C section mamas... recovery at 3 months post partum

[american_mama]

I visited a friend last week who her second C section 3 months ago. I was surprised at how slow she was moving, not like molasses, but like her hips or body hurt, particularly when straighening up. Is it common to feel after effects 3 months later? I asked her twice how she was and she said great very convincingly both times, so either there's no problem or none that she wants to talk about. I just wondered if I was imagining things or if slow movement 3 months later might be common.

[saschalicks]

I have to admit that I wasn't slow after 3 months, but there were a few things that still ached, if that makes any sense. If she thinks things are great then I wouldn't be too worried about it. It can take a lot of time for healing internally.

[table4three]

I'm sure everyone is different, but I was back to my old self by 3 months. The only residual problem at that point was some numbness of the skin around the scar that resolved a few months later and was just a weird feeling if something touched that area but by no means painful or changing the way I walked or anything. Hope your friend is ok.

http://b2.lilypie.com/mkn7m5.png

[amp]

Nope, no problems here after 3 months. I did have some tenderness and numbness (both) at the actual site when touched or sat upon by a child, but certainly nothing that caused me to move slowly at all. Heck, I was in the middle of moving, and living in temp housing in a 3rd floor apt in the winter (ice) with a baby and a toddler at 3 mths PP.

ETA: Actually, now that I think about it, I still straighten up slowly because between pregnancy and being overweight, my hips don't straighten quickly anymore when I stand, so I go slow. I don't want to hurt my ancient self, you know?

[Mommy Of A Little Angel]

I had my c-section almost exactly 3 months ago and I am pretty much back to normal. I am sure everyone heals at their own rate though. Like PP, I have numbness around the scar, but that's really it. Oh, and I tried sit-ups the other day - that was a joke. Apparently I have no stomach muscles left!

I hope your friend starts to feel better soon!

[kijip]

I felt ok (no pain) almost right after my c-section. I recovered vary fast (walking the day after, walking 3 miles 1 week after).

The thing to remember is that each person's body and delivery is different and we are all going to react/recover from any birth (surgical or not) differently. I have friends that took months to recover from vaginal deliveries for example (one could not walk without serious pain unmedicated for over 3 months to the the mother of all tears). Same goes for any surgery- some people will heal faster/slower than others. Some of that has to do with overall health and fitness and some is just genetic.

However, I did not feel like my body was back to NORMAL for 2 years but I attribute that to the pregnancy itself. There is a difference between feeling ok/recovered and feeling like I did before I got pregnant, LOL!

[JTsMom]

I recovered really quickly- like everyone said, I'm sure everyone is different. I'd say I was 99% back to normal after about a week and a half, except for the weird numbness thing that the others have described. I even had my incision open up a little at 1 week, and still no issues! It did freak me out though- fluid was POURING out! Sorry if tmi.

[lilycat88]

Yes, I was still having problems at 3 months. Turns out I had developed some pretty thick scar tissue around my incision that was particularly painful when I would striaghten up. It wasn't excruciating or anything...just uncomfortable enough to make me move a little slow. I saw a PT who specialized in women's issues and through a great deal of massage and working with the tissue, she was able to dissolve it. I'm fine now. It took about 5-6 visits I think.

[kimbe]

I was completely pain free at about 8 weeks after. Like the other posts, I too had numbness in the incision and above area for quite some time after. If she says that she is doing great, I wouldn't worry, especially since it is her second one. You are are great fried to be concerned about her though. She's lucky to have you!

[Fairy]

I was also doing really great at three months PP with all the same expected issues, like scar numbness and some quriky uterine aches -- plus I bled for almost 8 solid weeks. And my hair is still falling out after nearly 2 years. If your friend insists she's ok, then there's not much you can do; but, I'd say that significant physical issues at 3 months PP is probably not the norm. It's also possible that if she's having issues, it's not related to the C-section. Might wanna probe her a little more, maybe? Hope all turns out ok.

[psophia17]

I was recovered pretty well by 3 months after, but getting to a standing position from sitting or lying down was the one area where, while it didn't hurt, I took special care because it felt like it might hurt if I did it too fast.

[sdbc]

Exactly the same for me--no pain, but still some numbness. Except I also became chubby and out of shape... Oh wait, that had nothing to do with the c-section.

Hope your friend is OK.

Sue, mommy to Aurora (Rory) born 5/13/04

[phirey]

I was back to playing soccer 8 weeks after my first c-section.

Um, not doing much of anything 1o months after my second c-section. But that's just laziness! :-)

[american_mama]

Well, I think I fall somewhere between great friend and nosy friend, but I would never probe more after asking her twice. I'll take her at her word. Thanks for all the responses.

[1ceng1]

I was pretty much recovered after about 8 weeks with both of my c-sections. I did, however, have a bout with food poisoning 3 months after my second c-section which sent me to the doc for an ultrasound. Turned out I had/have an enlarged liver which the doc explained was common for those who had a c-section--even though it was 3 months later.
How has your friend coped with pain in the past? I have spoken to other moms who seemed to have had it worse than me, one with an infection that led to a visiting nurse for several weeks postpartum. She may be slow to heal or just not handle discomfort that well. I would imagaine after 3 months only a discomfort would exist, and not pain though.

[gatorsmom]

After my first and second c-sections I had trouble sitting on my right hip bone for more than a minute or two. It just ached. I couldn't sit cross-legged or even on a regular chair for long before it really ached. I saw a specialist and he said that sometimes these things happen and it would just take time for it to heal. It took 9 months for the pain to slowly fade away.

But I"m better now (second baby is 13 months old) and now I walk 3-5 miles each day!