How soon could you do the following after elective c-section?

[HotSwissCheese]

I've pretty much decided on an elective CS, and have read lots on how quickly people have recovered after. I'd be really grateful though to hear how long it took people before they could do these specific things:

Go on an hour's walk
Pick up baby in car seat
Drive
Resume exercise such as running
Have sex
Sit up in bed/on sofa without pain
Resume normal household tasks such as washing and hoovering
Move about normally with 0 pain

Thanks so much ladies.

Go on an hour's walk - probably around 8 weeks but I didn’t want to go anywhere that long at that age so never tried! Stuck in feed, sleep, nappy cycle.

Pick up baby in car seat - around 3-4 weeks after first, 2-3 wks after second (also CS)

Drive - felt ready at 4 but waited until 6 weeks after first, 4 weeks after second as had to get out the house with both

Resume exercise such as running - see first answer

Have sex - ditto (more due to bleeding which continued for weeks, then lack of sleep, leaky boobs, baby in room…. Nothing to do with c section)

Sit up in bed/on sofa without pain 2 wks ish

Resume normal household tasks such as washing and hoovering 3 wks

Move about normally with 0 pain - honestly around 5 weeks. Still get itchy/tingly sensations around my scar depending on clothing/undies and my youngest is 5. Not pain though!

Oh just remembered the first time I drove anywhere alone I decided to nip to the supermarket. Got a trolley, started pushing it round, filling it up. Got half way round and then literally had to abandon trolley and limp back to my car as had so much pain in my abdomen I couldn’t push it any further let alone fathom unloading, packing and pushing it again. Online food shops for the first few months!

Mine was an emergency and nearly 8 years ago so can’t fully remember exactly for each thing but I was back to normal before 2 weeks was up. Well
apart from driving as I couldn’t be bothered to go to the doctors and get signed off with doctors note to confirm it as your car insurance is invalid until 6 weeks post partum (if a c section) without being officially signed off as safe to drive. That was the case back then anyway. I’m having an elective this time so hoping the recovery will be as good especially as it’s planned this time

I’ve had two c-sections, for the first one -
An hour of walking, around a month.
Car seat - had one fixed in the car so didn’t lift it, I was lifting the baby fairly soon, about a week.
Driving - I don’t drive.
Sex - took six months, too scared/exhausted/breastfeeding non stop until then.
sit up without pain - this took quite a while, eg months, but the pain gradually tailed off and was well managed.
Resume tasks- three weeks.
Move without any pain - months to literally not feel anything, but I was moving around normally after a few weeks.
I should add that numbness was a longer term issue.

Resume exercise such as running a week

running a week after a CS? that's mental!

My very wise mother said that the more of a princess you are for the full six weeks the better your recovery. So I didn’t touch a vacuum for the full six weeks and she helped around the house. The rest of my NCT group that had c sections tried to do too much too soon and several of them popped stitches/ got infections.

It’s really easy to forget how much healing your body is doing on the inside - best to let it and not rush back to stuff.

10yrs and counting for the running!

Really, really variable. I was quite like as wasn’t in much pain or at least that type of pain didn’t bother me too much. Tbh with a difficult newborn sex was off the cards for a few months lol. Also the bit around my scar was really hairy which I hated!

I was walking really quickly but some friends didn’t. You really just have to wait and see and try not to worry. Once you have kids you kind of have to let go of soem stuff and accept lack of control.

Go on an hour's walk - About 2-3 weeks
Pick up baby in car seat - Day 3
Drive - 10 days
Resume exercise such as running - Never been a runner so no idea
Have sex - 6 weeks or so
Sit up in bed/on sofa without pain - 3-4 days
Resume normal household tasks such as washing and hoovering - 3-4 days
Move about normally with 0 pain - 8-10 days

Thanks so much ladies.

Thank you. I felt bad about not being able to carry my own baby. Really bad. So I don't need any more of a kicking.

I didn't pick my baby up in the carseat for ages and I don't feel bad at all. I wasn't able to. What is there to feel bad about?

Definitely don’t feel bad, your baby wouldn’t know or remember. I bet you still had plenty of cuddles even if baby had to be passed to you.

Go on an hour's walk - less than a week.
Pick up baby in car seat - don't know as never did it but picked up toddler on day 3.
Drive - about 10 days, though I didn't because I didn't need to.
Resume exercise such as running? No idea, I couldn't resume this after my vaginal birth so never did.
Have sex - don't know, think we did it at 4 weeks but I couldn't be certain.
Sit up in bed/on sofa without pain - same day. Turning over in bed got painful on day 3 until day 8 when they took off my bandage - turned out a stitch was stuck to it and pulled when I twisted!
Resume normal household tasks such as washing and hoovering - a week, though I played on it for much, much longer!
Move about normally with 0 pain - 2 weeks.

I had a surprise elcs with my DTs, it was 5 years ago so my memory is a bit sketchy!

