https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 09 May 2026 17:25:14 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/manageable-or-easy-c-section-recovery#post-662521 Sat, 23 Mar 2013 08:47:11 +0000 BKCaribBaby 662521@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks, everyone. This was really helpful. It's good to see a range of recovery stories, so I know that there is a possibility that this might not be as bad as I think in my mind. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/manageable-or-easy-c-section-recovery#post-662281 Fri, 22 Mar 2013 21:59:56 +0000 yoursilverlining 662281@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Mine was planned, so I didn't have to recover from labor and surgery. The day after I was up and walking. The pain meds helped, but were definitely not enough that I ever felt loopy or out of it; they just controlled the pain. Wearing a belly band really helped with pain as well; and I had no issue with stairs, getting up/out of bed, etc. I was able to hold and care for my newborn from moment 1 just like any vaginal birth mama. </p> <p>A couple weeks after delivery I could go walking for a couple of miles a day (with LO in a stroller), and at 9 months pp my scar is nearly completely faded. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/manageable-or-easy-c-section-recovery#post-662237 Fri, 22 Mar 2013 21:21:28 +0000 LittleFox 662237@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Mine was also not planned and took place after 36 hours of labor. I was disappointed but it wasn't horrible emotionally because by that point I really felt like I needed it. Like others, my pain was manageable and I never felt the need for more than Motrin. Walkng, getting up and down, etc was rough the first few days because I was tender, but fine if I took it slow. The more you walk the better, just go slow and don't overdo it. My incision healed great without much pain. I think taking it easy during the first couple of weeks paid off, but I was lucky in having DH home. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/manageable-or-easy-c-section-recovery#post-662207 Fri, 22 Mar 2013 21:09:22 +0000 misolee 662207@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My c-section came after 24 hours in labor (I was induced). She was just not coming down. Recovery wise, it was pretty easy and not all that difficult. I had her 6 in the morning and by 6pm, I had gotten out of bed and was sitting in the rocking chair in our room. I was able to take a shower the next morning and walked the halls (my doctor suggested it). My legs did feel like jello at first but I think it was because I was lying down for so long.</p> <p>After my epidural wore off, they gave me a narcotic painkiller. I didn't know what it was and in my sleepy haze agreed to it. I stay away from drugs too and like being natural so the next time the nurse came in, I refused it so instead they gave me Motrin. After a few days, I didn't even need that anymore. The only medicine I came home with was stool softeners bc going to the bathroom after c-section is painful!</p> <p>The worst part of recovery was taking the tape off of my c-section scar. now THAT hurt!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/manageable-or-easy-c-section-recovery#post-662127 Fri, 22 Mar 2013 20:05:16 +0000 yerpie110 662127@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had an emergency c-section and consider my recovery to be easy. The only painkiller I took after my epidural wore off was Ibuprofen, and that was for about 5 days post-surgery. I delivered in the evening and by the next morning I was up and walking the hospital halls. I took it easy for the next few weeks, but I felt like myself by the end of my first full week home. The nurses said my recovery was faster than those who have vaginal deliveries. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/manageable-or-easy-c-section-recovery#post-662119 Fri, 22 Mar 2013 20:00:49 +0000 tinyperson 662119@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Mine was planned and the first 48 hours were bad - but I still managed with just anti-inflammatories and Tylenol. I heard stairs would be bad, but I didn't find them hard. Getting up and down from sitting/laying down was painful for a while, but kind of like a really serious ab workout. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/manageable-or-easy-c-section-recovery#post-662117 Fri, 22 Mar 2013 19:59:23 +0000 stlginkgo 662117@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Whatever you do don't forget to take your stool softener! There is nothing worse than having to pass super hard poop after having a cesarean. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/manageable-or-easy-c-section-recovery#post-662109 Fri, 22 Mar 2013 19:54:05 +0000 wheres_c 662109@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@BKCaribBaby:<br /> Mine was unplanned and was not "easy" at all, but two things that made it "easier" was taking all pain meds as prescribed, and getting up within a few hours at nurses orders to walk. