Recovery after a Caesarean Section.

@clothmama, hoping your recovery continues well.

I had EMCS with Jacob, not really an emergency; no distress, they had just run out of options and he was stuck fast!
I had a horrendous recovery, so maybe use this as an example of what not to do, because the lesson I learned was to take it easy.
I went home 4 d pp (11pm delivery, so 3d really...), and sutures were removed the next day. I began to ooze, so started started the following day (get your ooze checked, please). The following day I went out to watch the rugby with j and step daughters as my ex had decided to go away for the weekend leaving me looking after all 3 children! I spent the afternoon in the park with them, where they wanted to be pushed on swings etc (they were 7) which I stupidly did. The next day my whole incision split open, however the GP refused to see me until after the bank holiday (it was Easter Saturday), so the MW dressed as best she could. By Monday I had an abdominal abscess larger than my bump had been and required a return to theatre in the local cottage and then transfer to the big hospital (60 miles away). I was 3h in theatre and was shaken awake to feed Jacob, I was dehydrated and systemically Ill by then, but managed to continue to EBF Jacob, who gained a pound a week! I remained on antibiotics for 8 months and all in all required a further 3 trips to theatre, and I blame my recurrent miscarriage history on this. I had lost 3 stone by my 6 week check, and was not allowed to drive girl 2m because if the complications.
However, I was walking again by 3 w post op, and running short distances with the pram a week layer. Swimming by 8 w, and cycling/mountain biking by about 10w. I returned to work when Jacob was 14 w old, and was a large animal vet at the time, so pretty physical.
Pain was never an issue (I don't think that I took anything after leaving hospital), and the more exercise I did later on, the better I felt. I think I did core exercises early to help with any discomfort as I am allergic to NSAIDs.
I am accepting that I am likely to need another section this time, and plan to rest post op!
Hugs to you, are my, and the rest of your family

How are you feeling @clothmama? Physically and emotionally

[clothmama]

I thought I'd replied to this but clearly I haven't

How are you feeling @clothmama? Physically and emotionally

Thanks for asking @ems101 - emotionally I'm all good just so pleased we realised he wasn't good and were able to get him out! Physically I'm still sore and getting tired easily, we went out yesterday for Louis play and that was me done for the day! To be fair I should have taken pain killers before I went!

I think partly that was because I was soooo emotional and probably suffering pnd as mine too was an emergency and very stressful. I didn't realise it aS pnd until a few years later (and I'm a mental health professional!)

I know that feeling of not twigging about PND - I'm 99% sure I had it with Louis but didn't realise until I suddenly came out from under a black cloud and went that wasn't normal! Am going to be on the look out this time and J knows to be aware as well!

No pressure, but I found talking about the birth helped. Maybe do your birth story?

Absolutley will be doing that when I get a minute, just waiting for him to grow a little bit so he is a bit quicker with his feeds bless him

get your ooze checked, please

@cuppachaplz I'm sure it is fine, now I've got rid of the steri-strips there is barely any at all just a few tiny spots on the combine / pad thing I have over it (like really really tiny!). I have an appointment with the GP on Friday so I'll get her to check it then but I'm sure it is fine, just glad I got the steristrips off so I was able to get in and get it really clean.

Sounds like you really did do far too much I'll remind you of you saying you have learnt your lesson after this little guy arrives

Emotionally my first caesarean amscar still hasn't healed, I still feel crap and out of control about it.

@clothsister you need to talk to someone about that, you don't want to spend your whole life feeling bad about it

By the end of the second week I was still taking pain killers and anti inflammatories twice a day. I wasn't in significant pain in the mornings but I found I kept on top of it and was less tired if I took a dose in the morning and another at about 4 or 5 pm. By the end of week 3 I was meds free.

See I'm only middle of the second week (and beginning when I first posted!) and had not taken anything at all on day 6 when I went out which was what made me have a little melt down! @sim I took your advice today as I woke up with quite a lot of pain and took my panadol and anti-inflammatories, and had a much better day today so i think I'll carry on doing that at least for a little longer!

My first one was horrific but I think that was because it was a real emergency (they gave me a general as there was no time to do a spinal) it completely floored me

@emmavmorgan it is so scary, we were in the same position. When my Ob walked in after going and checking the trace (bear in mind we had me all prepped and ready to go on the trolley when he arrived as we knew that was what we needed to do!) and returned with the consent he said 'and you are OK to have a GA?' and I was gobsmacked I said I would if he really felt we had to (would have had so many implications, J wouldn't have been able to come in or anything) but would obviously rather not! He said he'd discuss it with the anaesthetist and luckily we had the head guy on duty and he was like, 'no way, we don't need to do a GA I can have your spinal in in minutes' and he did bless him he was lovely I have seen less experienced anaesthetists take far far longer!

Sorry got distracted by yet another and then mum arrived I wrote this hours ago!

[clothmama]

Oh and I meant to say it is so interesting how much recovery times / pain etc varies between everyone which is what I've been reading is the case as well, everyone is so different!

So so true. I found recovery easier for c section that natural birth with a tear-not sure if thats a common experience or not ,but the tear combined with lactulose was awful plus milk being slow to come in. I had a positive experience all round with the c section. Hope you recover quickly clothmama sounds like youre doing great xx

My first one was horrific but I think that was because it was a real emergency (they gave me a general as there was no time to do a spinal) it completely floored me

@emmavmorgan it is so scary, we were in the same position. When my Ob walked in after going and checking the trace (bear in mind we had me all prepped and ready to go on the trolley when he arrived as we knew that was what we needed to do!) and returned with the consent he said 'and you are OK to have a GA?' and I was gobsmacked I said I would if he really felt we had to (would have had so many implications, J wouldn't have been able to come in or anything) but would obviously rather not! He said he'd discuss it with the anaesthetist and luckily we had the head guy on duty and he was like, 'no way, we don't need to do a GA I can have your spinal in in minutes' and he did bless him he was lovely I have seen less experienced anaesthetists take far far longer!

Wow that's chillingly scary!! I remember they did my spinal pretty quickly but said if it didn't work they'd need a GA... Glad you questioned it and were able to have a spinal though...

Definately remember to take it easy - hard to do when you've got other kids I know but you really really need to babymoon and take it slowly
Reducing the pain meds slowly is good because when it starts to hurt you know you've done too much and need to stop... There is a temptation to take the pain meds and do too much but you don't notice until you crash if that makes sense?

[clothmama]

you really really need to babymoon and take it slowly
Reducing the pain meds slowly is good because when it starts to hurt you know you've done too much and need to stop... There is a temptation to take the pain meds and do too much but you don't notice until you crash if that makes sense?

@Velvetsteph I am babymooning, kids and J being fab and doing whatever needs doing so lots of except they keep stealing the baby off me Good idea about the meds, I certainly did the crash thing last Sunday as I came off them too quickly!

Update from GP yesterday, a bit of wound infection, not looking as good as it should at this stage and I have started on antibiotics I was feeling it this morning and it isn't very flat which I'm gutted about but perhaps it will go down . Certainly no way near as lovely as some of the scars I've seen!

Boo. Take it easy woman!

My scar was quite lumpy, horrible and uneven for a good few months but after a year or so it was flat and pale pink and now (5 years on) it's barely visible unless you know it's there.