Go on an hour's walk - 5 days
Pick up baby in car seat - 5 days
Drive - 2 weeks
Resume exercise such as running - 5 years on I’m still too fat and lazy, probably 6 weeks if I wasn’t
Have sex - waited 6 weeks, I bled for that long
Sit up in bed/on sofa without pain - 10 days
Resume normal household tasks such as washing and hoovering - a week
Move about normally with 0 pain - 2/3 weeks

2 emergency sections, the first of which was after a very long labour, pushing and failed forceps.

Go on an hour's walk with dc2, I was doing the 3 mile round trip to preschool and back pushing the pram within 3 weeks.
Pick up baby in car seat both times within 4 weeks
Drive 6 weeks
Resume exercise such as running pilates within a month. 8 weeks for more strenuous exercising. Maybe 3 to 4 months for running.
Have sex 7 weeks
Sit up in bed/on sofa without pain within a week
Resume normal household tasks such as washing and hoovering as soon as I got home.
Move about normally with 0 pain probably within a month. I didn't take any pain killers post theatre though and at no point was I in serious pain with either recovery.

I had a surprise elcs with my DTs, it was 5 years ago so my memory is a bit sketchy!

how can you have a surprise elective section?

elective surgery is planned, so it doesn't make sense.

Not specifically answering your exact questions but on day 3 I did a 25 minute walk because my MiL decided to park miles away when she came to collect us. Was doable although was a little slow!

Agree with previous poster about a pillow against your stomach when moving from the sofa and also keeping it handy for when you are laughing too.

Day 5 I cooked a late lunch for all my visiting relatives and made cups of tea for in laws on day 3 after being driven home.

Housework like hoovering, bathroom etc possibly 3 weeks maybe a little longer.

And even now (almost 10 years later) I sometimes feel numb and itchy around my scar.

Not sure if it makes a difference but mine was an emergency section and apart from above all good.

I had an elected section. Was all very very smooth but i did pull my stitches in the 3rd week trying to assemble my pram and it got infected a bit. So I'd say so it right the once and take the rest and air the incision as much as you possibly can (lift your tummy if there's a fold there and make sure it's very dry after a bath or shower)

on an hour's walk - 3 weeks but I would say the distance wasn't as much as I'd normally do in an hour I just took it slow.
Pick up baby in car seat - I had a wee chunk of a baby and this is how I pulled my stitches. If I could do it again I'd leave it until 4 weeks even though you'll feel able to do it before then.
Drive- waited 6 but could have driven after 4 (they say whenever you feel you could manage an emergency stop with a belt over your wound. )
Resume exercise such as running - I do not run. I could eat cake from the first day home though?
Have sex - waited the 6 weeks due to risk of infection
Sit up in bed/on sofa without pain- keep up with your pain meds and don't let yourself have a gap even if you're feeling alright. Paracetamol and ibuprofen were more than enough for me. I'd say about 4 weeks or thereabouts. But it was only tender and if you're slow and careful it'll be OK.
Resume normal household tasks such as washing and hoovering - this is what family, friends and partners are for. I didn't lift a finger for the first 5-6 weeks dh did everything and I just focused on recovery and feeding baby. (Some days baby fed longer than my dhs working hours)
Move about normally with 0 pain I'd say between 5-6 weeks for me. I'd get the odd twinge later than that if I twisted or lifted something heavy but just listen to your body and be extra gentle with it.

I'd recommend having someone come stay to give you a hand if you can. My dh was able to take 2 weeks off work and when he went back I still needed help with things so my mum stayed and just did light housework and made me food which was great. Also meant she could drive so I was able to get out a bit more.

Honestly I had a brilliant experience and found the recovery very manageable. I would say one tip for the section is have a playlist on your phone and bring it in. There were a few times when dh wasn't in with me (at the very very start he didn't get in until the surgery was underway and I was open and they knew the anesthetic was correct, and then he and baby went to recovery first while the last wee bit of my stitching was being finished.) It wasn't long but the surgeons were busy chatting about their Christmas plans together lol so I wished I had something else to focus on instead of the nerves I had and the tugging sensation.

Best thing I ever did though. I would be much much less nervous doing it second time round!

Emergency here, had no choice but to do things quicker than advised

An hours walk - probably around 4 weeks
Drive - I drove 2 weeks PP, I wouldn't if I didn't have to as it wasn't very comfortable
running - the full 6 weeks recommended
Pick up the car seat- 2 weeks
Sex - couldn't tell ya lol
Sit up in bed without pain - 2 weeks ish maybe a bit earlier
Household tasks - I did them as soon as I got home 5 days PP
Move about with 0 pain - I had tenderness around the scar for about 2 months I'd say - obviously the more you do the longer it'll take to heal, if you can and have the support it's best to take it easy but it seems impossible to me to go by everything they tell you to do, I was told I couldn't even carry baby up and down the stairs!

