how was your c section? could you hold your baby afterwards? were you in terrible pain?

Question

HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO RECOVER?

Answer 1

My first section was a nightmare(14 years ago). Back then I had staples and it took about 2 months to feel "normal" again. My last section(11 months ago today), was wonderful, I was up and holding my daughter a few hours after having her. I took no pain medication except motrin and was released from the hospital 2 days after the surgery. It all depends on how good your Dr. is and what he/she closes you with. Using belly binder is a great help.

Answer 2

I've had 2 C sections, 2 years apart- the last one was 8 months ago. One because after 2 days of labor, my son got stuck in the birth canal. If I didn't have it, he or I wouldn't have made it. My second son was breech, so I had no choice with that either.

Mine were not bad at all- pain for the first few days, but I was able to walk around after a day and hold my baby no problem. You are not supposed to lift anything heavier than your baby for 6 weeks or you could open up your stitches (or staples). I just took tylenol (allergic to ibuprofen) after about a week of pain meds and I was fine! The biggest problem I had was being constipated and not "going" for about a week.

Good luck and Congratulations!

Answer 3

I think it depends on the type of c-section you have. Mine (2 yrs ago) was done horizontally (from side to side) while a friend of mine had hers vertically (belly button down). It took her a LONG time to recover, while I was up and walking that day...not too well, of course, but at least up. My girlfriend could not even walk for awhile, got a hernia and had a nasty scar (her belly looked like a rear end basically), while I have a "bikini scar" which at least follows the contours of my body and is not too noticeable. I was able to hold my baby once the anesthesia wore off, as in the operating room my arms were tied down I think, at least I could not sit up even if I wanted to since my whole body except my fingertips were numb (that wore off pretty quickly after it was all over with). I didn't have much pain due to the meds, even though it was uncomfortable to laugh, cough, walk up the stairs for the first week or so. Hope this helps!

Answer 4

My baby is almost 6 months old, and sometimes my scar still twinges. I was scared to death to have a c-section. As much as I knew it was going to hurt, I really wanted to have my baby as naturally as possible. I could hold her afterwards. I didn't have any trouble holding her to breastfeed. I had a lot of trouble getting started with the breatfeeding, because it's a learning experience for both of us, but holding her wasn't a problem.

I was is pain, but I got some good meds, and I got up and moved around as much as I could. My husband was great help in the first few weeks. By six weeks, I was moving pretty normally. I still had occasional pain and twinges around my incision, but nothing that was unbearable. I was bending down and picking things up from the floor and laying around in the floor a lot with my daughter from around 4 weeks after she was born. But everyone heals at different rates and has different pain tolerance levels. I didn't need anything more than Advil about two weeks after the surgery.

Answer 5

My c-section was done because of health reasons, it was a bit painful to move about but I had too, I was given very strong injections at the hospital for the pain everyday for 4 days. You have pain getting up and moving about too quickly. After 3 days I hardly felt anything at all, it's been almost 15 months and I am fine, doing everything as before but still being careful not to slip and fall etc. Yes, you can also loose all the weight afterwards cause I'm alot smaller now than before I was pregnant.

Answer 6

First off .... RON ... I can see you don't have a medical degree. My first daughter was 11lbs. After 36 hours of labor and passing out and her heartrate dropping...I almost lost her, so had an emergency c-section. She ws purple and I was SO sore. But, I held her soon afterwards. My second daughter, planned c-section because my pelvis was too small and she was breech. Third, well ... couldn't have a v-bac due to have 2 previous c-sections. When yours and your babies life is on the line. You choose what is best for the both of you. My mom lost my baby brother 4 days after his birth and I couldn't bare to lose one myself. Ron saying that we need to do it God's way .. well, sometimes you don't have a choice, and I don't think God would want us to lose a baby when he has given us the gift of knowledge to help the human race. Now, I have an 11 month old, and I SO wish I could have had a vaginal birth. I am very envious of those who can. I think the experince would be wonderful!
Anyway .. all 3, the recovery time was easy and I was 20, 28 and 34 when I had my daughters. But, too bad they couldn't just install a zipper :))))

Answer 7

My c-section was just fine. I have no complaints. After my son was out and cleaned up and swaddled, my husband took him to me to see and kiss. My husband held him there for about 15 minutes before the nurses took him away. After the surgery, I was wheeled back to my room. An hour 1/2 later my son was brought back and I was able to enjoy him. I held him, and nursed him with no problems.

Getting up the second day was a little hard so I took it very slow. After that, it wasn't really painful...just very very very slow. I was on narcotics and high dose Motrin for a week an half or so at home. Sitting down and standing up was a challenge, but as long as I didn't let my medication wear off on me I really felt no pain. By the 2nd week I was just fine.

I too had staples on my incision which had to be removed after 4 days or so. I had no problem with it, and there was no pain.

Answer 8

I had my c section 4 1/2 months ago. I didn't want to have but my daughter was to big. I was scared but it went better than I thought. I saw my daughter right after they pulled her out. My husband show her to me. I was able to hold her about an hour after. They had to clean her up and me up. I wasn't in terrible pain. My belly was sore after wards but holding my daughter made it seem not so bad. On a scale one to ten ten being worse pain I would say I was at three for pain. I was able to walk the day after wards although it was hard to walk,sit, and laugh. About two weeks I was feeling better. I now have twinges of little pain of nerves rejoining but it not bad. Don't listen to RON he's a guy. The c section didn't make me look any older. Good Luck best wishes to you.

Answer 9

i was 21 when i had my son by c-section. i was not scared of the surgery at all but yes i was in alot of pain. they gave me a morphine pump for the pain but no matter what type of painkiller they give you it dosen't help the pain.

i didn't get to hold my son right away because they couldn't get his temp up (he was born at 36 weeks)...I could have been awake during my c-section (by epidural) but i refused cause i did not want to be laying there knowing i was being cut wide open.

I would say that i held my son about an hour and a half later...I hurt for about almost 2 weeks and i bleed for 6 weeks.

It took me about 4 weeks to recover but it takes a womans body a year to completely recover from having a c-section.

Answer 10

I had my son vaginal & my daughter Emergency C section.....with my son I was up & walking the halls that night.....with my daughter...it took 2 days before I was able to get up....I was in the Hospital for 4 days.....& in ALOT of pain...When I did finally get released....I was still in pain & took pain pills....I had to have some one come help me when my Ex Husband was at work, since I was not functioning enough to take care of both kids by myself.....it took me almost 3 mo's to "feel" better.....but it is 7 yrs later & I still have some pain...although many "looks" at it...says that is healed properly, but the pain is inside where the nerves are....I still have some numbness around the incision area.....I had staples & stitches....trust me.....I would not wish it on my worst enemy....it hurt me to laugh....to cough....to talk....to lift my daughter (who was only 5 1/2 lbs)...& to do just about anything....sometimes I hurt to chew.....I breast fed both of my kids....with my daughter...it is was a little more difficult since I did hurt.......if this is an option someone is looking into instead of a vaginal birth.....I would not recommend it.....vaginal births you get over ALOT faster & the only scar I have from that is the episiotomy (ms?) scar......my C section was an emergency..I didnt have a choice...it was do or she was going to die.....BUT...if I would have had a choice.....I would have opted out.....