What to Expect After a C Section

I agree with the lady who said to stay in the hospital as long as you can. It really will help, I was there 4 days. Day 2 was rough! The pain was there & I could hardly walk. I was very mobile after the 5th day... but I did something very dumb & vaccumed and riped open my incision on both corners (edges) . It's never been right since, and my daughter is 5. I have trouble with the edges getting irratated and things like that. I know the hospital isnt the funnest place to be, but if you can stay there & have help, then do it! You will benefit from it.

I was able to care for my baby the majority of the time that I was recovering. The first night I had him go with the nurse for about 3 hours so I could sleep, but other than that he was with me 24-7. We were both pretty beat! The hardest part for me was an 8-hr delay in my milk coming in, leading to an angry baby for a little while! We stuck it out and did great, though, no formula needed!

Forgive me a brief soap box moment...the phrase "c-section for size" is something that is VERY suspect. I am 5'4" with a "narrow pelvis," and I was highly encouraged by two doctors to have a repeat c-section with my second. I refused, and delivered my 9lb 1oz baby boy #2 VBAC. It is sososososososososososo rare to have true cephalopelvic disproportion (head too big to fit out the pelvis). It is usually only a true bar to delivery where there is an actual deformity or severe injury to the pelvis. YOU CAN DO IT!!!!! I know, I surprised the heck out of all the docs and nurses at the hospital, but my doula and consulting midwife had no doubts and that made all the difference :)

Update: you aren't supposed to drive for 2 weeks after a csection nor lift more than 10 lbs for like 6 weeks so you will probably need help....

I had an emergency csection w baby #2. he had a 6 inch cord and after 20 hours of an induction, 1 week late they figured out something was wrong. Csection is major abdominal surgery with so many increased risks! Please really give yourself a chance before you resign yourself to a csection! They made me keep the foley catheter in my bladder for 12 hrs after, forced me to take the hydrocodone for 24 hours which I didn't want, which leads to a slowing of your systems- requiring stool softeners and anti-gas pills. No one told me to expect the horrible pain in my shoulder where the gas was trapped after the csection-that was bad pain! I was on my own after the first day because my husband was back to work the next day. I got the baby myself, nursed him, put him back but it was awkward! You can call the nurse and have them hand you the baby if you are nursing. If you aren't nursing, send him or her to the nursery if he or she is fussy so you can rest! Bouncing a baby for hours after major abdominal surgery is not smart. Get up and walk as soon as you can, shower as soon as they will let you, and drink apple juice and eat bowel loosening fruits so you can avoid laxatives- you MUST poop before you can go home.

I did not wear an abdominal girdle but in hindsight, it would have made the ride from the hospital to home more tolerable. Boy was it a painful ride!

I just had a VBAC with baby #3- about 2 weeks ago- that was Sooooooo much easier!

Best wishes to you!

I had three vaginal births (two completely natural...and one mostly natural) and they were not easy births! One baby was 10 lbs 11 oz...and I'm 117 lbs, almost 5'4" after having the baby - so I'm small and managed to pop out the big baby. (just mentioning because women are able to have bigger babies than drs give them credit for! NO ONE could believe I had such a huge baby...myself included).

My 4th baby was a c-section due to a complete placenta previa. The surgery itself went fine. It was a weird and nerve wracking knowing I was cut open and they were pulling a baby out. But it was just as special as my other births.

It only took about 30 minutes for the surgery/birth. Baby was handed to me, and out the door we went. The first day I was pretty sore with my uterus clamping back down. But it wasn't more painful than what happens after a vaginal birth (though it was pretty painful! the more babies you have, the more painful that part seems to be become).

At midnight (18 hours later?), I was asked to get up and walk. I was really wobbly, and it felt weird. The next morning, I was able to get up and walk to the bathroom. It was painful, but it was NOTHING like the pain from a vaginal birth. I ended up showering. Something I could never do the day after a vaginal birth. I was a wobbly walker, but I could walk. Again, something I could hardly do after a vaginal birth. I was shocked at how much easier it all was. It wasn't painfree at all, but compared to my vaginal births, it was SUCH an easy recovery.

Once I started walking the day after, I kept on going. I did take it easy, but I was up more than I was able to be after my vaginal births. It kept getting easier each day.