Go on an hour's walk - Went in about 2 weeks, it was fine but I was tired.
Pick up baby in car seat - a few days
Drive- Had to do with within a week (cleared by my GP)
Resume exercise such as running - I dont run but based on longer walks I imagine it would be ok in about 6 weeks.

Have sex - Lost all drive for month! Physically, I could pretty much within a week or so but was bleeding anyway.
Sit up in bed/on sofa without pain - A couple days
Resume normal household tasks such as washing and hoovering - I was baking scones 4 days after so pretty much straight away.
Move about normally with 0 pain - A few days.

You're making the right decision! For comparison, I had a 'standard vaginal delivery' which resulted in two second degree tears and an episiotomy.

My recovery was more like:
Go on an hour's walk- probably about six months, but was still totally paranoid I'd wet myself! It took a couple of years and a specialist physio course to be confident again.
Pick up baby in car seat** about two weeks but it still hurt
Drive 9 days
Resume exercise such as running I didn't
Have sex can't remember but must have been at least six months if not longer
Sit up in bed/on sofa without pain probably about 3-4 weeks as the stitches seemed to take ages to heal
Resume normal household tasks such as washing and hoovering I did laundry again after four weeks but more because DH does it than I couldn't do it.
Move about normally with 0 pain probably about 4-6 weeks

First planned c-section pretty much all within 2 /3 weeks (except sex - baby didn’t sleep so was of the table for a while!)

Second planned was completely different. I couldn’t walk my older child to and from school for nearly six weeks (1 hour round trip) I tried week 3 and had to phone husband to pick me up as I felt quite in pain. I also spent a lot more time in bed with second due to pain and uncomfortable. (Also trying to find a comfy place to breastfeed) I also bleed a lot more after and even with breastfeeding my period arrived week 4/5 so sex was off until it all settled. Got an infection with my scar - which was bloomin painful.
Second time around was tender with certain movements still around week 8 (hoovering etc) , 3 months before I felt fully ok.

13 years later since second one my scar still feels numb in places - very strange feeling! And the shelf that no amount of exercise will change!

Two planned completely different experiences. So I think it’s hard to say how it will be for you.

I'm so grateful for every single reply. Thanks so much all. Your experiences are exactly what I needed to hear. ELCS is in 5 weeks, this thread is making it all very real!

Just to add, I'll be in no rush to jump back into every day life, least of all housework and exercise! But I've had a really difficult pregnancy and I've not been able to walk much, haven't gotten out the house really and haven't been able to be intimate with my husband since the start of my pregnancy, so it's nice to get an understanding of when I might feel human again!

Thanks so much again 💛💛

Go on an hour's walk: (estimate based in general mobility) about a week

Pick up baby in car seat: I did this on day 5, could have managed sooner but need didn't arise.

Drive: can't drive

Resume exercise such as running: my lazyness was the issue here not my sections...

Have sex: wanted to after 5 days but thought we should get it cleared by midwife first, so just had some fun instead. Got cleared and, back to sex at 11 days.

Sit up in bed/on sofa without pain; standing up hurt for a few days and sitting was discount because of the cut muscles but it wasn't painful to sit unless me painkillers were wearing off, but never excruciating

Resume normal household tasks such as washing and hoovering: light tasks and pottering around, making lunch etc about 3 days. Heavier stuff i waited a few weeks.

Move about normally with 0 pain: day 3 but making sure my painkillers were taken on schedule so no breakthrough pain. Pain was very minimal on days 1&2 though

Presumably something was noticed with the pregnancy, and her obstetric team brought her in urgently for a section the following day? So still an ELCS, but not one planned weeks in advance, so a surprise to her.

I had vasa praevia, and had an ELCS as soon as I got to 35 weeks. It was picked up as I also had an abruption at 29 weeks, but otherwise it would have (hopefully) been found at 36 weeks when I had my final scan (DS was breech). So I’d have had an unexpected ELCS at that point, as a vaginal delivery wouldn’t have been possible.

I also saw other women with unstable lies brought in for an ELCS at very short notice when it became apparent the baby wasn’t shifting. None of those were EMCS, but none of them were “expected” ELCS either.

I have had an emergency section and an elective section. Recovered well from both, probably slightly quicker with my elective section but i put that down to also being the second time doing it all so being a bit more aware of my body and its capabilities etc.
I would say i recovered in similar times with what over people have said, within 3-4 weeks i felt able to do most tasks. However lots of people have mentioned driving before 6 weeks....I would be very cautious around this. The NHS guidance is 6 weeks before driving to ensure all internal injury has healed so that you can safety complete an emergency stop etc. Most insurance companies will not cover you driving prior to 6 weeks unless you have written evidence from a doctor to say you have fit enough. Driving without checking this with your insurance would potentially mean you are driving without any insurance cover so please consider this at the time.