Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Original poster

C section pain

22 replies

Givemeabreak45 · 08/11/2020 17:35

Hi all,

I had an ELCS 2 days ago with my first baby and came home yesterday which was pretty rough. I’m feeling pretty well in myself except for tiredness but am struggling a little with the pain from the wound. It’s got easier to sit up/turn in bed but walking is still very sore... feels like burning pain in wound and pulled muscles. Is this normal as read a lot of threads where everyone sounds like a spring chicken after?! I’m only able to take paracetamol too :/

OP posts:
Echobelly · 08/11/2020 17:40

Two days after you might still get quite a lot of soreness, especially with certain movements or moving to quickly - I felt OK pretty quickly but I gather than was relatively unusual.

If it's still being sharply painful after a week I'd sau you should talk to HV or someone. There's a lot of layers stitched up in there, which can lead to pain if anything's slightly off.

MsMiaWallace · 08/11/2020 17:45

I was shocked at the pain afterwards! I have a high pain threshold too. I also read the threads on here where people said stuff like 'pain free' & I was walking around with pushchair 3 days later.....
I was counting down the time for when I could next take painkillers.

After about 2 weeks you'll start to feel better & probably not need the painkillers.

Dowermouse · 08/11/2020 17:54

Keep up the painkillers, incase you've been advised only paracetamol because of breastfeeding, this isn't true, there are others that are safe, Breastfeeding Network is the best source for info.

Takethewinefromtheswine · 08/11/2020 18:04

I went home on day 4, so can't imagine going home sooner. As a pp said, I had no idea it would be so painful. I didn't sleep lying down for ages - I was propped up on a pile of pillows like the Queen of bloody Sheba as I couldn't roll over or sit upright easily. Be really careful with lifting or stretching and do as little as possible for the next week or so.

Original poster
Givemeabreak45 · 08/11/2020 18:51

Thanks all good to hear I'm not the only one who's struggled! Yep going home the day after major abdominal surgery is pretty tough!!

OP posts:
anonforthespies43267 · 08/11/2020 18:53

I went home on day 4 too and couldn’t imagine going home at 2 or 3. Found day 3 the hardest! But was quite ok by day 5 x

Bluntness100 · 08/11/2020 18:55

Yes it is still very painful at this stage op. You will prob find it starts to ease after a week or so, but will still be sore to touch.

Nubbin · 08/11/2020 18:58

I went home within 24 hours due to Covid as well - and only paracetamol. Day 3-4 were the worst by far. I had to rig scarves up to pull myself out of bed and going up and down stairs was not great. By end of week 2 I felt great - enough to be walking the dog, lifting the pushchair, carrying the baby in the car seat - end of week 3 I felt awful again because I overdid it. 5 weeks and I felt exactly as I did before (apart from the scar and immense tiredness from baby) but I could drive, lift things, walk for 3-4 miles without an issue. I was lucky with no issues with the wound. I had a vaginal birth with my first - the recovery from the ELCS was different in being sensible - as I wasn't getting over 24+ hours of labour I think minimised the effect of fairly major surgery x

Swimgirl83 · 08/11/2020 19:31

Few years since I had mine, but currently pregnant with no.2 and its all coming back to me.

Came home after 2 days and I remember being on agony, same as previous posts for the first 5 days I was definitely counting down the hours between painkillers! Tried to be clever and wean off the ibuprofen early and definitely regretted that!

Day 4 I attempted a walk to my parents house which were literally 2 minutes away at the time...not exaggerating when I say it took me 30 minutes, but being stubborn I persisted!

By about day 5/6 I felt quite a lot better. By about day 10 I felt like I could actually move without thinking I was going to rip open again.

By about week 4 I was driving and walked at least 30 minutes a day.

Remember it is major surgery, any other surgery of that nature you would be signed off work and advised to rest for a good weeks - so take it as easy as you can!

Annalou30 · 08/11/2020 19:46

I’m 2 weeks post elective csection now and totally agree that day 3/4 was the worst and I’ve been on the up from then. I was out after 24hrs and defo struggling on day 2 but I’m managing some decent walks now and gradually lifting a bit more. I alternated between ibuprofen and paracetamol and the hospital also gave me some dihydracodeine (sp?) which I occasionally took half of around day 2-5. I am breastfeeding and this is what the hospital advised.

saffinmum · 08/11/2020 19:51

for the first week after my first c section.. I had to have chairs positioned around the house, I could only take a few steps before the wound area felt like it was burning and I needed to sit down..What you're experiencing sounds very normal! Take it easy!

