Tell me about your vaginal birth recovery

[Mushroo]

I’m currently weighing up VBAC vs C-section and I feel a bit in the dark about what recovery from a vaginal birth actually looks like.

Everything I read online says that recovery is about 2-4 weeks, compared to c-section 4-6 weeks.

However, I recovered SO well from my c section. I was never in pain, just some discomfort, I was walking to get a coffee 3 days later, went to a family party 5 days later.

So when I read the downsides of a c section it doesn’t really resonate. The worst part was staying in hospital for 24 hours and the blood thinning injections.

So I’m kind of leaning towards c section, but what does recovery look like after vaginal? Is the 2-4 week recovery just the post partum bleeding and that’s it? What could I expect?

Interested in best and worst case scenarios.

I had a second degree tear with some perineal stitches.

The worst thing about my recovery was that I got postpartum haemorrhoids which were thrombosed and very painful, and being right next to the stitches it made going to the toilet very awkward. For the first couple of weeks I ended up using glycerine suppositories once a day to make myself poo, then wiping as best I could with a wet wipe and getting straight in the shower to get properly clean afterwards. I then used cream and suppositories for the haemorrhoids three times a day until they were gone. It took about two weeks, and 2-3 days postpartum was the worst part.

I also felt like my labia were very swollen and hanging down, which scared me because I didn't know if everything was going to go back to normal. (It did.)

It was still a much better recovery for me than my C-section.

I have had 2 vaginal births both were straightforward and very quick recoveries.
The first was a water birth with a couple of stitches, 2h of active labour and 12h from my waters breaking to baby arriving. I had a suppository painkiller for the stitches and then no further painkillers. I was kept in for 3 days for other reasons and was told off for moving a sofa the day I got home! I bled for a week or two, only really heavy for the first for the 2 days
The second birthday was an induction and I didn't need any stitches. It was 20h from the start of induction to birth and 6h of active labour. I had some paracetamol and ibuprofen after the birth but then no further painrelief. I was kept in for 2 days again for other reasons. On day 4 I went to the supermarket and took my eldest to the park. Again only had heavy bleeding for a day or two down to spotting by the second week.

My first birth was deeply unpleasant and ended up with a significant number of internal and external stitches that took around 6 months to heal. Subsequent births were without stitches (although babies were significantly bigger) and healing was very quick.

In short, there’s no way to tell how long healing will take. My first birth was with a 9lb baby in the posterior position with ventouse delivery and a retained placenta. So unusual circumstances but my second was a 10lb, shoulder dystocia but no stitches - a small tear that I declined stitches for.

I have a fear of c-sections, particularly not being able to drive for several weeks afterwards. I also understood the healing t be more like 3 months 🤷‍♀️

2nd degree tears that were stitched, had to stay in 24 hours due to STREP B and fast birth meaning we didn’t get the antibiotics in time, but could have been home same day otherwise. Was out for lunch 2 days later, driving fine within a couple of weeks (I did leave it longer than I felt I needed though just to be sure! Was an amazing experience but I don’t have a c section to compare it to!

My first i was home 4hrs after baby born and xmas shopping the next day. But swollen down below but nothing awful. Had a peri bottle and ice packs but never bothered with either. After about 5 days I'd say down stairs pain had gone. Body still felt knackered though- from the 28hrs of contractions. The labouring was harder than the pushing.

2nd, I had at home and went upstairs for a shower and hour after she was born. Took it a bit easier and spent a few days at home but much the same with pain.

3rd I did use some frida cold packs as I had been given some and was more sore below that the others but no tears with any of them.

Nice slow controlled pushes, listen to your body.

My labour was about 48 hours but otherwise very smooth. I had a water birth, with no other pain relief needed. I had some 2nd degree tearing which required stitches. The first week of recovery was tough: it felt very swollen and uncomfortable down there. I couldn't even wipe after the toilet, and had to dab. It got better week on week though; I'd say after 2 weeks the discomfort was minimal, and the bleeding largely stopped by 4 weeks. I don't have a C section to compare it to, but overall I'd say my recovery has been pretty manageable.

I've had both. After pains, hormonal crashing and tiredness were the worst part after a vaginal birth, but i had all of that after my c-sections as well. My vagina was a bit sore, like a pulled muscle, afterwards but nothing major. C section pain afterwards was loads worse.

I didn’t need any recovery time. I didn’t tear and was bouncing off the walls within hours. Obviously I had bleeding and a swollen vaginal/vulval area but no pain and nothing to heal. My first wee and poo didn’t even hurt which astonished me. I didn’t need to even take as much as a paracetamol afterwards.

I was back mucking out horses pretty much straightaway although didn’t ride for a good while.

And I was old (41). I was so near to an elective section and so glad I decided to try for vaginal as it was brilliant recovery wise, but hideously painful and too fast for an epidural so during the actual birth I thought I would die.

My first labour required some stitches, but recovery was fine. I used some Spritz for Bits spray on the maternity pads which was soothing.

Second labour again was fine, no stitches.

