BFP Ladies from MAY we all be blessed with baby! TTC May '13 and beyond[Closed Group]

[melann13]

This is something we talked a lot about at the mother baby hour I attend lately. Vaginal vs Csection recovery. Of course there are horror stories about each. I had vaginal and while I felt pretty great pretty quickly, episiotomy healing wasn't super fun and we're still working to get back into our bedroom routine and she's 3mos old! We've DTD a few times, but it'll still be awhile before it's like it was. However, I also had friends with C sections literally the day after me and two days before me. The not-driving not-picking up your baby part for them is hard too. Either way you will be surprised by something. Regardless, you just look at what your body did and it's amazing it works at all!

 

[OurLilFlu]

One huge vote for crappy csection recovery. My incision still hurts every so often and we're almost 3 months here too... Ugh I hated it. Ive heard you can get incisional pain for years. The no driving, no lifting sucked but the first few weeks of getting out of bed were the worst, couldn't sleep on my side because it would pull and getting up and down so often for baby made it open up a bit, so ouchy. Now I just feel so weak, I couldn't so much with spd in pregnancy and the 6 weeks of limited stairs, no lifting, and not being able to walk for more than a few mins I feel like now I'm such a weakling trying to lug this near 12 lb baby around. Need to start getting back to normal but I'm scared to overdo it

 

[magicwhisper]

I've been told a vaginal birth your in pain at the time c cection it is the recovery thats the worse. Obviously that depends on the person as well.

Well we have got the cot up at last shame ella is showing no signss of wanting to arrive

 

[melann13]

Here's something that people won't often tell you- if you have a vaginal birth, especially with an episiotomy (I ended up with one- although not a big one- because they had to use suction after 3 hrs of pushing and the babies come so fast with that that you don't have a chance to stretch- although, they stuck that suction on and she was out in 2 more contractions!). Anyway, they give you a little squeezy bottle to use to wash your undercarriage after peeing since you most definitely dont want to be wiping it with dry toilet paper. (Don't use baby wipes as they have alcohol and will burn). You can buy "feminine wipes" by the pads in store now and those are alcohol free and more soothing. BUT, the best thing you can do for your own sanity the first time if possible is to pee in the shower. The acidic urine is instantly washed away from your lady bits, so no burning without having to bend over on the can and try to squirt yourself.
I realize how awful that made things sound... it wasn't that bad- really. I was barely bleeding by the time I left the hospital as they said my uterus was already down to 16wk size by 48hours after. I had intense contractions after and took pain meds for it, but it was short lived and by the time I got home I was just using IBuprofen. If you're BFing get some breast shields to keep your nipples from rubbing on your clothes since they get a bit chapped at the beginning. My hospital is a WHO ranked Baby Friendly hospital and VERY supportive of BFing, so they gave me some and lanolin. I LOVE BFing!!

 

[magicwhisper]

Oh wow thank you i will have to pack a squirty bottle

 

[mummy2o]

Ourlilflu: I can't remember but did you end up with an emergancy section? I found my recovery with my emergancy a lot longer and a lot more painful and I wasn't myself for months. This time and it was semi planned I was driving again just after a week (doctor ok it as although I live in a city its more or less the middle of no where) DTD as soon as my pp bleeding stopped. That is even with a minor infection and had a course of antibotics for it.

 

[Buttercup84]

I didn't have an episiotomy but I did have a third degree tear so the recovery was quite painful initially, and yes I agree a jug or bottle of water was my best friend for going to the loo in the early days After the first week or so I did heal quite quickly and by 4 weeks postpartum I felt almost normal down there. I imagine with less severe or no tearing recovery would be quicker

 

[athena87]

We find out the gender next Thursday. I'm so excited. May 15 can't get here fast enough.

 

[daddiesgift]

No need to be scared of vaginal birth, it is what our vagina is for after all With my first I tore but not too bad and I had no problem with recovery at all. I was up being completely normal within minutes of birth and never needed any kind of pain medication. I tore worse with my second. I have no idea what degrees are lol but instead of tearing towards my anus like I did with #1 I tore up through my pee "hole" (I can not remember what on earth that is called ) So recovery on that was different because when I felt the urge to pee I had to go pee right then! There was no ability to hold it. And once I started peeing I could not stop it. Im of course better now and can shut it on and off but that was not fun. I didnt have a squirt bottle with #1 but I did with #2 and I agree it was great with warm water. I hated when I was tired in the middle of night and would use it and it was freezing cold water

But honestly it wasnt really that bad at all. Everyone is different of course but just try to think of it as being easy for you and harder for others

 

[kksy9b]

IMO, trying to pee after delivery for the first few days (I tore up, not down...peeing HURT) and the abdominal "massaging" they did was more painful than the labor. Definitely agree to use the squeeze bottle...I just stopped using it at 3 weeks pp. I also really liked the tucks pads- provided a lot of relief. Beyond the first day or so at the hospital, the recovery hasn't been bad. Heavy bleeding was done in first 24 hours, just the stitches healing were uncomfortable. For BFing, I had a bad latch for a week and nipples have been cracked. They are almost healed now but require a lot of work at each feeding: squeeze out a little bit of milk when he's done and let air dry while I burp. Then slap on the lanolin- if you are BF, this is a must have! don't try to feed without using it! Then I use a soothies gel pad (for me, the lansinosh brand works better than medela) and a nursing pad. I have no idea on a section recovery what its like, but from the stories Ive read, a vaginal recovery is a lot less painful and gets you up and moving a lot quicker.

