bloating after c-section?

Discussion in 'Pregnancy Help' started by ghanigirl, Mar 4, 2008.

  1. ghanigirl

    ghanigirl Well-Known Member

    A friend of mine got super bloated after her c-section in Jan. It eventually went down after about two weeks, but she seriously looked like she had gained about 50 lbs AFTER the birth of her daughter and she wasn't really swollen prior to the pregnancy. She kept saying it was the air after they "sewed" her up...hmmm...sound weird.

    So, I asked several friends who also had c-sections and only one other person had experienced this. I'm just curious if anyone of you who've had a c-section has experienced this and may actually have a different explanation than pocketed air.
     
  2. GirliesGalore

    GirliesGalore Well-Known Member

    I can attest to the "pocket of air" part! :huh: That was the worst part of my last c/s! It started about 12 hours after the birth and continued for another 24. It's weird how you can get excruciating pain in your collarbone from all of the air that can get trapped inside during the c/s. I hope I don't have that this time!

    I'm not sure about your friend's case because I did not appear bloated from the outside. Her's sounds more like fluid retention. Either way...not fun.
     
  3. Minette

    Minette Well-Known Member

    I had both bloating and fluid retention. My belly was almost exactly the same size when I left the hospital as when I went in (though a lot lighter obviously). The gas was very painful, though mostly just for the first few days. It took at least a week for it to even start to go down in size. By about 1 month postpartum, I only looked 5 months pregnant -- it got gradually better from there.

    I also had the fluid retention. My feet never swelled up when pregnant (I could wear my own shoes to the end), but after delivery, the only thing I could wear were my husband's sandals. That was pretty bad for about 10 days, then it started getting better really fast. Suddenly one day I looked down and saw my own normal feet. It was a happy day. :)
     
  4. summerfun

    summerfun Well-Known Member TS Moderator

    I don't remember having anything like that after my c-section.
     
  5. angelcake

    angelcake Well-Known Member

    I NEVER retained water during pregnancy/ After three sections, I feel happy to say I only had fluid retention for 1/3 post-surgery. My first two were easy. For my twin c-section, I was on hospital bedrest for four days while they pumped me full of fluid and tried to stop ptl while keeping up the babies' stats. I delivered with bloated feet, cankles, thighs (could barely bend my knees). Thought it would get better with delivery, but it actually got worse two days post-surgery!!! I cried, it was soooooo painful and felt like it would never go down. I agree with pp, one day (about week later) I looked down and voila! there were MY feet!

    angel
     
  6. jjokitty

    jjokitty Well-Known Member

    Not sure if this is what you mean but I had a ton of air after my c-section but it was in my intestines. It was pretty painful. There was so much trapped and the skin was so thin from being stretched out that at one point you could actually see distended bowel loops sticking out of my belly. It looked like I was pg with a balloon animal. Totally freaked me out. Once I got moving around it was a lot better. I also had pre-e which did not improve after birth so my whole body was pretty swollen with fluid. After some medication it resolved and suddenly I had ankles again.

    Jen
     
  7. Vero

    Vero Well-Known Member

    I had a c-section and was VERY bloated. The Nurse did tell me it was because of the c-section and that you do get air during the surgery. I was very uncomfortable - I was given a girdle to put on and they gave me some pills to help pass the air (gas). :pardon:

    It took about 4 days before the actual bloating went down.
     
  8. twoin2005

    twoin2005 Well-Known Member

    I had the bloating and fluid retention really bad after delivery. My feet were so swollen for a few weeks, it looked freakish. And I never had swelling while pregnant, so go figure.
     
  9. Angelaandtwins

    Angelaandtwins Well-Known Member

    I swelled up after surgery too but I was told it was a reaction to the drugs they gave to induce me. Plus, my own theory is that your body loses so much fluid in the process of delivering and blood in the surgery that it goes into serious retention mode! It does get better,

    Angela
     
  10. Ashliemj

    Ashliemj Active Member

    I had a c-section w/ my daughter (and will have another w/ my twins upcoming). I experienced a lot of gas/bloating after for about 1 week. It was painful. I could actually see the gas working it's way through my intestines. Strange! It resolved itself though...mainly through passing the gas (ick!). LOL!
     
  11. twins2008

    twins2008 Well-Known Member

    QUOTE(jjokitty @ Mar 4 2008, 01:30 PM) [snapback]652343[/snapback]
    Not sure if this is what you mean but I had a ton of air after my c-section but it was in my intestines. It was pretty painful. There was so much trapped and the skin was so thin from being stretched out that at one point you could actually see distended bowel loops sticking out of my belly. It looked like I was pg with a balloon animal. Totally freaked me out. Once I got moving around it was a lot better. I also had pre-e which did not improve after birth so my whole body was pretty swollen with fluid. After some medication it resolved and suddenly I had ankles again.

    Jen


    I am sorry but that struck me funny. I had to laugh, pregnant with a balloon animal :rotflmbo:
     
  12. Mum2TwinBoys

    Mum2TwinBoys Well-Known Member

    I was HUGE after my c/s. I was so swollen, I wear a size 6 shoe and I had to wear my SILs size 9. It was water, the air was completely different and uncomfy. I can dig out pics to show just how swollen I was. I was probably holding 10-15 pounds of water and I had only gained 17 with my twins (that was after some serious allday sickness for 7 months.
     
  13. aussiemom

    aussiemom Administrator Staff Member TS Moderator

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