I had always heard how bad c-section recoveries were in comparison to vaginal births. But I had also heard how great natural birth recoveries were supposed to be, and that never happened with me (likely had to do with large baby size as well as other baby getting stuck in the birth canal for three hours!). But it was WONDERFUL to not have all the vaginal pain. I could not believe how much easier it was. I'm not exaggerating to say that a vaginal birth would be more equivalent to breaking a leg whereas a c-section (after the first day) was more like a bruise. The recoveries didn't really compare. The c-section was tremendously easier. My mom was with me, and I couldn't stop telling her how awesome I felt and that I couldn't believe how much less painful it was...and that my bottom didn't hurt was so awesome. My incision area was not very painful, especially compared to the level of pain I was used to.

I know that I was on some good meds, but I had some meds after my other births too, and they were still more painful. I haven't been able to pee after my other babies (too swollen) so that was another plus! hehe...

Anyway, I'm prego with baby #5, and I always thought I'd want a vbac...until I had a c-section. Now I totally see why women choose c-sections, and I'm undecided on what to do. For almost every reason, a c-section wins out. They really can be beautiful, wonderful births. And, for me, MUCH EASIER recovery! Other women have completely different experiences and think it's more painful to have a c-section (while other women have never had vaginals and can't really compare). I'm sure some of it is baby's size, as well as how long the baby is in the birth canal.

Hope that helps a little bit. Good luck with whatever happens! Hope you have a beautiful birth experience;-) After having my c-section, it's really opened my eyes to how awesome they can be (and that goes totally against my opinion prior to having one!).

EDIT: I forgot to answer some of your questions - it is helpful to have someone there, especially the first day. I couldn't lift the baby out of bed the first day. It was difficult to hold her, but it got easier the following days. I was quite mobile the second day, and I was the sole caretaker of the baby the whole time. I wore a binder a week or two after the c-section. It was too painful to put it on earlier than that. I think you'll be fine to have your hubby plan to be there the first day, then there part of the next day, the potentially not at all after that. I was on narcotics for the first week or two. I probably only needed it for the first 2-3 days. If I have another c-section, I'm going to try to taper off much faster and see if I do okay. Maybe I won't! But I was on ibuprofen as well.

I wasn't even able to walk straight until the second day. Holding the baby hurt, which hurt my emotionally because I so wanted to hold and cuddle her more. The ride home 3 days later was excrutiating - even with pain medication. Every bump, turn, pebble in the road - felt like I was being torn in half. I'll not even MENTION the pain from the first bowel movement.

It's been almost 6 years and I STILL have migraines from the epidural and spinal block, I still have abdominal pain from adhesions and scarring when I have to have a bm and I have no feeling of the skin and muscle layers from just below my belly button all the way down to the scar.

Don't allow an ESTIMATE of baby size be used as a scare tactic to get you to agree to MAJOR abdominal surgery... it's not worth the pain, lasting effects (many women have complications, you should google some of them) or the convenience of the OB.

Please never forget - your chances of death during a cesarean is 3 times higher than if you were to have a vaginal birth. Rarely is mortality a reality for vaginal births, but many women die from cesarean complications every year. Also, inductions of any kind raise your changes of having a FAILED induction which then requires a cesarean.

I am a Nurse who had an intervention created emergency that ended in a cesarean, I'm having #2 in July at home, a VBAC with a Midwife assisting. I've done 5 years of research into Midwifery, homebirthing, VBACs, breastfeeding and the better results Europeans and many other countries have over the USA in the health and lives of Mothers and babies.