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/manageable-or-easy-c-section-recovery#post-662100 Fri, 22 Mar 2013 19:48:48 +0000 oliviaoblivia 662100@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Five days after my c-section I felt better than I did at 40 weeks. A friend gave birth the same week vaginally and she was laid up WAY longer than I was. It was hard at first to not be able to pick up my baby on my own, but after a week I could manage by myself. Now 10 weeks pp and I feel 100%. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/manageable-or-easy-c-section-recovery#post-662090 Fri, 22 Mar 2013 19:43:47 +0000 sunshineandsushi 662090@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I knew for a few weeks ahead of time that I would have a c-section. For me, the worst part of the delivery was the numbing shot they gave me before they administered the epidural. It felt like a bee sting. From then on, no pain! </p> <p>As for my recovery, I thought it was super easy and I had no complications or issues with getting around. My c-section was at 2 a.m. and by 7 p.m. that evening, the nurses had me get out of bed to sit in a chair. I think that really helped speed up my recovery. It was a little tough at first to walk. I felt like my legs were jello, but by the next morning even I was moving around a lot better and taking walks around the floor, etc. After we came home three days later, I really didn't have any issues bending to get LOs out of the PNP or walking around holding one. </p> <p>I'd say definitely stay on top of your pain meds like around the clock. I had the nurses wake me if it was time to take the next dose, I didn't wait for any pain to creep up to take them. I'd say within 7 days, I was spacing out how often I was taking them and by 10 days, I was off the Percocet and Ibuprofen completely. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/manageable-or-easy-c-section-recovery#post-662066 Fri, 22 Mar 2013 19:29:49 +0000 MsMamaBear 662066@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It was easy because it wasn't painful until I laughed. I had staples instead of stitches, so a laugh felt horrible! The stairs were hard, going up and down twice a day.<br /> It WAS hard mentally because I couldn't hold her like I wanted and I, her mommy, just wanted to take care of her. SO and my mom were great, but I wanted to so something too, </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/manageable-or-easy-c-section-recovery#post-662047 Fri, 22 Mar 2013 19:23:36 +0000 pastemoo 662047@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Emotionally it was hell, hell, hell.<br /> Physically--let's just say I never took any painkillers (no Tylenol or Ibu or narcotics) after the c-section. I had more pain from gas than from the surgery. But I also didn't heal very well and had pain later from overexerting myself (I think that's why).<br /> I was hardly able to walk the first few days but it got easier quickly. It wasn't pain exactly--it was really a sensation of physical incapacity to move.<br /> I couldn't exercise for 10 weeks. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/manageable-or-easy-c-section-recovery#post-662003 Fri, 22 Mar 2013 18:42:40 +0000 JerricaBenton 662003@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My c-section wasn't planned so I didn't really mentally prepare. I'd never had a surgery, IV, pain meds etc. I was super nervous as I walked into the OR. The spinal was very freaky/uncomfortable but after that it was easy. I honestly had barely any pain afterwards. I was walking around the next morning. My stomach was a little tender for about a week. I never needed pain meds but I took ibuprofen for about a week. I was able to pick up and carry baby with no problem. I'm 5 weeks out now and really feel back to normal. I definitely feel like I could do anything physically but am following my drs orders for no exercise or heavy lifting til 8 weeks. I know a lot of people have tough recoveries so maybe I was just lucky but it definitely wasn't bad.<br /> ETA: going to the bathroom and showering were not an issue even when I was in the hospital. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/manageable-or-easy-c-section-recovery#post-662001 Fri, 22 Mar 2013 18:41:25 +0000 MsMini 662001@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My recovery definitely felt "easy" I was up and walking without any assistance within 12 hours. I felt a bit of pulling/tugging when I got in and out of bed for about a week and a half, and was feeling 100% back to myself by 2 weeks. </p> <p>I am a huge believer in pain killers/post-operative pain control (I have had surgery with pain issues afterwards in the past). I took ibuprofen every 8 hours around the clock for 2 weeks, and T3's around the clock every 6 hours for about 10 days (I didn't give myself a chance to feel the pain).</p> <p>Mentally, I always "had a feeling" I would end up with a c-section for some reason. I really did no preparation for a vaginal delivery, so I wasn't that upset when I needed an emergency c-section due to fetal distress. As it is, S didn't breathe on his own for several minutes after delivery, and had a poor cord pH due to distress, so we were really lucky for the amazing care we had. