Recovery time for C section?

[Lunardreams]

Just wanting to know what others experiences are during/after having a c section?

I had an emergency C section and it took about 4 months to recovery at of the way and about a year until I felt completely okay again!

I had an emergency CS and I felt significantly better after 2 weeks (up and about, pottering around the house without much thought), notably better by 4 weeks (pootling sound the park/shops), and nearly normal by 6 weeks.

But... I never really felt normal, normal again. My abdomen is still different, four years later. And that doesn't cause me any pain, or problems, it just feel the same, internally, any more.

Just DOESN'T feel the same...

No painkillers after 7days but took a few months to be used to the new scar. However now I barely notice it. For me lots of supportive clothing really helped as long as it didn’t rub the area

Felt almost normal about 8 weeks post op (no pain when bending / lifting etc).
Currently 10 months out and the only thing I have is a scar that itches slightly from time to time.

I felt fine after a week. Scar healed perfectly and is barely visible 2 years on

The numbness below my belly button has never totally resolved but I have more feeling than I did initially

Felt absolutely fine and free of pain at 2 weeks, and most of the way there by 1 week.

Driving after 1 week. No pain, even the incision didn't hurt. Some light bruising around the incision area.

You need to make sure you don't lift anything really heavy for 2 weeks after, and press a cushion to your tum when you get up. Don't strain.

2 weeks with my first and third but more like 3 with my middle one. The scar is a bit itchy at times but absolutely no other problems at all.

6-8 weeks for me after an emergency c section. I got a nasty infection in my wound which made it open up slightly so I think I would have recovered easier if it wasn't for that. My scar is a bit of a mess but still not really obvious and I have no issues with it at all 2 and a half years later. I'm having an elective c section this time and hoping recovery is a bit better

I should add OP, if I knew then what I know now, I'd opt for an elective CS 100x over. I'd much rather a predictable injury and recovery than a recovery from God-knows-what with a final delivery

Final = vaginal

I didn't need painkillers after mine. Was up and about within a couple of hours both times. After my second, I was back doing the school run on day 4.

I was very fortunate.

Very easy. Mine was elective so very straightforward. Worst pain was the morning after but the more you move the better it gets. Was home that evening. By day 10 didn't need any painkillers at all. Much easier to recover from than my previous vaginal birth where I hemorrhaged and tore badly.

I took paracetamol for about a week but was in the supermarket 48 hours after my section and felt absolutely fine. Got the odd twinge for a few months - like a pulled muscle - but by about 9 months it was like it had never happened.

2 x emcs. First after 75 hours of back labour, 2 hours of pushing and failed forceps. I literally bounced back. The bruising from the forceps hurt more. No pain killers post theatre with either (I was in Nicu with dc1 and no one told me I needed to go back to the ward so I didn't get offered any until we got discharged 3 days later). With dc2 I stayed one night and was out and about straight afterwards. Went out for lunch when she was 2 days old. By the end of week two I was pushing the pram on the preschool run which is a 3 mile round-trip.

No issues whatsoever. I don't even have any numbness. Scar is a tiny white line which even dh struggles to see now. Youngest is 2.

About 2 weeks to be off pain killers and feel better. 4 weeks to do anything 'strenuous 'Hoovering etc.
But, a year later I did get some terrible pains in my scar tissue and was on heavy painkillers again. The GP said it was the nerves trying to grow back through.
I still have patches with no feeling at all 11 years later.

I've had one emergency and one planned. I don't remember too much discomfort after the emergency, took things easy for a few weeks.

Planned was a breeze, was up and showered at six hours. At 48 hours I was pottering around the hospital on foot several times a day to visit my baby in NeoNates. By ten days I was pushing the pram on the school run.

Don't try and compare to others, every section is unique and some will bounce back quicker than others.

There's a big difference between an elective and emergency c section.

With an elective, you're all rested and the procedure should be much easier.

With an emergency, you could've been in labour for hours and be exhausted and you and / or the baby could be very poorly.

With the latter your recovery will be much longer as you'd expect.

I was lucky that my Elective went really well and was calm and painless. Consequently my recovery was quite quick and easy. But even then I had to rest for 6 weeks to make sure I healed properly.

Also my advice would be to take all offered pain relief so you remain comfortable.

I've had 3 planned c sections and I've found the recovery different with each one. My easiest recovery was actually the last one, 4th baby. I was off painkillers after a week.

First CS (emergency) - Walked 5 miles with baby in a sling after 2 weeks, swimming after 6 weeks, running after 12.

Second CS (crash) - couldn’t stand up straight without pain for 9 weeks, 6 months to feel fit and strong enough to walk significant distances..

I had an elective walked around ikea on day 4 driving by 9/10 days (I rang my insurance they said the 6 week rule wasn’t a thing for them it was if I could comfortably do an emergency stop). I only needed paracetamol pain relief. I was really lucky minimal blood loss. It was a hell of a lot easier to recover from than my first which was an epic trauma consisting of a 72 hour back labour, forceps, shoulder dystocia swiftly followed by a haemorrhage and sepsis. I would take the elective section anyday over the uncertainty of a ‘natural’ delivery.

ELCS for DC2. Had paracetamol, ibuprofen and the odd dihydrocodeine for the first 48hrs then just para/ibru once home. No pain relief needed after 10 days. Was ok to play on soft play frame with DC1 at 3 weeks post c section and driving after 4 weeks.

Far far easier recovery than my forceps/3c tear first birth.

I've had 3 planned C sections. Recovered v quickly and well with all of them. The last one I came out of hospital after one night only and 4 days post op I went on a 3 mile walk with baby.

I've had 3 ELCS and out the following day for all of them.

Rested well for the first week (well, despite lack of sleep ... I mean I didn't move around a lot.)

Felt back to normal after about six weeks.

Tummy still looks flabby but that's a baby weight issue, I think!