Hi all! A dear friend of mine is pregnant with her second. She is considering an elective C-Section after having a massive 4th degree tear from her first (her body, her decision). Her first child will be 4 by the time this one is born.
Does anyone have any stories about recovery from a c-section while also caring for a small child? Any help or stories or advice I can pass along to her would be much appreciated.
Thanks!
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I only have one child and I had a c section and the recovery was rough. It was no joke!
She should try to get some full time help for about 2 weeks, it will be hard to move. After two weeks, I think she may be able to look after 4 year old solo, but still no running, picking her up, etc.
I wasn't allowed to drive for 5 weeks, so if LO needs to be driven anywhere she will need help for that too.Hopefully someone with two kids weighs in.
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I only have 1 LO but recovery for me was a breeze! In general, I recommend getting up and moving as soon as she can and as much as possible. But like @wheres_c: said, she won't be able to pick up her 4yo and be as active as he'll require her to be so I'd recommend having help for a while.
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My son was 15 months old when my daughter was born via csection. She is going to need help for the first two weeks or so. She needs to take it easy to heal properly.
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My DS was 2.5 when I had my DD via c/s.
Honestly the biggest thing was trying to get him to understand that he cant sit on my lap, I cant hold him, and he cant run into me like a mad dog - haha
I had a c/s with DS as well and recovery was actually easier with my 2nd -
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After my c-sec, I couldn't even pick up my newborn at home, not because he weighed a lot, but because I was doped up on painkillers for the first week or so. Didn't want to risk dropping him! So my husband did all the carrying/diaper changes and brought him to me for each feeding. After a week, was much better and after two weeks, I could do everything. She will definitely need help with the new baby and her 4 yr old!
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Thanks so much ladies! This is very helpful!
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This comment has been deleted by the original poster.
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I only have one but my C-section recovery was horrible. I would definitely have constant help lined up for at least 2 weeks if not longer.
The good thing is a 4 year old can understand a little better that Mommy can't pick him up than a 2 or 3 year old. I know I had a friend who had a C section with a 2 year old and it was very hard.
It sounds like she has her mind made up, but I would strongly advise her against it based on my personal experience.
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My c-section recovery was not bad at all. The toughest part was getting in and out of bed. (The "twisting" part of that motion was rough.) But I stopped taking narcotics while in the hospital, not because I'm superwoman with a high pain tolerance, but because plain ibuprofen did the trick. I think it would be tough with a 4 year old, but I had to solo parent and lug around a baby and carrier back and forth to the pediatrician and LC a week after E was born. (Yes I was driving, not smart, but it can be done as long as you aren't taking narcotics and you realize your reaction times will be much slower because of the incision.)
Even if she had a repeat vaginal birth, she'd still probably need help for the first couple of weeks, especially if she had the same experience as prior.
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Mine was easy peasy. I didn't have much abdominal pain beyond the "just went to the gym for the first time" soreness. My incision was a bit annoying to heal, but once I got my care routine and natural products in a nice harmony, it healed up quickly. I was able to walk around, get in and out of bed without any real problems and I was only on advil/tylenol. I really think it depends on the person though! I didn't have another child to care for either!
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Thanks for all the input ladies! She had her baby in September and had a very quick and easy vaginal birth. Much less traumatic than last time!
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Oh crap lol.. I didn't realize this post came back from the dead before I posted.
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^^Lol. That was my fault! So I deleted my post, but it was too late! Already resurrected!
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Oh goodness, haha!
I'm so glad she had an easy birth and didn't have to have a C section @Candy_nee!
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