What are peoples experiences of recovery from a c-section?

[AH16]

Hello everyone,

As the title states what are peoples experiences of recovery from a c-section? And was there any difficulties with this way of birth for the baby?

Thanks

I had one 3 weeks ago on wednesday. It was planned as baby was breach.

Section was AWESOME. No pain, up and about with minimal issues after 2 days.... stopped all pain killers after 2 weeks and hoping to get a docs note to drive tomorrow.

Wow to PP who said you can't see her scar after 6 months.

I didn't have any infections but mine is still very much viable and purple after 12 months. It is fading but definately not white yet. Must be different types of skin

Visible nor viable

My scars hardly noticeable at all after 8 months.

I had an urgent c section and I can barely even see the scar. I recovered very quickly, no worries.

I had an emergency one first time- fine, recovery was fairly swift after a few days.
Baby was perfect.

I had a planned one second time, actual op was worse/longer as I had scar tissue from first time and they had to really lean on my tummy, also I was more aware as wasn’t out of it from 40hrs labouring etc. Recovery fine though- I’m 5wks post and can operate normally! Again, baby perfect.

Doadeer mine is still dark and visible too. Xx

Yes 8 months on my scar is still purple and very itchy, also some numbness above the scar!

I had a c section after a failed induction. DD was absolutely fine, op itself fine but I got a nasty hospital infection that antibiotics didn't work well on. I think I had about 4 or 5 different ones before we found one that worked and I was on such a strong strength that it made me feel very poorly. I had to go back to hospital to have the wound drained and packed and then to the GP every day for 14 weeks to have my dressings changed. Not fun but I was fine once it finally closed at 14 weeks. I did have to be careful about lifting and stuff for a while. All totally worth it in the end however! Just one of those things.

I was booked in for an elective,m at 39 weeks exactly, then my waters broke a few days before it. I still had the section, and there were no complications for me, and healing/recovery was straightforward.

Some problems for baby immediately after. She had fluid on her lungs (common in c-section births as the fluids doesn't get squeezed out) so struggled a bit with breathing. She was also very sleepy, likely from the anaesthetic. This meant I didn't get to do skin to skin, or even hold her, as she was taken down to the special care unit, where she stayed for about 4 hours. It was a bit surreal, having her, then not seeing her for what seemed like forever, but I was kept up to date and reassured by the midwives that she was fine. She had to have a cannula in her hand for antibiotics, she also had a dip in blood sugar levels that night, as she had no interest in feeding. We were in 2 nights in the end, as they were waiting on some blood results after testing for infection, but we had no further problems or complications. Ultimately everything was fine, and she's a perfectly happy and healthy 2.5year old now.

P.s someone mentioned driving after 11 days up thread - just FYI most insurance policies are invalid if you drive after section until after your 6 week check, regardless of how you feel.

Hey OP

I've had two planned c-sections, both were absolutely amazing.

For me only way I can describe it as it felt like I'd been in a car crash for maybe w week afterwards but wasn't awful just felt a bit battered and bruised. Had no complications with either and amazing recovery.

Xxx

Very smooth. Up and about the next day -sore to begin with but stay on schedule with pain meds and keep moving and you'll be fine. Home that evening. No painkillers at all after 10 days. Much easier recovery than my horrible vaginal birth, that's for sure. Baby happy and healthy, no issues whatsoever.

I’m 4 weeks post-ELCS, having had a previous EMCS.

Had a great recovery first time round, home after two nights in hospital, walked to the park (slowly) on day 4. Able to do most things within a few weeks. Wasn’t driving then so can’t say when I would have felt able to.

This time round, I’ve found it tougher. My blood pressure dropped in theatre and despite not having laboured, I generally felt as though I’d been hit by a train for a few days. We were home after 24 hours but I wasn’t fit for more than feeding in bed the first day at home. It was a week before I left the house this time, to our local supermarket (normally a 5 minute walk) and I felt as though I’d overdone it.

Four weeks in, I feel much better but still not quite myself: I have some abdominal pain and a very achey back. I’m able to do the school run no problem (on foot) and can do most light housework bar washing up (my height and the height of the sink means I keep bumping the wound) and get down on the floor to play with our four year old. I have been lucky enough to have DP at home for the first three weeks so was able to really rest. You must rest properly!

EMCS. Catheter out within 12 hours - although would have been sooner if I could have made them, but they were busy and couldn't get to me. Was up and moving within minutes of its removal. Overall, recovered really quickly. But did find I was physically more tired and weak. Went into town with my dad at one point, without the baby, and after about 45 minutes he had to sit me down and make me drink a coke! Otherwise, it was fine. I did keep taking painkillers for longer than I expected - multiple times daily for the first 5 days or so and in the evenings for at least another week. Which s unusual for me. I'm usually a painkillers-on-the-day only kind of girl.

