Leg Swelling After C-section

I had two C-sections, and never had any swelling after. They also used those tight leggings on me the whole time I was in the hospital-- I think that is the key!

My feet and legs were so swollen after my c-section that I did not wear shoes for almsot 2 weeks. Luckily I had my son in February so I just wore my boots - looked ugly but barely fit! I was convinced I was going to need to go to the ER, but they eventually did go down. However, after my first son my feet didn't grow, but now after my c-section (16 months later) my shoe size is a size larger and also in a wide too.

thank u 4 askin this question i just had my 1st baby mon on the 29th by csection 2day i came home on the 1st an got scared when my feet swole.this is such a relief 2 c it is common thank u very much!

try taking some motrin it ususally helps with swelling, i had the same thing i couldnt stand for more then ten minutes bc my WHOLE body was so swollen the tops of my feet felt like they were going to split open it was unreal i felt like the good year blimp so really just try taking some motrin for the swelling and keep your feet up drink fluids (not pop or juice tho the sugar makes you retain more water)

I didn't have a c-section, but 2 vaginal births, and had swollen feet, ankles, and legs both times. I'm sure that it's from all of those fluids they pump into you during birth. It took a good 2 weeks for it to go away, but I saw great improvement after 1 week. I suggest that you keep your feet up whenever possible and invest in a cheap pair of flip-flops. :) I agree, it is very uncomfortable, but your new bundle of joy doesn't care that they look gross. These first few weeks go so fast, you'll feel better in no time.

My feet looked like loaves of bread after I came home from my c-sections with both of my kids. Unfortunately the only thing you can do is elevate them, make sure you get enough fluid to prevent further water retention, and wait it out. It didn't take two weeks for mine, only a couple of days. Good luck!

M., I had the same thing happend to me after my C-section. They said from all the fluids they give you. Keep your feet up. And buy some cheap "CRock" shoes. You can get them at payless. It will go away. You will be fine make sure you take your meds and have lots and lots of help and rest. Congrats!!! M.

Hi Melissa,

I was due with my first son on May 28th also but he came early by C-section on May 10th.

I had the same issue my feet were huge! The only thing that worked for me was keeping my feet up. I know it is such a pain.

Good Luck!
-K.

check your blood pressure, it may be high.

Hi Melissa,

I too had a C-Section and remember the swelling well, especially because it never completely went away! My shoe size has changed and everything. But, I do recall them telling me that it was all the water retention basically at your ankles and after a couple of weeks, most of it was gone. I hope this helps. I also felt like it was never going to go away and didn't believe what they told me at the hospital and they were right, it went away probably 90%, but I still am hanging on to 10% if it!!! Good luck and congratulations to both you and your husband.

We had the same due date. I had my c section on June 2nd. My feet and ankles are really swollen too. I hope it doesn't last too long. Congrats to you!!!

Hi Melissa,
I have had 3 C's the last one was the worst for swelling, my doc said that you don't need to put your feet up, it doesn't help with this type of swelling (but it felt better to me). Walking and moving helped a bit, but gravity made it feel funny. It's just going to take time.

i didn't have a c-section, but my legs swelled like crazy after i had my baby. i had an iv of fluids because i kept vomiting and the nurses said that is what caused it. it was so gross and felt like a puddle of water was vibrating on top of my feet when i walked. it went away within 1.5 weeks. not to worry. at least its summer and you can bare foot it around. i had a dec. baby and boots were aweful! i found elevating them and, surprisingly, drinking lots of water and avoiding salt helped it go away pretty quick. congrats!!

After reading some of the replys I guess it is common. I have had 2 c-sections and didn't have any swelling in my feet or legs with either of them.

Hugs
M.

I had the same thing happen to me with the c-section with my son. I had a lot of swelling at the end of the pregnancy, and after the c-section, I found that my feet and legs, to the calf and even a little beyond, swelled up even more than when I was pregnant. It took about three weeks, and a lot of putting them up, but they will get better. Good luck. Oh, yeah, lots and lots of water!! Drink lots and lots of water.
S.

I was already swollen when I had my c/s but it got much, much worse after. I so feel for you. I do not have any other help for you, I just wanted to let you know it will go away and you will feel much better. I am sorry this happened to you, I know how uncomfortable it is. Hang in there! You could ask your doctor about compression stockings to see if that would help.
Hugs!

The same exact thing happened to me after giving birth to my daughter after having a natural birth. My doc its because all the iv's running through your body. It takes about two weeks to have it all filter out of the body. After two weeks the selling was completely gone. Raise your legs as much as you can above your heart. Lots and lots of water. That's about all you can do. She's was born in the winter so I had to wear socks with slip on sandals for two weeks. Not so stylish. Hope I helped.N. K

well i had my son on may 28th of 2005 and i had him c section and i swelled up really bad ... and yes it really does suck but i cant think of anything else i did besides keeping my feet up and water.. it took quite a few days before all the swelling went down and its like if i went anywhere i had to where slippers because no shoes fit at all...lol so i wish you luck and congrats on the new baby they are so much fun once you get over them getting up in the middle of the night....

Dear Melicca

I had my daughter (second) in Feb and I had it. I didn't have any swelling during the first CSec. But really it goes away. drink water as the doctor told. It looks bad. Don't worry it will go away.
Love C. Sengupta

My legs were so swollen up to my hips after a c-section with my son I could barely bend them to get into the shower. It lasted a little over 2 weeks. When I went to get my staples out, a week after my son was born, I actually weighed 5 lbs MORE b/c of all the water. It was painfull and horrible and nothing seemed to help. It will go away quickly one day though-- just be prepared to be close to the bathroom.

Good luck

I had a c-section on May 10th and I didn't experience any swelling after a few days in the hospital. I did right after but they kept checking to make sure that the swelling went down.

They pump you full of fluids before a c-section, and then you lose blood so your body will retain fluids for use in rebuilding your blood supply. Drink lots of fluids (if you drink water be sure to put a bit of juice or lemon in it so your body recognizes it as food and will digest it properly instead of it going right through you)

Flip - Flops...that's all I have to say :). With my first one, my feet were so swollen before and then they got even worse after my C-Section. My doctor warned me that it was going to get worse before it got better, and it did. Mine were really bad after for about a week before the very SLOWLY started going back down. During that time, I had a pair of flip-flops and a pair of Adias sandals (the ones that velcro across the toes and have little round things that stick up to make up the foot bed - they might have even been men's) that I would wear.

Make sure that you do keep walking - that actually helped too. I had bought a pair of wide-width tennis shoes that (once I could get them back on) I would wear and that helped too. (to have them on and walk - gets the blood flowing and that helps move the toxins out of your feet.)

Good Luck!

J.

My legs did the same; the nurses said it was one of the worst they'd seen. They put some sort of contraption on them for about two days that squeezed them and released. It took me about two weeks to lose most of the water. I would wake up in the night soaked because my body would sweat it out. But they went back to normal. Hope this helps!

I was really swollen after mine. I went in for a one week check-up and my BP was high too (not normal for me). I was given water pills. They were AMAZING! I dropped 30lbs in two days!