I didn’t really feel like I had anything to recover from, really. I don’t mean that to come across as arrogant in any way, but I just mean that I felt able to get up and about, see to the night feeds etc. without any discomfort (but a lot of tiredness!). Of course I had the healing time from the stitches first time around. I’ve just checked back on photos, and I was out for a walk on day 5 with DD2, and I have a photo of DS1 in the car seat in my car (so I must have been driving) also on day 5.

Dd1 exhausted as 2 nights no sleep in labour plus 2nd degree tears. Had to sit on a special pillow with frozen peas or similar. In good spirits through but took a bit of time.
Dd2 2nd degree tear again, more comfortable recovery but had strep b so in hospital for 4 days (saw many c section mums and babies come and go), once home bled for 9 weeks and then back in for emergency removal of retained products. its so individual that it's a tricky question to get an answer to unfortunately.

I had a 2nd degree tear with quite a lot of stitches. I didn't feel them once! I was up sitting on the sofa and making myself drinks immediately, and could sit cross legged straight away. Bleeding pretty much stopped within 3 days. I could walk 1km and back to the ice cream shop within a week. I might have been able to do it earlier, but we get a nurse here to look after you and she wouldn't let me try! I was still a bit achey round the pelvis if I walked too far or lifted too much for 3 months or so, but that might have been the same with a c-sectionas everything moved back into place. I could run again no problem after 4 months and ran my first 5k race at 6 months. No PB, but a real achievement with no sleep and an extra 10kg!

I had a difficult labour which would probably have ended up in a c-section in the UK. I'm really glad I persevered, and the easy recovery made the extra hours worth it

10 natural births without pain relief..
1 c section.
Def natural birth all the way imo.
Bounced back every time.
6 hour discharge mostly. Even picked dc1 and 2 up after dc3.
C section couldn't even drive.

My vaginal delivery was a bit of a “worst case scenario” to be honest, episiotomy, forceps & 2
separate tears- so in short, a mess! Despite that though my recovery really was absolutely fine, was back out walking the dog pushing the pram 2 days later and any discomfort was easily managed with paracetamol for the first few days.

I had a large PPH so was on daily blood thinning injections for 8 weeks and that was probably the worst thing!

I had a second degree tear both times. It was fine, no real issues beyond some soreness - for me this was like a bruised feeling. Paracetamol/ibuprofen for about 5 days, maybe a week, was enough to deal with it.

I had a wisdom tooth out last year and would consider the recovery from that worse than the recovery from childbirth.

Baby 3, no stitches, went to the bank and dropped the toddler to the child minder the next day.

I’ve had two vaginal births both after an induction and recovery was fine. A bit sore which is to be expected after pushing out a human but no tearing at all. I dabbed having a wee the first few times I went to the loo but after both deliveries I was up and showering after giving birth. I was 40 then 45 after my deliveries.

Baby no 1 I was very tired after a long labour with lots of stitches but fine within a couple of days to do most things. Baby 2 very easy birth at home. I cooked dinner that evening and went shopping to get a present for the midwife the next day.

Wow. I’m envious of these experiences! Forceps, episiotomy, internal and external tearing, PPH and huge haematoma. Needed an additional epidural after delivery. Remember crying after my 6 week check because I’d begged the GP for help with the ongoing pain and issues and she said to just wait. Still difficult now over a decade later.

1st birth was an induction that ended with episiotomy and forceps, and I got recurrent infections while it was all healing. I was in absolute agony for the first week, was on codeine and naproxen for several weeks, and I think DS was 10 weeks old when I sat down without a donut cushion and it didn't hurt. I used spritz for bits, witch hazel, ice pads etc on rotation.

2nd birth was spontaneous labour and water birth, baby basically slid out and I had stitches for a tiny tear she said probably didn't even need them. We were discharged 7 hours after birth, I took paracetamol for a week and felt absolutely incredible.

I've done both and they both had challenging parts of the recovery. With a vaginal birth, there was some tearing and the feeling (still) that that part of my body was irrevocably altered. With the c-section there was the frustration of not being able to leave the ward as quickly as I wanted and also the limitations on what I could do with my first child after I came home with second. He was still little enough that he wanted me to pick him up and play with him and obviously those things are difficult/impossible after major abdominal surgery.

My best friend, who's only had c-sections, said the nurse told her at DC4's birth "you should be pleased, you'll never have to worry about weeing when you sneeze!"

It was hell on earth and milk baths do NOTHING

That’s a bold statement by the nurse. Pregnancy itself can cause pelvic floor issues, it’s not something you just avoid with a c section (although I believe vaginal births are worse for your pelvic floor).

That’s a bold statement by the nurse. Pregnancy itself can cause pelvic floor issues, it’s not something you just avoid with a c section (although I believe vaginal births are worse for your pelvic floor).

That’s a bold statement by the nurse. Pregnancy itself can cause pelvic floor issues, it’s not something you just avoid with a c section (although I believe vaginal births are worse for your pelvic floor).

Third degree tear - 6 months of pain