janh]

Faith, we were posting at the same time - has your numbness gone completely???? Lucky you!

[Lindy]

Goodness - was I just lucky? I had a CS at 42 & had no problems whatsoever after the second day, of course I am still flabby, but have been since my teens so can't (unfortunatley!) blame the CS.

Sincere sympathies to those of you who are still suffering.

[Ghosty]

3 years after my CS, the skin above the wound is a little numb ... it doesn't bother me though as my mum who is a nurse/midwife explained that often the nerves don't ever quite fuse back together ... all to do with scar tissue ... my scar was red and raised for about 18 months but now it is flat again ... my tummy went down and became flat again but the skin on my tummy is just gross ... like a balloon that has lost some of its air and has gone a bit wrinkly ... hate it and will never be able to have my belly button pierced (not that I would but that's not the point is it?)

Serves me right for having a bouncing 10 pounder!

[LEWEI]

I had lost seven stone before falling pregnant and i put the overhang and numbness down to loose skin, but now i don't feel quite so odd. It seems to be a common thing. It just feels so strange, having a part of you that doesn't feel like you, if that makes sense!

[loopymum]

i had my dd by cs nearly a year ago now and i have numbness etc but that doesn't bother me. What does bother me is that when i went to my gp for the 6 week check up, my wound was slightly more swollen on one side and the doctor told me that i had a suspected hernia resulting from the caesarian. She said that they wouldn't repair it at the hospital because it was so small and that it probably wouldn't bother me and to try not to worry! Thing is, it does worry me because it does feel uncomfortable and i am also worried about whether it will cause problems in possible future pregnances (i also have a 3 yr old ds - natural birth). am i really unlucky or has anybody else out there had anything vaguely like this happen to them?

[bloss]

Message withdrawn

[Alfee]

Loopymum, funnily enough the right side of my scar and the surrounding area was much more painful and uncomfortable than the left. It also felt more raised. In fact now over a year later the twinges and aches I get are usually on the right side. I worried that they'd left something in there!! But maybe it was stitched up more tightly or nerves more sensitive on that side - any answers?

[LEWEI]

Had a swab was taken, two days after my section i had thrush, streb b and what sounded to me like omegaboogie.(that wasn't its name, but it sure sounded like that). I was quite freaked out that the wound could get infected whilst still in hospital.

[Clarinet60]

Alfee, no answers, but mine has a raised, sensitive side and a flat side.

[Paula1]

Mine had one flat side and one raised bumpy itchy side. It is now 4.5 years since, and for at least the last 2 years you can't even see where the scar might have been. Just about to have it reopened though, they could have put a zip on it instead to save themselves some work!