Notlostjustexploring · 08/11/2020 19:59

I was moving around fairly easily after day two, the difference being I was doped up to my eyeballs with All The Drugs. I can't believe that you're managing with just paracetamol!!! Damn right it's going to be sore!!!! Definitely take it easy!!

Also, if you can, try to get your hands on better drugs! Think I was using codeine for over a week, and the paracetamol/nurofen alternation for at least a month.

PriceEmUp · 08/11/2020 20:03

I read all the spring chicken posts too and thought I’d be fine and dandy but my gosh is it soooo sore afterwards! I was sore for weeks before I felt a bit more normal even after that it took a fair few months to become myself again. - best advice I use a thick maternity pad over your incision so you can press on it when sitting up, pooing ect.
It also helps draw out the moisture and prevent infections.

Do not.. dry it with the hairdryer as some may suggest, you’ll just blow lint into it and cause an infection.

It will take a couple weeks before you feel better about walking around but seriously, don’t over. Do it.

You’ll know when you’ve done too much because your bleeding will increase. Even when I felt so much better if I went for a bit of a walk of come home and feel sore again and my bleeding would be heavier.

Just take it easy, don’t try and rush to be healed. It’s major surgery.

Flackattack · 08/11/2020 20:19

You’ll feel relatively normal by two weeks! It’s major surgery- perfectly ok to be sore! Stay stocked up on drugs! If you take codeine get some lacutulose - you don’t want constipation! That was worse!
I found having my husband hold a towel to pull me up to sitting at night was really helpful as getting up was the worst bit!!!
This too shall pass - take it easy!!!

WandaDavy · 08/11/2020 20:38

It was only in my sixth week that I felt much more normal. Two weeks enough to stop the painkillers, but then every time I thought I had improved, I overdid it. Infection, repeated pain etc. Try to take it easy, not lift etc, even if you feel you can.

JoJoSM2 · 08/11/2020 20:41

It’s a major surgery and not a leg wax...

I can’t remember the timeline, but it was absolute agony for a while and I felt pretty useless.

Kodiak83 · 08/11/2020 21:47

Add in ibuprofen. I had to have that and paracetamol alternate for two weeks. It was really sore for me and really only eased up after the first fortnight.

FitzChivalry · 08/11/2020 22:02

Make sure for the first week or so, you keep on top of the pain, that is take the paracetamol regularly, (obviously taking them correctly) but not waiting for the pain to be bad before you take them.

Hopefully a physio showed you how to get out of bed and sit up without putting any stress on the wound.

Make sure when you stand, you stand straight, it's hard, but better for you.

and finally, do not do too much! You've just had major surgery!

Original poster
Givemeabreak45 · 08/11/2020 23:11

@FitzChivalry no didn’t get shown by physio...
@Kodiak83 unfortunately cant take ibuprofen due to underlying condition.

OP posts:
honkytonkheroe · 08/11/2020 23:17

It's a very painful and big op. I don't think the majority of people will say it's pain free. I've had two c-sections and could barely move to start with. I certainly couldn't pick the baby up from some angles, couldn't get up easy - basically anything that uses stomach muscles was very hard. Keep on top of the pain by taking pain killers regularly and not waiting for the pain to get worse. I assume it's still the same but I wasn't allowed to drive for 5 weeks and didn't feel ready to before that time either. That's an indication of how big an op it is.

Pegase · 08/11/2020 23:26

I had a lot of pain in first week- another one counting down to the painkillers and it was the ibuprofen that really made the difference.

Don't overdo it even when pain subsides. I had a wound dehiscence in week 2 when I felt back to normal and did too much. Took another month to heal -really wish I had rested more as instructed!

Pegase · 08/11/2020 23:28

I am now 5 months post CS. Can run again without any discomfort but still feel uncomfortable using stomach muscles to tilt the buggy to go up a high kerb!

New posts on this thread. Refresh page