When, after a c-section, were you going out and about as normal?

[Veox]

Baby is 11 days old, straight forward section with no issues (other than a slight hemmorage of 500ml which tipped me into being anaemic but I'm on iron for that)

I've been off pain relief since day 5 and wound is healing nicely, I'm just a little reluctant to venture too far from home incase I overdo it and set myself back.

I don't drive so "out and about" means alot of walking and/or public transport.

When did you resume going out and about, shopping etc?

I just looked back on my activity on my Apple Watch as I was trying to remember - DS2 is 1 week old. It looks like I was back to walking over 10k steps a day after about 3 weeks. I think I went for a run at about 6 weeks but was told by my GP at my 8 week check to wait until 12 weeks.

First time - walking a couple of miles at 2 weeks; driving at 4 weeks; swimming at 6 weeks; running at 12 weeks

Second time - could’nt stand up straight for 9 weeks…

With Dd1 I felt pretty good after about 5 days. DH and I went for a walk round our local (outdoor) shopping centre for an hour or so, had a coffee etc. I was doubled up in pain by the time we'd driven the 30 mins home. I didn't do much else for the next 10 days.

Dd2 I learnt my lesson and did as little as possible for the first 2 weeks. I think I actually healed quicker by not doing anything and was driving by 3 weeks.

Everyone is different, but in the early weeks it is very easy to overdo it.

Day 3-4 back out shopping, seeing friends etc, and doing normal stuff every day from then. With my second, i was climbing around the main frame on soft olay and going on slides after about 2w

Day 5. Walked over a mile into town pushing the buggy and then back. Probably wasn’t overly sensible but I was off pain killers on day 2 and felt fine….I was young which maybe helped.

Day 2 - went shopping with her, though didn't feel up to taking my four year old, too, I have to say. Would've been too much. Did a bit of shopping - maybe an hour or so. Ached a bit afterwards but very manageable.

Surprised myself hugely as it was my first and only c section after two frigging shocking natural births. My much slimmer, fitter, stronger farmer friend couldn't lift her arm to flush the loo for about three weeks and her husband had to hire help. Seems to be the luck of the draw.

It was lockdown so there wasn’t much to do/ anywhere to go. I had nearly a week in hospital and then probably a week in bed/ on sofa at home then maybe started some shorter walks. Longer walks/ driving/ more normal type stuff around 6 weeks.

I'm 4 months postnatal and still not going about as normal, I got really bad abdominal muscle separation pains called diastasis recti which happened in the pregnancy and even now postnatal. I am trying to get help for this. My belly looks very swollen and it hurts like mad.

At about 2 weeks pp, dh and I dropped off ds1 off for a half day at nursery and then went to a shopping centre together with the baby. We had lunch out too. I remember feeling fine at that point - other than the typical leaky boobs, tiredness, general new mum feeling!

Mine was later like 3 or 4 weeks. I'd recommend doing it in short bursts. The last thing you want is to open your stitches.

Little and often is best and just gradually build up from there.

I ventured out on about day 10. I had to take my other child to school. It was snowing so was pushing the pram through the snow. That fresh air was utterly divine.
I was up and about at home though from day 3 or 4 and like you, stopped all pain killers by about day 4 or 5.
I did however take a couple of pain killers before setting off on the walk to school as I thought I might suffer when I got back.
Everyone is different.

Did nothing except look after DC for a week.
Walking a little after that.
Was driving by three weeks and feel this was the time I started to feel more normal.

Take it as easy as you can for as long as you like! There is no prize for pushing yourself and this time will pass before you know it.