One More C-Section Post

When I thought I would have to have a c-section earlier in my pregnancy and started to read/ask about it, I got myself pretty worried. As with many things (including vaginal births) I think you tend to hear way more horror stories than you do good ones. I did have one friend and my cousin tell me reassuring things about their recoveries, and those were the stories that I clung onto when I was told I would be having a c-section after all.

Of course, everyone is different. And there are lots of reasons that one might have a harder (or easier) recovery than another person. I had no major complications, though my incision did end up almost 13 inches long and I am still pretty bruised from the mashing they did on me to get him out.

I wanted to finish writing about my recovery, so that I remember if someone later asks me, and also for anyone random Googlers of "c-section recovery" out there...

I am now ten days out from my c-section, and I would say that I am 90% back to normal. As of yesterday, I am not taking Motrin anymore (the only pain medicine I have really needed). I can get out of bed, bend down, twist around, and walk without pain. Other than not lifting heavy things (including Henry) I am not really limiting my activities at all, though wanting to spend lots of time snuggling and nursing this sweet little thing

makes it easier for me to "take it easy" rather than overdoing it with housework or running around. But I have taken Sophia to a party, gone shopping, done laundry, gone out to dinner, met friends for coffee, and taken Wyatt to the pediatrician a couple of times - all things I would normally be doing a week postpartum.

So what's not normal yet? The lifting - I hate not being able to pick up Henry. But I am committed to making sure my insides heal okay, and would hate to make it this far and then re-tear a muscle or something. The pain - I do have a little bit of stinging/burning pain occasionally at the edges of my incision, but nothing too bad or needing pain medicine. The clothes - aside from having a much more pronounced belly (basically, I do still look at least 6 months pregnant!) than ever before after having a baby, it is also still uncomfortable for waistbands to hit at my incision. So, I have been cutting the elastic off the front of my underwear and wearing either fold-over yoga pants or maternity jeans with a soft belly panel. Or dresses. Or just a t-shirt and locking the front door.

So, although it has definitely been harder of a recovery than my other births, there has been nothing just terrible about having a c-section. Because I only get limited maternity leave, every day is precious to me. With my other births, I probably lost one or two days after birth to "recovery" time for me, whereas this time I would say I lost about a week. But it sure was worth it for a healthy Wyatt!