Realistic recovery time after c-section?

[bumblebeexo]

I'll be having a planned section with this baby due to a traumatic birth with my DD. How long do you think I should expect to need to recover? I mean how long before no severe pain/driving/going for walks/picking up my DD.. Basically being back to normal?

 

[ispeakinsongs]

I felt reasonably back to normal after a couple of weeks although even then you should still not do any heavy physical activities eg hoover but I could manage with baby by myself then. good luck

 

[lisa1980]

It seems to really vary so I may have been very lucky but I had my son on the Sunday via emcs and was Christmas shopping on the Thursday.

I remember the scar pulled a bit when getting up out of bed etc but as long as I was careful it wasn't too bad at all. I had no problems caring for LO because of it.

I'm really hoping it's the same this time round for me!

 

[ItsJana]

I felt 100% after 4 weeks and was painting baby's bedroom at that point (she came early and was in NICU). I'd say after 2 weeks is when I noticed a big difference and was starting to feel a little better day by day.

 

[Londonbump81]

I had a planned section 16 days ago, was home after 36 hours and apart from being sleep deprived I'm feeling ok in that area. Like the pp, I have to watch getting up and sitting down but have been out and about loads. Good luck and I'm positive this experience will be better than the last, I elected this time due to a traumatic birth with our first son and apart from the surreal calmness in the operating theatre which freaked me a little (I'm a worrier) it was the best decision I could have made xx

 

[modified]

I had an emcs 2 weeks ago tomorrow. For the first day, I stayed in bed all day because I still had the catheter in and I didn't want to cart that about! But from day 2, I was up and about going for short walks down the ward etc and I think that's what's attributed to my awesome recovery. I've kept up with the regular pain meds (just paracetemol every 4 hours since day 4) and listened to my body and, of course, I'm not 100% but I can do everything I done before just sometimes a tiny bit slower. I have never been in any real pain as I kept up my meds regularly. I've done everything for baby etc by myself since day 1 - I'm not breast feeding so was just left to get on with it in hospital. I was out of the house walking and shopping by day 5 (would have been sooner but only got out of the hospital because baby was small on day 4!)

 

[Lizzybee]

After 1st week I was forgetting to tale pain meds!!! So I must have been better! Walking after 1 week but not far and very slowly!!! I walked up and down ward on day 2 and home day 3. After 5 weeks taking our 2 big dogs for walks.
Occasionally now I can feel the muscles twinging like day after I dragged 3 heavy suitcases upstairs but then again I might have had that pain anyway!!! I'm now 5months post op.

 

[RcdM]

I had my section at like 1am and by 1pm they were having me get out of bed and had me try to walk. The nurse walked with me to the restroom and took out the catheter and helped me walk around very slowly. By that night I could get up out of bed (very slowly and carefully) and walk to the bathroom by myself. 2 days later I was walking all the way to the NICU on another floor to visit my dd by myself. I didn't need pain meds by the end of the second week, and by the 4th week I was back to my normal self and while I probably shouldn't have, I was lifting heavy things and moving furniture in dd's room to finish setting it up to be ready for her to come home. Best advice like others have mentioned is to walk around as much as you can, take it easy but keep moving. It gets your blood flowing and helps you heal so much faster.

 

[sbl]

I was fine 3 days later. No need for pain meds, walking fine.
A week later I was back into a normal routine.

 

[Kalabear]

Two weeks of needing pain meds for me to stop feeling the burning pain. I felt 100% like myself at five weeks pp. most of my pain was from standing up or sitting down. Use a folded sheet to put pressure on your incision....it helped me loads.

 

[flagirlie7]

I was miserable for like 9-10 days and then the pain just suddenly went away. No more oxy needed! The first week it was mainly all the pressure on chest and stomach, difficulty getting up and out of bed. Second week mostly burning around the scar which made walking and getting up from bed/laying down difficult at times.

 

[Spacey]

I'd say it took me about 2 weeks before I was pain free to the point of no longer needing meds and I was able to move around freely within reason.

 

[MMW430]

I didn't even take the medicine for 2 weeks, but it was probably about a month before I was fully back to normal being able to do things like get on the floor to look for something under the couch/stooping down.

 

[sheilarae07]

I was back to my normal activities, minus work, the day we came home. We spent 4 days in the hospital. I did not take any pain medicines at home. It has been an easy recovery so far. I am 2.5 weeks out and feeling great.