Post c section pain: what does it actually feel like?

[Jolann]

Morning all,

I had a c section 8 days ago. I seemed to start to recover well, but had an emotionally upsetting day (nothing to do with baby, to do with OH family) my first full day at home on Tuesday. Since then I have found the pain has got worse and worse. I have also been diagnosed as having a UTI and am on the 4th day of antibiotics for it. And yesterday was told I have a small open section in my wound, but no infection or anything.

I am pretty much unable to walk for the pain in my groin. It feels like all of my bones ache and every muscle is stretched in the groin area. Particularly when I move my left leg if I'm not holding onto something I feel like I'm going to fall over. The midwives/district nurses keep telling me its normal, I've just had an operation but I'm not so sure - I wasn't feeling like this before Tuesday. But then I was lying in a hospital bed all day, not getting up, moving around the house, etc. I'm not doing alot but I am pottering and my bedroom is 2 flights of stairs up, so as a minimum I'm going up and down them each day.

My question is what was your pain actually like a week after your c sections? Did it really hurt when you walked? I'm trying to work out how much of this is normal (its my first ever operation so I don't really know what to expect), how much is UTI based and whether I might have pulled/strained something. I'm going to call my consultant later on so I just want to know how much of a fuss to kick up, if at all!!! Everyone says their pain was "bearable" or they were "mobile" but I want to know if this means, "slowly mobile in agony" or "able to walk quite easily really"

Thanks in advance

 

[confused87com]

take it really easy. one week on i wasnt in much pain, however have just had a uti now and omg that hurts< made me feel like my organs were going to fall out. The combination of the two must be horrible. Regularly take the pain meds and rest

 

[Jolann]

thank you! glad i'm not going crazy or anything.have only just got out of bed today and do feel better for doing nothing i have to admit!

 

[_Lexi_]

I was in agony a week after my section. Walking was very very slow with lots of pain. Stairs were my worst enemy (apart from getting in/out of my mums low convertible!!) trying to sit down/get up, couldn't put my socks on, all agony!! After about 2 weeks things got easier, but took a good 7/8 weeks for me to be anywhere normal. I'm now 8 months on and still get twinges in my scar x

 

[minties]

I didn't have any pain like what you are describing, the only pain I had was in the scar itself. I felt pretty good and back to normal by a week post-op.

 

[rjm09]

By the 8th day we um....

The first few days were really painful, and the 3rd day getting out of the hospital, I remember taking the slowest steps of my life when we went to Walmart right out of the hospital to fill my pain med prescription!

But each day home, I felt better and better every day. By a week, I was myself again.

Alot of women can heal faster, others just have to take it easy. You'll get through it. It may not be that quick for me this time..it's different every time.

 

[Jolann]

thanks ladies. I'm pleased to say its got much better in the last couple of days, since my antibiotics have finished and the UTI has gone. Went to see my consultant today only to be told my scar looked like it was made 6-8 weeks ago rather than 11 days and that it was healing brilliantly so thats good. Just got to curb my tendencies to do too much now and I'm sure I'll be fine!