I've had a csection, and then a vbac. I'm pregnant with my 3rd, and I'm opting for the vbac. My csection was a relatively easy recovery. However, since my epidural was in the wrong place, I could feel them cut me open. They had to knock me out, and I wasn't able to see my baby for 2+hrs. My husband had to tell me 5 times that we had a girl. I couldn't even believe that I was pregnant, let alone just had a csection. With my vbac, I labored for 36hrs, 22hrs of hard labor. I'd go through the vbac labor all over again in a heartbeat.
No one knows what your pelvis can handle until you're actually in labor. Relax, and try to forget they even suggested a csection might result. Believe in yourself and your body. You've delievered 2 babies already, so your body really knows what to do.
After the csection, I was walking within a few hrs. It was tough to hold my little girl, but managed with pillows. The drugs made her very sleepy, which made nursing tough. My sil said getting off the pain killers helped her a lot. The pain killers didn't do much for me, so I went off them within days. The recovery took weeks. You're not allowed to drive, because if you have to slam on your breaks it can cause major pain in your incision and cause you to have an accident or potetially burst open. Are you planning on having more kids? I can tell you the stress of having your uterus rupture is upsetting to say the least.
We moved the crib, changing table and everything downstairs. I could not handle the stairs. My parents were there for a week to help me, which really helped my recovery. They handed me the baby, and all that good stuff. They left for a week and then came back for a long weekend. It was tough on us.
My vbac recovery was a piece of cake. My bleeding actually stopped after 2 days and I was bouncing off the walls with joy.
Since your kids are 6 and 8, so you shouldn't have to worry about lifting them. So that makes life a lot easier. If it happens, it happens. But if I were you, I'd do everything in my power to avoid the csection. If they start pushing for a csection you can say, is baby healthy, am I healthy (blood pressure/heart rate), then can we wait and try for another hr, 20min, etc and re-evaluate then? Interventions totally lead to csections. Most seem to be done to cover their own butts to avoid lawsuits. Since they've already suggested csection, they'll probably just have that in mind and be ready to do it and get it over with. To make my vbac successful I avoided many interventions. Including an IV (just let them put the insert in), avoid being induced (causes heart decelerations, leading to csection), even the drugs/epidural can lead to csections but if you need it you need it. :)
Asking for nurses that believe in a more natural birth can really help. Getting up, walking around, changing positions during labor can all help bring the baby down and out. I wouldn't let them break your water either.

You'll be fine however it turns out. Best of luck and recovery after.

I had an emergency c-section at 5pm one evening...was in recovery past 10pm and was up taking a shower by 10 am the next day. Don't get me wrong it was not comfortable. But, the faster you get up and move the better. I had help in the shower etc. Then every several hours I'd take a SLOW lap around the floor. I did not wear a binder but used those crazy pads they give you as a cushion over my incision - helped feel more secure.
My son roomed in with me the whole time (but so did hubby) and was okay except for standing up - had to be very conscious of using my legs and not stomach muscles to stand. It is a process - but b/c I did'n't know any different its totally doable. I didn't have any pain meds after leaving the hospital... good luck!

I delivered via c-section at 10:09 pm and was up and walking to the bathroom at 8 am the following morning. In my experience, the sooner you start to move, the better. I walked as much as I could. I was able to care for my daughter on the bed initially. The hardest part for me was sitting up and getting out of the bed--the twisting is very painful. I was very mobile on day 2 and was offered to go home on day 3. I did not wear a binder, especially since I went to the hospital convinced I wasn't going to have a c!! My advice is drink lots of fluids, take the pain meds they offer, and move. I packed baby up in the bassinet and walked the halls with her.

Your husband can be home with your older kids. The nurses are there to help you. My hubby went home every evening and returned the following morning. No issues there.

As for your recovery at home, you'll be drowsy and unable to drive while on the pain meds. It's nice to have some help if you can get it, but you'll be more capable than you expect. I was driving a week out of the hospital to the grocery store.

The reason you've heard such different things from women who've had them is because every woman responds differently. I think it's similar to vaginal birth in that it's relatively easy for some women, and very hard for others. I had 3 c-sections, and I didn't do as well as JulieBean.

I was out of bed the next morning, but I found it hard to hold my baby for more than a few minutes unless a pillow- or 2 - was on my lap to boost the baby up and support him/ her. If I was on my feet walking around too much, I started hurting. I think I needed the narcotics for almost a week, and then 800mg. ibuprofin for a while, which tapered down to smaller doses every other day or so.

DH went home @ night, and came back in the am. When I got home DH helped a lot. He took 3 weeks off- I would have been able to manage after 2, but it was nice to have him there (especially with the last 2, since I still had other small children to care for- my 2nd child wasn't even 2 yet when my third was born.) But by the 3rd week, I felt like I was back to normal.

I've seen other women spring back a lot faster than I did. I think it depends largely on your pain threshhold. Mine's pretty low. Also everyone responds differently to the pain medications.

You won't need your DH there all the time- the nurses are very helpful when you need them. There were times that I was so groggy from the narcotics, (and DH wasn't there) I asked the nurses to take the baby to the nursery so I could sleep- that was no problem.

