Recovery time after c-section or vaginal birth...

[faille]

The only emotional cost I had by having a section is the feeling of 'not giving birth' - but that's only because it happened so fast. It was litterally, one minute I was pregnant and the next she's next to me.

I don't mind that I wasn't the first to hold her, OH got that job and I could see her so clearly and I was just so overwhelmed and happy. Why should I be the first to hold her? I'm just as happy that OH got to.

As soon as I was stiched up I was able to hold her and even had a go at BF. I could pick her up out of her cot which was right next to my bed as my legs were only slightly numb after a couple of hours - I could sit up and lean over ok. The hardest thing was actually putting her back in the cot, not picking her up lol

Had no problems holding her or BF because of the section (you know about our BF issues Kirsten, and that wasn't caused by having a section).

Only thing I would agree on is the previous poster who mentioned coughing or laughing. I'd completely forgotten how impossible both of them are for a couple of weeks afterwards lol!

 

[Szaffi]

I had a C-section after my induction didn't work. I was lifting and carrying the baby already in the hospital. When I got home, I immediately started to do housework as well as care for the baby and our house has lots of stairs. I had a few pangs and aches, but nothing serious. I had my checkup yesterday and got the all clear.

I think having physiotherapy all the way through was very helpful and obviously my doctors did a wonderful job. But I am told that my recovery is very fast.

(And I am looking forward to try sex and see how that goes

 

[caz81]

The only emotional cost I had by having a section is the feeling of 'not giving birth' - but that's only because it happened so fast. It was litterally, one minute I was pregnant and the next she's next to me.

I don't mind that I wasn't the first to hold her, OH got that job and I could see her so clearly and I was just so overwhelmed and happy. Why should I be the first to hold her? I'm just as happy that OH got to.

As soon as I was stiched up I was able to hold her and even had a go at BF. I could pick her up out of her cot which was right next to my bed as my legs were only slightly numb after a couple of hours - I could sit up and lean over ok. The hardest thing was actually putting her back in the cot, not picking her up lol

Had no problems holding her or BF because of the section (you know about our BF issues Kirsten, and that wasn't caused by having a section).

Only thing I would agree on is the previous poster who mentioned coughing or laughing. I'd completely forgotten how impossible both of them are for a couple of weeks afterwards lol!

i would have been happy if dh had got to hold her first but noone was allowed in for my c-section so drs held her and then took her off to nursery without my or dh permission so i did not get to see her properly (apart from for about 30 seconds) until about an hr after she was born

 

[faille]

i would have been happy if dh had got to hold her first but noone was allowed in for my c-section so drs held her and then took her off to nursery without my or dh permission so i did not get to see her properly (apart from for about 30 seconds) until about an hr after she was born

I'm sorry you had such a bad experience hun, I think this is definately one of the biggest differences between emergency and elective xx

 

[TigerLady]

I had that same problem -- I didn't even get a glimpse of LO -- not even from across the room. They took him away right away (and mine was a planned section with a spinal). I didn't get to see or know anything about him until about 30-45 minutes later when they finally got me sewed up and back to my room. Then they brought him in.

I was adamant that DH hold him first and they stuck with that, thankfully. And DH got to go to the nursey with LO -- but that left me alone to be sewed up and that was when I had my panic attack and they nearly knocked me out fully.

The section itself was definitely awful -- but the recovery wasn't so bad.

 

[kirsten1985]

TL, how come you didn't get to see him straight away? I don't understand why sometimes people do and sometimes they don't. Unless of course the baby is poorly.

 

[TigerLady]

I don't know. I just think that is how they do it at this backasswards hospital in the sticks where I live.

I also had to fight HARD against the nurses giving him bottles and formula. They gave him a bottle of sugar water after I specifically told them NOT to. I had to have a hissy over that, too.

And I declined the Hep B shot but got charged for it anyway - they swear it was a mistake in the billing and they didn't really give it to him, but I will never know for sure.

This hospital has a stranglehold on our area because it is the ONLY option in a 4-5 hour radius. They get away with whatever they want because we don't have a choice.

 

[FemmeEnceinte]

I had a vaginal birth, waters broke but had to be induced (took 6 hours from start to delivery) and had an epidural (which didn't work) so was on bed, monitored etc. (no forceps or ventouse)

I didn't tear, just a graze but still gave me 2 stitches and honestly the stitches were so tight that they caused me the most pain during recovery. I made them take them out after 2 days and the relief was amazing. After that, I felt good as new and good to go. So, a very fast recovery really.