C section - how much rest

[duckling3]

I had an elcs yesterday. It went perfectly and up until a couple of hours ago I was feeling great. I'm home after being discharged from the hospital around lunchtime.
I'm taking ibuprofen and paracetamol.

I'm wondering how much I should be resting. This afternoon I dont feel like I've done alot, but have pottered around a little because it seemed to make me feel better. But now I'm in alot of pain and wondering if I've overdone it, or rested too much or maybe its just normal.

For others who have had elcs... did the pain get worse before it got better? And how much did you rest over the first few days?

Wondering if I should call 111 to see if there is anywhere i can get some stronger pain meds. Or whether some good old fashioned rest will be enough.

I think it’s very easy to overdo it without realising and the more you rest in the early days, the quicker you will recover.

In bed for a week and on the sofa for a week. Minimum! You've had major surgery! I tried to get up and about earlier and it was too much, I was in a lot of pain and got lightheaded. Take it easy :-)

I used a step counter - got up and moved around a little more each day. Take the meds, take it gentle and you'll be good

I made sure I stood up every hour or so but rest most of the time. No doing the washing or anything.

In non covid times c sections came with a minimum 2 day stay so I would have said you should have stayed in bed totally today Ans then try a bit more movement tomorrow

As a pp said, you’ve had major surgery. And you have a baby to look after. Even after a really unexciting VB, a good week of mooching about in your pyjamas and chowing down on the pain relief is entirely acceptable. Add to that abdominal surgery and it becomes necessary. I beg of you to stay in bed or on the sofa tomorrow. And ask for something stronger from the GP if you need it. I am currently 35 weeks and planning an unexceptional birth (!) I have still persuaded the GP to prescribe me top strength co-codamol so it is on hand when I need it. Enjoy your babymoon.

I had one in April 2019 and I'm having another in 2 weeks time. I did the same as you as pottered about when I got home after the first - nothing crazy, but my word I was in pain for days after. Literally just listen to your body and move little and often - no climbing mountains so to speak

Definitely rest up! I’ve had 3 elcs and stayed in hospital 4/5 nights with each. Only up a few times a day for loo/shower, changing babies nappy etc. All food/drinks prepared for me and lots of painkillers. Minimum 2 weeks of rest as much as possible. Did hospital not provide some advice on discharge? It’s major abdominal surgery and all the layers of stitches need to heal up. Stay in your pjs and hope you have some help!

Thanks all. I'll do my best to stay in bed/sofa tomorrow and hopefully will feel better for it. If not I can call the gp Monday.

Its easy to forget the need to rest with a little person to distract especially when I felt fine this morning before I left hospital.

I've had three and felt relatively ok after all of them but just listened to my body. I was also religious with paracetamol and ibuprofen for about a week.

Definitely keep on top of your painkillers, don't wait for it to start hurting to take the next lot. With 4 lots of paracetamol and 3 of ibuprofen per 24 hours, I alternated them and set a reminder to take more every 3.5 hours for the first few days.

I got prescribed tramadol after a recent ELCS (and insisted on it after not having it prescribed for my first emergency c-section). It made a massive difference to me for the first few days. I didn't even finish the prescription but as I said in the first few days it really did help! I was up and about pretty much as normal after a couple of days (obviously nothing strenuous but able to go out shopping for coffee etc).

Stay on top of your painkillers and do as little as possible for a week and you'll probably be okay. Overdo it and you won't be right for ages.

The less you do in the first few days/weeks the quicker you’re likely to heal. DS ended up back in hospital at 4 days old with bronchiolitis and I realised I’d been overdoing it upto that point and really not helping myself. A week in hospital while he was on antibiotics and being monitored did me the world of good as I had nowhere to go, so just took it easy. I was prescribed Dihydrocodeine after my section and took them religiously until I ran out, so I’d also recommend speaking with your GP and asking for something stronger if you feel like you’re struggling.

Slow and steady wins the race Op. Its good to gently gradually a bit more each day, but build up very slowly

Ok lucky our hospital is a nice one and we get codrydamol on top of the brufen and para! My cousin in next town there's doesn't and she was sent home on para and brufen I think it's unbelievable that they would only give this we give mor for a lap choloey on surgery! So why should we expect women to look after a baby and recover from major surgery on pathetic pain relief

Rest for as long as you need it. For me the pain didn’t get worse before it got better but I recovered well with all 3 of me. Hope you’re feeling better soon

Yep, to add to the chorus - take it gently! I pushed myself too far (getting up and down out of bed to see to the baby for example) and I think it contributed to me straining my stitches and ending up back in hospital with an infection.

If I ever had another CS I would take things easier for the first week or two at least, even if I felt I was physically capable of doing more.

I basically stayed in bed for 4 days only getting up to have a shower and use the toilet.
After day 4 I got up and moved about a bit more, taking regular breaks. Day 7 I went for a short walk down the end of my road and back. Day 10 into town for a wander for an hour. By Day 14 I was walking about fine but still tried to not lift anything too heavy. I knew if i was overdoing things as my bleeding got heavier again.

After 2/3weeks i was off the pain meds and by week 4 felt back to normal.

You are still so early after your csection. Take it nice and easy. I loved just spending those first few days in bed just soaking up all the cuddles with my babies (twins) and just staring at them in awe.

Thanks everyone. The responses to this are pretty reassuring. Have taken it very easy today and feeling better for it. Although crazy back ache which I wasn't expecting.

I stayed in hospital for 2 nights, but started pottering as soon as I got home, and was pretty much back to normal the day after that. I didn't do a lot of chores because I had a fabulous excuse, but I did some, cooking, etc, looking after my toddler, and going to shopping etc from day 3 or 4.

So I didn't really rest at all tbh and it was fine. Is have gone nuts resting for 2 weeks, it would have felt completely unnecessary as I felt fine, bits important to follow the signals your body gives you as every recovery is different.

I was in hospital 5 days after my emcs, I was very ill. Went home on the Friday & by Monday my BP had gone sky high so I was back in bed for about a week. By 3 weeks I was fairly ok & was driving again. My then husband had been diagnosed with MS when I was 8 months pregnant so I didn't really have any choice. Get as much rest as you can but keep yourself mobile as well, rest for a couple of hours, then walk round the house. Could you stay in bed until lunchtime & then potter in the afternoon & maybe have a nap 3.30-4.30?