I found the actual C-section to be pretty easy, and felt pretty good when they brought me back to my room ( the spinal/ epidural hadn't worn off yet). They were good at giving me meds before it did, so I wasn't in any pain then either. Wasn't really until I started moving around a lot.

At home, the biggest challenge for me was stairs, so I had a bassinett and a swing downstairs. I also set up a little changing station downstairs so I didn't have to go upstairs when the baby needed changing.

Congratulations!!
Hope it helped :)

I have had three c-sections, and on the second day, I was no way near being able to do much of anything. It is major surgery, and you will not be able to just hop right up the next day. It took me a good three weeks, to feel mostly normal. In fact on day two, I hadn't even been discharged from the hospital yet, and about all I could manage was to hobble to the bathroom and back. It's important to get up and walk as soon as you can, but you don't want to overdo it, or it will set your recovery back. Your body will let you know when you have done too much. Take the pain meds as often as you can, they really help, and it keeps a constant level of medication in your system, so you can stay on top of the pain before it gets too bad. I don't know how your hospital is set up, but at my hospital there is no nursery, baby stays in room with you, and you do most of the care. Thank God my husband was able to do all of the feedings, and most of the care while I was in the hospital, and continued to do all of the night care so I could get rest for the first few weeks. You don't know how your recovery is going to go, so if I were you, I would plan on having some help for at least the first two weeks.

Ok hun every experience is very different so this is what I went through.....My daughter was a vaginal delivery, but both my boys ended up being c-sections. My first c-section was not good at all!. I was in a lot of pain and on day two was still unable to handle going to the bathroom to change my pad alone. By day 4 when i was going home I was still in a good amount of pain and found it hard to sit in the car and get up stairs. I needed help for about a good week and a half! It was not good. Yes i did use an abdominal binder. The nurses, if you get good ones, are great they helped me out alot. My hubby had to leave me twice while I was there. One of the times was fine the nurse was great the other time he had to leave the nurse was horrible! I got moved over to the so they could change my sheets and I was left there waiting with no one in the room for 30 minutes. My son started to cry and I was unable to get up and get him.
However my other c-section was great. I was in less pain with that one than anyone my births including the vaginal. I wanted to get up and walk that night. They didn't want me to until the morning so I waited, but the recovery was quick i was able to go home and take care of my kids. My husband had to travel for work at the time so he had to leave after only a week. I was totally able to take care of all three and lift my then 2 year old son and my new born in and out of their cribs.
Get up and move as soon as you can, but don't push yourself to hard. Do what your body is telling you that you can do. I also walked the halls with my first son cause I wasn't able to walk without holding on to something. My second so much better and able to move and do everything almost alone. The trying to sit up is hard and the adjusting yourself takes a little work. ALWAYS take the pain meds they offer you even if you are not doing to bad. I got off the strong one as quick as possible though cause it really made me feel yucky.
I hope this helps you a little bit. Every time is a little diiferent though. If you have to have one you are just going to need to see how much pain your in and what you can handle. The nurses are there to help you! If he has to go home to be with your other children you will be fine. And if you get a nurse for awhile that isn't great know that it won't last. They are there to help take care of you...it's there job so dont feel bad asking for the help.
Good luck and I hope everything goes great for you during and after the birth. Congratulations!

Hi, I had both of my boys by vaginal delivery as well and my third one my little girl was by c-section. Because I had so much trouble with both of my deliveries with my boys. The c-section was maybe a total of 30 minutes for me. I went into labor they waited to see if I was dilating and then sent me back. Got the numbing meds before the actual numbing shot. I could feel the pressure but nothing else but the doctors and nursing talking to me and about what they were doing. I had my daughter at 639 pm and was told to get up and start walking the next morning. It was so much easier to heal and take care of my baby with my oldest son being 7 and my youngest son was 2 at the time. My husband didn't need to be there all the time but when he was I definitely let him take the lead to make sure I wasn't pushing myself. I really didn't have the family or friends around either to help. So, if you have a c-section just make sure you try to get up and move as much as you can without pushing yourself too hard. Also, I did run a slight fever prior to leaving the hospital and they wouldn't let me nurse until they made sure I didn't have any infections. All was good though. Best of luck!

