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Postnatal health

As with all health-related issues, please seek advice from a RL health professional if you're worried about anything.

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Original poster

Tell me about your c-section recovery

13 replies

Mamabear04 · 23/04/2022 17:27

I had a c-section with my first baby and I found the recovery really hard. I'm a very active person and when the midwives told me I need to keep walking I took it literally and was out walking to my local shop (down a small hill) within 3 days of getting home. I continued like this pushing through the pain. My wound healed really quickly and well but it honestly felt like it took me 6 months to feel normal rather than 6 weeks. I definitely think I did too much too soon. Im going to attempt a vbac with DC2 in 3 months but just been told my baby is traverse so now have to contemplate another c-section but this time looking after a 2.8year old toddler too.

Can you tell me how you recovered from your c-section? How much walking did you do in the beginning? How much did you rest? When did you venture outside the house? How far did you go? When did you start lifting older children? Did you massage your scar? Did you do any physio exercises? What were they? How often? Tell me everything!!!!

OP posts:

Pyri · 23/04/2022 17:31

I found the CS recovery way easier than I thought I would. My main tips would be:

to remain active, but not as active as you have been! Small, slow walks, keeping upright, really listening to your body
- take painkillers on time, religiously before you think you need rhem
- massage scar tissue - I didn’t do this with first one and have a keloid in place so definitely would next time
- all the pelvic floor / core exercises starting with belly breathing from the off

I think it really varies across women though so it’s to be expected that recovery is different

SisterAgatha · 23/04/2022 17:33

Emergency first time - recovery was ages as I had two infections and the wound drained.

Pregnant again within 6 months and the second time was elective, they cut away lots of lesions and scar tissue from the first one and recovery was easier but I still had an infection. Obviously I was lifting from day 1 as I had a just turned one year old.

Topseyt123 · 23/04/2022 17:36

I recovered from my only c-section (third baby) far more quickly than I did from my vaginal births.

My so-called natural deliveries left me feeling battered and bruised for months, with injuries and stitches in very awkward places.

I didn't have a transverse lie, as you do, but would have preferred a c-section every time and would go for an elective one.

JenniferBarkley · 23/04/2022 17:45

I had an EMCS first time around and then an elective with a transverse baby 2yr 3m later, so have been in pretty much exactly your shoes.

Just a warning, the transverse baby can make things a little trickier depending on their size and position. I needed an extra vertical incision in my uterus and lost a lot of blood, but we were ultimately both completely fine. Just a warning as I had no idea!

I started gentle walks to the end of the road with the buggy from day 3, I probably didn't even push the buggy the whole way. Got 2yo used to me not being able to carry her around before the birth. I think I was lifting her but not carrying her around (i.e. just up for a cuddle and back down) after about 3 weeks and took it gently from there.

The main thing is to listen to your body. I'd say I was functioning normally before 6 weeks but it definitely took a good bit longer both times to feel fully normal.

CornishGem1975 · 23/04/2022 18:12

I had an EMCS after two vaginal deliveries. Was prepared for the worst but found recovery really easy. Was home 24 hours later. Stayed as mobile as possible, hardly had any pain so didn't really use painkillers past the first day. I found it surprisingly easy but everyone is different. I've had friends who have struggled massively. I did get an infection and needed antibiotic cream and tablets but that healed quickly.

Echobelly · 23/04/2022 18:19

I felt like I recovered pretty quickly - mine were both planned though, and I think I had a good ob surgeons both times so I had very 'clean' incisions and stitches. If anything is not lined up properly it can be much harder to recover. I don't think I went out much for at least 2 weeks after each baby, but I didn't feel I had any difficulty doing day-to-day stuff once I was home.

Furrbabymama87 · 23/04/2022 18:29

I've had all 4 of my kids by c section. After my third I was a single mum and so I had no choice but to just get on with things as normal, which included lifting my 19 month old. I was in a lot of pain for about 3 days after while I was in hospital but after that as long as I didn't overdo it too much I was mainly ok. I hated having to keep the catheter in for 3 days but that probably won't happen to you.

Fernsinthegarden · 23/04/2022 18:31

I had an EMCS with DD2 and felt that I recovered far quicker than vaginal DD1. I had a really good incision that healed well but other than that I didn’t do anything specific, but DD2 spent the first week on NNU so I was walking there and back every 2.5 hours for a week in order to feed her and I do think the light exercise helped. When we both got home I had three weeks to pack before we moved house, I was really careful but did just crack on so I guess it depends on your own body, you’ll know your own limitations! I checked with insurance and did drive after two weeks, I was running and back to (tentative) fitness at 3 months PP. I have a close friend who took a great deal longer to recover from her EMCS, it really does vary and there’s definitely no set timeframe for recovery. Good luck!

Fernsinthegarden · 23/04/2022 18:33

Meant to add that by comparison, my vaginal delivery left me barely able to walk for a good few weeks and feeling day to day pain until about 6 weeks PP.

Original poster

Mamabear04 · 24/04/2022 15:35

@Pyri can you expand on core/breathing exercises? Are there any specific ones you used? Really good advice- thank you!

@JenniferBarkley oh my goodness I never even considered they might need to operate differently 😨

@SisterAgatha did they discuss tidying up your scar tissue pre-op? Do you think that helped?

@Topseyt123 so interesting to hear your experiences. I guess I want to try for vbac because I have it in my head a vaginal delivery will heal more quickly than a c-section but maybe I am being a bit nieve...

@CornishGem1975 @Echobelly @Fernsinthegarden I'm so glad you recovered so quickly and well. It seems like a very far stretch from my experience so good to hear positive stories...

OP posts:

JenniferBarkley · 24/04/2022 23:24

In fairness, DD was 9lb 12oz, back down and very wedged in - I'm only 5ft2. So there was just no room to manoeuvre. If your baby is smaller or in a different position you might have a perfectly standard op. In any case, once we were out of theatre all was normal for us - breastfed with no issues as well.

Magicfeet11 · 24/04/2022 23:36

Mine was straightforward. Consultant advised me to get up and mobile but take things one step at a time. So I was up moving around as soon as the spinal had worn off. Then when I came home I gradually increased my activity - e.g. started by very gently strolling to the end of the road, then round the block, then to the park and so on. They sent me home with a load of painkillers which i only really needed for the first few days. I was back gently jogging by 7-8 weeks.
Several of my friends have had ELCS and I'm not aware of anyone having a tricky recovery really

WellTidy · 24/04/2022 23:48

Had an EMCS after a four day labour (genuinely, I am not exaggerating) with my first. Recovery was slow, which I think was partly because I was so so knackered from the labour. It took me about two weeks to go for a walk. And then I stayed home for another week as I bled so much.

Tried for a VBAC with DC2, but ended up with another EMCS for failure to progress (again). Labour was halted much much earlier than with Dc1, due to the risk of rupture. Although Dc2 was bigger, I think I recovered faster because I was starting my recovery from a better place. I also stopped BFing a flyer the first week and I think that helped me because DH could share feeds and feed prep.

I was walking a fair bit after the first two weeks. Didn’t feel any kind of setback like I did with Dc1. And I felt loads better, despite being prepared for feeling worse (of course there was dc1 to look after too). And I was doing the self injections for blood thinning which made me feel squeamish. And I had the continuous cotton stitch, rather than the dissolving stitches that I’d had with DC1, and the cotton stitch has to be taken out, which also made me squeamish. But it was still a lot easier recovery than with dc1.

I took loads of arnica (for the bruising), peppermint oil (for wind) and once I was upstairs stayed upstairs for about half of each day for almost a week after coming home in day two.

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