Emergency one for me second, although I wasn't rushed in but just been told in the morning to fast as I'll have one within the day.

As I had 2 natural deliveries and the section I can say the section was difficult to heal in my own experience. Could barely laugh or cry because the muscles will contract and the scar will hurt. Found it difficult even to walk at the park a week after. It was all much easier for me the vaginal births.

1 elective and 1 emergency c-section. Elective at 35+3. Waiting was awful. I was so nervous and so thirsty. Was nil by mouth for 23 hours and having to wear hospital gown all day then bumped to the next day so I could eat for an hour and then back to nil by mouth again. Baby had breathing difficulties so taken to neonatal and stayed for 4 weeks. Recovery very slow and painful. Couldn't breastfeed due to baby's medical issues (not c-section related) but I managed to express for 5 months.

Emcs at 36+6. No waiting so didn't have time to be nervous. Baby had breathing difficulties so taken to neonatal and stayed for 5 days. Recovery a little easier once baby out of neonatal as I could rest more and could stop the dreaded expressing. Breastfeeding was fine once me and baby were in the same place, he latched on like an industrial vacuum cleaner. Still wearing massive pants and leggings/dresses 5 years later as clothes that touch my scar are still painful.

No difficulties during or after the c-section, it all went to plan. I chose to have one with my last baby after two traumatic vaginal deliveries and a traumatic miscarriage (haemorrhaging, forceps and lots of stitches). The CS was honestly a walk in the park compared to those experiences...

Recovery wise my DH did have to help me a lot for the first week. I couldn’t get onto or off the toilet alone or into or out of bed alone. It was frustrating for me because I’m quite an independent soul so hated having to rely on someone else to do basic things. Getting into and out of the car when we left the hospital was also bad. The worst thing for me was the fact they only offered paracetamol after major surgery?! I had to request something stronger.

Anyway, once the first week passed I was honestly fine. The wound becomes very itchy which is annoying, it’s like that for a couple of weeks. One thing I will also advise is peppermint tea for the trapped wind! I didn’t experience it until about day 5 PP so thought I’d escaped it but crikey, when it hit the pain was unreal! Peppermint tea resolved it fairly quickly though.

Oh and I should add they discharged me 14 hours after he was born which surprised me. I expected to be kept in for quite a long time but they were happy for me to leave early the next morning (they wanted the bed really). I was pleased to be home so soon so no complaints here. You do have to have injections for 10 days after which are horrendous, I hated them.

I had a EMCS and elective.

Both my recoveries were straightforward.

I stayed in hospital for a couple of days after each.

I had a little pain from laughing.

The community mid wife came and took stitches out. After a week I was out and about.
It was useful with the 2nd that my mum came to stay so she helped with looking after my son and practical things.

I got given pain killers and hardly took them.

So my experience was very straight forward and easy

I had an elective section, surgery went fine, I was up and about the next morning (standard practice for my hospital), pottering about quite happily by the afternoon and home the day after (again standard practice in my hospital). I had no issues pooing, no wind or anything like that, climbing stairs was easy, I took my painkillers on the dot every time whether I needed them or not and felt completely recovered after a fortnight. If I were having anymore children (I'm not) I wouldn't hesitate to have another section.

EMCS here, son ended up in NICU due to breathing difficulty (much higher risk of respiratory morbidity with CSecs) and sepsis - he died at 5 days old due to both his breathing issues from the birth and the sepsis being too much for him.

I wasnt allowed to see him until 8 hours post birth. That has to have been one of the hardest things surrounding the birth of my son. DH took photos for me when he was allowed to briefly see him.

I sat up all night passing those 8 hours by constantly recalling my son's cries as he was born and hand expressing milk and collecting it in tiny syringes for him. My milk came in just as easily as it did with my vaginal delivery with my first.

I was actually able to sit up and walk unaided after 5 hours of surgery but they wanted me to have breakfast and try to sleep before I was allowed down to NICU.

Anyway, I ended up being discharged 20 hours post surgery so I could follow my son up to different hospital. I wished I could have gone sooner, for 6 hours we were in different parts of the country as I wasnt allowed to be discharged straight away to follow him up.

That is the difficultly with a CSec, not being as mobile and so not being able to be by my son's side for most of his first day. I also had issues with trying to wee too, the catheter caused some damage.

The actual cut was painful and I did have to be slow but the next day I did manage to do 3 solo trips from a ward they had let me rest on when I first arrived at the new hopsital to the new NICU carrying a load of bags when I was told I wasnt allowed to wait for assistance to move our things and I had to move it now. No damage was done and it wasnt a great pain in doing it.

3 weeks postpartum I was running regular 5ks with no issues.

Now I am pregnant again and have that conflict of whether to go for a ERCS or a VBAC. I am so unsure.