I thought it was a piece of cake! Mine was planned due to his size (9lbs 13ozs & 21.5 inches long) and it was my first child and only child. I really have nothing to compare it too but I did not think it was that bad. They had me walk from one end of the room to the other before bed the day I had him. Yes there is some discomfort but it was not that bad. I ended up with a bladder infection from the catheter that was not fun but the c-section itself is not bad. Personally, I thought the spinal block was a lot more scary and painful more so than the procedure and recovery. Good luck and I am sure which ever delivery you have will be fine!

Congratulations! I had a very easy c-section and was up and walking and holding DD next day. I was on hydrocodone and ibuprofen both, but I felt great and very clear headed. I was by myself for most of hospital visit and managed just fine. I came home after 3 days in hospital and went off the pain meds the next day no problem. Not sure if I was lucky or what, but I did not have any issues and I have stairs in my house as well. Good luck to you and if you end up having a c-section, just take it slow and make sure your doctor prescribes some good meds for the first week.

Congratulations on your upcoming big day. I had a vaginal delivery with my first son and just had a c-section 11 weeks ago with my second son. Honestly, I didn't find the recovery much more difficult with the c-section. I was able to nurse my son after his birth and the next day. Getting out of bed the first time is a little scary - let the nurses help you as much as possible while you are in the hospital. My husband had to stay at home with our oldest son during much of my hospital stay, and it was fine. The nurses were much better equipped to help me, anyhow :)

Definitely make an effort to move around as much as you can the first few days. Also, drink plenty of water and eat a healthy, fiber rich diet the first week or two. Best of luck!

N. - I'm a little slow - I just saw this - I had a horrible vaginal birth and shouldn't have so they saved me and I did a c-section for my daughter back in September. It was great really. i layed there yapping it up with the Doctor's/Nurse's/Hubby. I was doing great but was terrified of throwing up so they put anti nausea meds in my drip. I remember being freezing cold until the numbing meds went in then I was in heaven all around...:) After the birth I was in the recovery pretty soon thereafter. I did end up throwing up about 2 hours after she was born but luckily I wasn't holding her so I was ok. Like other people said...getting up the first time is terrifying. Everytime I got up in the hospital my breath was sucked out of me! I'm not sure if it's the way I was standing or what but I literally couldn't breath for a second or two. I would hands down do a c-section again!!!!! (Of course, I had a great experience and a horrible vaginal birth) FYI: I was given a c-section choice since my first was 8#4oz and so much problems, my daughter was estimated to be 8#11oz 1 week b/f delivery - she was 8#8oz.

I was NOT given a binder - I can't say why - I have no idea - my sister gave birth and they did give her a binder - different hospitals! She couldn't believe I didn't have one.

Good luck and congratulations on the birth of your new little one. Just relax - that's key!

i had a vag delivery and a c-section, and to be honest, both were fine. w/the c-sec they had me up and moving the day i delivered and made me stand straight up and not huntched over. it actually didn't hurt to bad b/c you are on pain meds. as soon as you are done in the operating room you are taking care of the baby. the nurses are great, well mine were, and all you have to do is call them and they are right there. w/my dtr i kept her in the room w/me at all times and w/my son, i let him go to the nursery 1 night so i could get some sleep, which was great. i felt bad about it, but looking back it was one of the best things i did. WALK, walk as much as you can. it will make you feel better and less sore. it's going to be sore around the area b/c the incision itself is numb and i would advice you to stay on your pain meds /for at least a week. if your house has steps, i would try to advoid them as much as possible, but my house has stairs up and down w/no bathroom on the main floor, so i just went slow. no binder for me. your kids are old enough to help you out. i think i was doing thing on my own after a week or 2. just no heavy lifting!!! do as much as you think you can, but don't over do it. if you start bleeding, that's your bodies way of telling you to slow down and take it easy. congrats and enjoy!!!! hopes this has helped!!!

I had a c-section and I had excellent care. I had to stay in the hospital for 3 1/2 days after delivery. The hospital staff was excellent about letting me have my babies in my room as long as I wanted. I became mobile after 2 days. It hurt like heck getting up but once I was up it felt great to move around a little. I did not wear the binder I thought it made me hurt more along the incision. My husband was free to come & go as he needed. You will need help the first few weeks, if you over do it you will hurt & bleed more. But after 2 weeks you should feel fine.