# swelling after c-section / cross post



## mtnprotracy

First, baby Ben is here and fabulous :D. Uncomplicated c-section went well. We are currently in the NICU because he had trouble regulating his sugar. I had GD. Anyway, we hope to be home in a few days and I will do a proper birth story :).

Just dropping in for a quick question. My feet are INSANELY swollen. They were not swollen during pregnancy, and I have been told it is due to all the fluid pumped into me during surgery....that it is fairly common.

Have any of you ladies experienced this? If so, did anything help treat the swelling?? None of my shoes fit....it reminds me of the scene in the Harry Potter book when Harry blows everyone up and they float away like big balloons....lol. Any advice or experience appreciated :).


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## orangesatsuma

What a wonderful news! Big congrats on safe arrival of sweet Ben :flower:

Sorry, I've never experienced swelling - cannot help you...

Hope you both get better very soon and go back to 'home sweet home' :hugs:

My scheduled C-section is on this Friday... I'm a bit nervous :winkwink:


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## future_numan

A huge congratulations on the birth of Ben :)

Have you tryed evelvating your feet ?
What has the hospital advised ? I have not experienced and swelling with my pregnancies so I'm sorry I can't be more of a help.


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## Gia7777

Congrats Tracy!!!

Looking forward to pics and your story!

I've gotta tell you, I had minimal swelling during pregnancy, but since delivering my LO my feet and ankles are so incredibly swollen and hurt like crazy. They started to swell the day after I delivered and continue to be swollen today. I have had no relief. I did have a vaginal delivery, but did have an epidural, fluids, and antibiotics pumped in my because I was GBS positive. I expected the swelling to subside within 2 weeks, but it hasn't. I am about to call my doc and make an appt sooner than my 6 week check up because Im starting to get really concerned. They are even swollen in the morning, after lying down. Maybe if I had a few days of restorative sleep the swelling would subside as my LO is up every 2 hours during the night and I think the stress, exhaustion of it all is definitely a contributing factor. I did buy compression socks and they seem to help just a wee bit but I swear I am still retaining about 10 lbs of fluids.


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## Maple Leaf

Welcome baby Ben!...I had terrible swelling too..I had no swelling in pregnancy but had to be on an oxytocin drip for z24 hours after the birth to retract my uterus after a post partum hemorrhage. I pee a lot and still sweat a lot in bed and finally the swelling has subsided. I think a certain amount of swelling is normal so unless it persists I wouldn't worry!


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## Borboleta

Congratulations:)!!! I bet you are sooo happy :happydance:!

My feet were not swollen during pregnancy either but man they look like balloons after my csection!! It took almost 2 weeks for then to start to look normal again. Try to keep your feet up as much as you can. It will get better:).
Looking foward to read your birth story and see you at baby club:).


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## suzimc

Hey Tracy, congratulations once again and yes the swelling! Happened to me too, first time, I was fine after the other 3 sections, must be our age!! xxx


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## Nat0619

Hi and congratulations on your new little boy :hugs:

I'm just home yesterday from having a c-section for our little girl on Monday night. As with you, I never had any swelling during the pregnancy but my ankles and feet are now swollen. I asked my midwife about this today and her explanation was that, during pregnancy, you have a lot of extra fluid circulating, most of which goes to the baby. After you have the baby (so I presume vaginally as well as c-sections) your body takes a while to excrete all this extra fluid and, as there is no longer a baby for it to go to, it pools in the lower half of your body, ie feet and ankles.

She advised to drink plenty of fluids to help your body flush out the excess and keep feet raised as often as you can x


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## mtnprotracy

orangesatsuma said:


> What a wonderful news! Big congrats on safe arrival of sweet Ben :flower:
> 
> Sorry, I've never experienced swelling - cannot help you...
> 
> Hope you both get better very soon and go back to 'home sweet home' :hugs:
> 
> My scheduled C-section is on this Friday... I'm a bit nervous :winkwink:

Thanks so much.....thinking of you; hope your c-section goes well tomorrow. Keep us posted :flower:.


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## mtnprotracy

future_numan said:


> A huge congratulations on the birth of Ben :)
> 
> Have you tryed evelvating your feet ?
> What has the hospital advised ? I have not experienced and swelling with my pregnancies so I'm sorry I can't be more of a help.

Thanks :). Yes, all the traditional things (elevation, more water, etc.) seem to have no influence. However, they are slightly less swollen since I've stopped taking my pain medication. All the doctors and nurses have said how common it is, and it will take weeks to resolve :(. Oh, well....I'll just have to stare at my boy and wait ;).