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/manageable-or-easy-c-section-recovery#post-662000 Fri, 22 Mar 2013 18:40:53 +0000 plantains 662000@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My c-section wasn't planned and came after 22 hours of labour, but I still felt like my recovery was so much easier than I had anticipated. I think it is because people build c-sections up to be these awful things. All the talk about c-sections as the worst thing ever had me thinking that the recovery would be horrendous but it was fine. Motrin and Colace did the trick. Same thing all my friends who had vaginal births took. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/manageable-or-easy-c-section-recovery#post-661987 Fri, 22 Mar 2013 18:32:35 +0000 BananaPancakes 661987@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@NerdBee: I had a similar experience, though it was closer to 6 weeks before I felt 100%. </p> <p>I had a much harder time dealing with it mentally than physically. Physically, it was not horrible by any means, but I had a very hard time accepting that I was going to have a scheduled csection and it was rather traumatizing of an experience for me at the time. I felt I was robbed of the natural labor experience. I'm 11 minths pp and I now choose to view the whole experience as a blessing. I am in a country in which I was able to have a safe footling breech delivery via a sterile and calm surgery, and both my child and I are perfectly healthy. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/manageable-or-easy-c-section-recovery#post-661969 Fri, 22 Mar 2013 18:22:15 +0000 NerdBee 661969@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I thought my recovery was "easy" in that I healed at a good rate with no complications such as infections. My pain was manageable by taking only Advil and Tylenol. I did not need pain killers after day 3 or 4. I was able to pass gass and had a small bowel movement on day 2, and was cleared to go home on day 3. I felt pretty much 100% by about 4 weeks. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/manageable-or-easy-c-section-recovery#post-661966 Fri, 22 Mar 2013 18:17:40 +0000 twoofeverything 661966@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Jump Rope: Ditto to everything!<br /> I considered my C-section recovery easy with regard to the pain, as well as my mobility afterward. The first 24-48 hours were, by far, the most painful, but I was out of bed and walking within 12 hours. That actually helped, believe it or not.<br /> The more I walked, the better I was.<br /> I was on Percocet for about a week, then Ibuprofen for another few days.<br /> The hardest part was the lochia/postpartum bleeding. For me, it was extremely heavy for almost 6 weeks. But other than that, I have been good! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/manageable-or-easy-c-section-recovery#post-661951 Fri, 22 Mar 2013 18:00:11 +0000 Mrs. Jump Rope 661951@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am a wimp when it comes to needles. I've passed out from having my blood drawn before, and I've never broken a bone. The only surgery I've ever had (prior to my section) was having my wisdom teeth removed when I was in college.</p> <p>I consider my c-section recovery easy for a few reasons<br /> -it was a planned surgery. I didn't have to recover from pushing and surgery, so I was only recovering from one thing and not two<br /> - I could mentally prepare for the surgery<br /> - we could physically prepare for the surgery around the house-- this meant making sure things like bath towels were within easy reach, making sure I didn't have to bend down, etc<br /> - my husband was able to stay home for 3 weeks so I didn't have to do much other than recover</p> <p>The surgery itself was simple and straightforward. I was up and walking a few hours after surgery (doctors orders) and taking oral pain medication by day 2. I never finished my pain medicine prescription. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/manageable-or-easy-c-section-recovery#post-661923 Fri, 22 Mar 2013 17:42:27 +0000 BKCaribBaby 661923@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Piggy backing on Mrs. Bee's post today about C-sections, when people say that their recovery from a C-section was "not that bad", "easy" or "manageable", what does that mean exactly? </p> <p>It's looking like a C-section will most likely be in my future. Quite frankly, it's been hard for me to take and make peace with it. I've never been on lots on drugs/painkillers, had stitches or any other surgeries ever. In general, I stay away from drugs and use as many natural or natural like remedies as I can, so needless to say I am not excited about the recovery aspect. </p> <p>This is also my first pregnancy, so I really won't have a vaginal birth to compare it with. </p> <p>If you had a "manageable" or "easy" C-section recovery, what did that mean for you? What was good about it? </p> <p>Thanks. </p>