post c sect. advice

[cicon]

A few questions about what it will be like after my C sect:
1. How long does it take to feel "OK"?
2. Will I become more or less swollen (fingers, feet, etc.) after my C sect?
3. How long will it take for my stomach to go down to a "pre pregnancy" state?
Thanks so much!!!
Cynthia

[flicka7]

I don't have personal experience, but I just visited my girlfriend yesterday whose baby was a month old. She had returned to Curves that morning and was wearing all normal clothes. She's not a small girl either, but I thought she looked pretty good.

[Lori O]

Hi. Just lurking here, but I can share my experience:

1) I did have a lot of post op pain the first week (but I stupidly refused the Percocet they started offerring about 12 hours post surgery... I let the pain get ahead of me... BIG MISTAKE!) But, I remember thinking "what a difference a week made." So, for me, I felt 'okay' at 1 week, and it just kept getting better after that!

2) My legs and feet swelled up like BALLOONS post surgery! I was SHOCKED! I couldn't even get my velcro Teva's to shut AT ALL!! And... I was also shocked at how much sweating I did at night ... soaking myself, and it was FEBRUARY!! That threw me for a loop!

3) The belly thing is going to depend on what condition yours was before the pg. Because I had twins (and this was my second term pg...I had my dd three years previously) I was REALLY stretched out. And truthfully, I never had a 'bikini' worthy stomach to begin with. But my belly was back to a close facsimile of iteself by the time the twins were about a year! (you will most likely always have a little 'overhang' near the scar...) I bet the really thin girls will have a different answer for you than me!

GOOD LUCK!!

[angelaaa]

From my experiences:

1. I too felt fine after about 1wk. I took all the pain meds that they gave me! Actually with my second c-section I was fine after about 4.5days but I think that was because I knew what to expect. And didn't need to finish all the pain meds!

2. I didn't swell up after my first c-section at all. So right after my second c-section when my feet got twice their normal size...I was alittle freaked out! All the swelling was back to normal before I left the hospital....so for me the swelling only lasted two days!

3. The tummy question! LOL Well, I didn't have a great flat tummy to begin with but after both c-sections, I had ALOT of "overhang" near the scar. No it never went away. Like I heard someone say...."I feel like it is my badge of mommy honor."

On the plus side...with this 3rd c-section my OB will make a new incision and remove the old one. So he calls it a little tummy tuck. It will probably not be a big enough one but at this point I will take all I can get! HEHEHEHE

Good luck!

[Twins_Squared]

1. How long does it take to feel "OK"?
I was feeling well enough to walk the hospital the day after my c/s and was walking for exercise (slowly, though) in my neighborhood within 10-14 days post-op.

2. Will I become more or less swollen (fingers, feet, etc.) after my C sect?
I had pre-eclampsia, so my situation might be different, but I was actually more swollen after my c/s and this lasted until two weeks post-partum.

3. How long will it take for my stomach to go down to a "pre pregnancy" state?
Again, this will depend on your body type and how you were pre-pg. This was my 2nd twin pg in a little over a year (lost first twins at 21wks) and I gained a whopping 64lbs! At 2wks post-partum, the weight flew off and I was within 5-7lbs of my pre-pg size and wearing my regular clothes. I lost the remaining weight after I stopped nursing at 7.5 mos. It is important to remember that everyone is different!!

[CHRISTY74]

1. How long does it take to feel "OK"?

I have had 5 c-sections 3 singletons and 2 sets of twins, all full term PG's and I was well enough to walk the halls at the hospital about 18-24 hours post-op. I felt good at about 1-2 weeks, BUT here's the big but I took my pain meds the whole time!!!

2. Will I become more or less swollen (fingers, feet, etc.) after my C sect?

I usually swelled the day after the c-sections and it was gone within a few days.

3. How long will it take for my stomach to go down to a "pre pregnancy" state?

As the other ladies have said it really depends on your muscle quality and pre-pregnancy toned abs. I usually looked non-pregnant within 2-3 months, but still had skin hanging over my scar.