 

[KatyW]

I second the no need to fear a vaginal delivery, that is what vaginas are made to do. With my first, I had an episiotomy and tearing along with hemorrhoids from pushing, but I think tearing was so bad because we had to rush to get my preemie baby out. Midwives and doctors will try to ease the baby out slowly, normally. Anyway, recovery was fine and manageable. It was a drug free birth so I got up and felt pretty normal within a few hours after a nap. And this was in Germany, Pathos .

 

[OurLilFlu]

@mummy my cs wasn't emergency perse but it definitely was not planned. I know it was a LOT rougher because Royen was so stuck. They had 2 surgeons jumping on my ribs and had to yank really hard 5 or 6 times to free her from my pelvis...which ended up being forceful enough to tear my uterus. I was soo sore for so long, I couldn't walk further than the bedroom and back, couldn't sit for too long, bf only in football hold and could only lay on my back and rolling onto my back was by far the worst! With the extra blood loss from the tear and almost needing a transfusion, basically anything made me out of breath and dizzy. Ugh I'm glad I've kind of forgotten how bad it was. I sooooo want a vbac next time!!!!!

But if it is a csection I know my recovery will probably be 100x better

 

[daddiesgift]

FULL TERM

 

[kksy9b]

awesome news daddiesgift!!!baby will be here before you know it!

 

[melann13]

I had an epidural (due to being induced and contractions getting strong before dilation they had to use one to slow my labor down) and I was still up (with assistance of course) within the hour. I was in the shower on my own within 2-3 hours. I didn't find the abdominal pushing they do afterward bad actually. I had tingling in my one foot for a good couple weeks after, but they were so swollen before the birth that I'm not sure what caused it. It was just weird. Overall I would definitely not shy away from it again and would prefer no epidural. I had about 12 hrs of labor before I got it, and I felt like I was handling it well with just breathing and groans, it was just when transition contractions kicked in and my body was trying to push and I was only 3cm that we opted for the epidural to slow contractions and give the cervical ripening agent a chance to work. I know some people feel scarred from their birth experiences. I feel the opposite. I feel like I've been through it, it wasn't that bad and I definitely plan to do it again!

 

[pathos]

I had problems with the capabilities of the vagina as some of you might recall. It took me years to believe that something can go in there, now I have some 7 months to start believing something as large as a baby can come out... and it apparently does by tearing the vagina omg! omg!

How do they fix it? Do they stich you? I dont want to be vaginismus again

 

[KatyW]

They stitch you but you are numb when they do it. It isn't too bad, even though it is an intimidating thought, I know! Some women do not tear.

 

[magicwhisper]

What are tuck pads? Is it a American thing I've not heard o them until recently but everyone who has mentioned it lives in the USA

I've felt "off" for the last couple of days I can't explain it I just haven't felt right. Starting last night I've had terrible bowl movements constantly (sorry for the tmi) and I now feel sick and eating my dinner is the last thing on my mind!

Last time my tummy was as bad as this I had food poisoning but I have literally not eaten anything that could give me that. Not even a maybe it could be this item! And it isn't the same as my ibs.

I'm really hoping its a pre labour clear out and it's not a bug or anything. But I'm not thinking anything of it yet :/

 

[kksy9b]

Not everyone tears pathos! And like Katy said, you are numb when they stitch you- I only felt a slight pulling but was so focused on baby that I barely remember it. The stiches dissolve in about 2 weeks so you don't have to mess with them afterwards. I also did the epi (I labored naturally to 8cm but with the transition I didn't think I could get through with enough energy to push.) I loved my labor and delivery and would definitely do it again! Its exhausting but so worth it. I was pretty terrified going into it not knowing what to expect but once it going those fears went away and instinct and excitement took over. Its scary leading up to it and you have an added layer with your past issues, bit its really not bad and I hope everything goes smoothly for you!

 

[magicwhisper]

Actually giving birth dosent scare me. Being in the hospital does. I hate hospitals as it is an because I have moved across the country I don't know the hospital at all. It is a completely new place the hospital in question. However stupid it is my fear is being alone in the hospital (in general not in labour)