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## mtnprotracy

Gia7777 said:


> Congrats Tracy!!!
> 
> Looking forward to pics and your story!
> 
> I've gotta tell you, I had minimal swelling during pregnancy, but since delivering my LO my feet and ankles are so incredibly swollen and hurt like crazy. They started to swell the day after I delivered and continue to be swollen today. I have had no relief. I did have a vaginal delivery, but did have an epidural, fluids, and antibiotics pumped in my because I was GBS positive. I expected the swelling to subside within 2 weeks, but it hasn't. I am about to call my doc and make an appt sooner than my 6 week check up because Im starting to get really concerned. They are even swollen in the morning, after lying down. Maybe if I had a few days of restorative sleep the swelling would subside as my LO is up every 2 hours during the night and I think the stress, exhaustion of it all is definitely a contributing factor. I did buy compression socks and they seem to help just a wee bit but I swear I am still retaining about 10 lbs of fluids.

Thanks so much. It is so frustrating. My feet were never attractive by any stretch of the imagination, but now they look like pig feet!! And I have to constantly look at them because the only thing I can wear are flip-flops!!! Let me know what your doctor says. Oh...my have gone down slightly since I stopped taking the pain medication, so maybe that was a connection too???


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## mtnprotracy

Maple Leaf said:


> Welcome baby Ben!...I had terrible swelling too..I had no swelling in pregnancy but had to be on an oxytocin drip for z24 hours after the birth to retract my uterus after a post partum hemorrhage. I pee a lot and still sweat a lot in bed and finally the swelling has subsided. I think a certain amount of swelling is normal so unless it persists I wouldn't worry!

Thanks :). I think I had oxytocin in the IV drip too. I'm not in any pain...just SO frustrating and disgusting looking...lol.


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## mtnprotracy

Borboleta said:


> Congratulations:)!!! I bet you are sooo happy :happydance:!
> 
> My feet were not swollen during pregnancy either but man they look like balloons after my csection!! It took almost 2 weeks for then to start to look normal again. Try to keep your feet up as much as you can. It will get better:).
> Looking foward to read your birth story and see you at baby club:).

Thanks so much :). It has made me feel much better knowing others have experienced the same thing. It just really freaked me out....my feet have never been this HUGE!


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## mtnprotracy

suzimc said:


> Hey Tracy, congratulations once again and yes the swelling! Happened to me too, first time, I was fine after the other 3 sections, must be our age!! xxx

hehe...must be! By the looks of things, I'd say this swelling thing is certainly common in the gals over 35 category!


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## mtnprotracy

Nat0619 said:


> Hi and congratulations on your new little boy :hugs:
> 
> I'm just home yesterday from having a c-section for our little girl on Monday night. As with you, I never had any swelling during the pregnancy but my ankles and feet are now swollen. I asked my midwife about this today and her explanation was that, during pregnancy, you have a lot of extra fluid circulating, most of which goes to the baby. After you have the baby (so I presume vaginally as well as c-sections) your body takes a while to excrete all this extra fluid and, as there is no longer a baby for it to go to, it pools in the lower half of your body, ie feet and ankles.
> 
> She advised to drink plenty of fluids to help your body flush out the excess and keep feet raised as often as you can x


Thanks so much....that makes sense. I'm drinking water at alarming rates trying to make these bovine feet disappear ;).


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## happymamma

Oh Wow congrats!!!! I cant wait to read your birth story,.. and see some pics :D

After my c-sec I retained soooo much fluid is was sick! Lucky I brought my baggy pj's, ones that I used to be able to fir 2 legs in, I struggled to get only one leg in! I was on iv for about a week though so I swelled so much my mom couldnt stand to look at me, she had to leave the hospital. So I think it\s quite normal,. it took 10 days for me to lose all the fluid I was retaining. 

Now I swell during pregnancy lol. Oh how lucky I am!

xxx


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## StarSign

Instead of drinking plain water, drink lemon water. Lemon is a natural diuretic and safe. :thumbup: Also, elevating above heart whenever you can and doing a wrap around the feet may speed things along faster too.


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## AmesLouise

mtnprotracy said:


> future_numan said:
> 
> 
> A huge congratulations on the birth of Ben :)
> 
> Have you tryed evelvating your feet ?
> What has the hospital advised ? I have not experienced and swelling with my pregnancies so I'm sorry I can't be more of a help.
> 
> Thanks :). Yes, all the traditional things (elevation, more water, etc.) seem to have no influence. However, they are slightly less swollen since I've stopped taking my pain medication. All the doctors and nurses have said how common it is, and it will take weeks to resolve :(. Oh, well....I'll just have to stare at my boy and wait ;).Click to expand...

Yes! I had two c-sections and it happened to me with both babies! I was hugely swollen. I asked for a water pill and my doc laughed at me. All I could do was drink tons of water, ankle pumps and elevation. I also had my hubby gently massage them.


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## StarSign

O! And there's good ole compression socks which also help.


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