C-Section recovery Question

At what point will I be up for showering after the Csection? (Not that I want to rush it, usually I can go a day or two before my hair is yucky) And what about a head wash? I figured I'd take one the morning of the section, but wondering when would be the next time.. Isn't it going to hurt, the standing, the scar, the heat or strength of the water, attempting to wash the hair?? Do I need a spotter, heheh? Just worrying... SORRY!

 

I had a c-section with my first (singleton daughter) and did not find the recovery to be very bad at all. I showered the next day. As for pain - you will be given pain meds but actually I found that the nerves around my incision were numb for quite some time - actually about a year! Definitely have a spotter with you whenever you get up for the first few days- the muscles will be very weak and you will be tired. AND, the nurses in my hospital brought me WARM TOWELS after my shower - luxurious! Get up and move around as soon as you re given the ok - you will recover faster and feel more human once you get up and walk - and shower when you feel up to it. It's amazing the healing powers of feeling clean!

Good luck!
Angela

 

I'm kinda glad you brought this up....I have a few c-section questions too. Ok, not that I want to jump in bed asap with my DH but how long after until you got the oK? Also when did you feel like you could get up and move around again, back to a mostly normal life, drive, etc?

 

I took a shower the second day afterwards and you will need a 'spotter' because it will be too sore to bend over and wash below your waist. I had my Dh do it for me. I never enjoyed a shower that much as I did that day! You will feel like a million bucks!

 

I, too, showered the day after my c-section. I was encouraged to get up and move around as soon/as much as possible.

Activities with my DH didn't begin until about 2 months later I'd say the 2 month mark was when I was feeling normal. I also still have that numb feeling, which is a little irritating, but you don't notice it unless you touch the area.

 

I showered the day after with the nurse's help and we were allowed to have sex 6 weeks afterwards, although it was NOT very comfortable.

 

I had my c-section at 7:30 pm and showered the next day (unassisted). I made it a point to shower everyday when the girls were little because it made me feel like a human!

I think that I was driving, etc. two weeks later (once I was off the pain meds). We got the ok for "activities" with DH at 6 weeks.

 

I had a c-section 9 months ago - I showered the next day - my husband did helpme because I was very sore.

as far as sex goes - we waited until a 3.5 months because I bled that long -and also I has to have my incision restitched at 3months

 

With my daughter I was up and showered within 24 hours of the c-section... It wasn't the most thurough shower I ever took, but it did make me feel more like a human! You will be up within 12 hours after the surgery and you will be going to the bathroom ect... It is a little slow at first, but if you can get up and around your recovery will go faster. Other words of advice would be to mae sure you take the pain meds you are offered. It will help you stay ahead of the pain which will help you be more comfortable getting up and speed your recovery. If you're pain is not managed well then your recovery will be slower.

 

I think the 6 week "activities" restriction is pretty standard. It takes that long for your uterus to return to normal - even if you don't deliver vaginally - you are more susceptible to infection until things have recovered!

We didn't resume intimate "activities" until 4 months post partum even though we got the okay LONG before that! I was way too tired and breastfeeding is very demanding at the beginning - I didn't feel like my body was my own and I certainly was not interested in sharing it with yet another person until then! No pain or discomfort when we did resume but it wasn't until I stopped breastfeeding that I really got my "libido" back! (things got a lot easier in that department around 6 months when DD started sleeping through night as well.) Oh yeah - and don't be surprised if a little relaxing stimulation during"activities" results in some "lactation precipitation" if you're nursing... sorry if TMI!! :banana:

Angela

 

I had my babies on Friday evening and took a shower on Sunday morning. Part of the problem was I had an IV in for 24 hours- I was up and around a little the night of my c-section; however didn't feel like taking more than a few steps. By Sunday I was sitting in chairs and out of bed quite easily. I had my husband stand in the bathroom while I showered and my nurse wouldn't give me pain meds until afterwards incase I got light headed.

 

I had my c-section at 2pm, and I was up and walking by myself by 7 that night. My girls were in the NICU, so that in and of itself was motivation to get out of bed. They key is to not lapse on your pain medication. Make sure you stay on the nurses to give it to you when you are due, that really helped me a lot. I was up the next morning and taking a shower by myself. They removed the dressing, and I showered with the staples still in place. I was a little sore, but the pain was not unbearable. It was really nice to actually take a shower after being on strict bedrest for only a month and getting bedbaths. I am very thankful I had such a good recovery, I know not everyone is so lucky...

Good luck!!

 

My c-section was Tuesday at 5:00pm and I think I showered Thursday morning. I don't recall doing it the next day. If my c-section had been earlier in the day Tuesday I may have done it the next day.

 

I showered the next morning, roughly 24 hours post surgery. My doc told me to go ahead and remove the dressing all around the incision while in the shower, so that it wouldn't pull. At first this scared me, but all that tape was no where near the incision, and doing it while warm and wet was easy (now I can't imagine having it done DRY! ouch). Anyway, it was great, just don't put anything you are going to need on the floor of the shower!

"Activities" resumed "unofficially" at 5 weeks; although doctor's orders were for 6 weeks--hey, I had a scheduled csection and my cervix hadn't done any dilating!

 

i had my c/s on tuesday evening and wednesday morning i took a shower. a nurse was in there helping me and washing me below the waist. i didn't wash my hair (cuz i dont' wash it everyday), but they asked if i wanted to. as for moving around and driving... i'm not allowed to drive for two weeks. and as long as you are up and moving (but not too much! ) around, everyday you will feel better. just do what you can to make that bowel movement, cuz i had no problem passng gas, but i didn't make a bowel movemet till almost a week later, and it was HORRENDOUS! (if i woulda known, i woulda asked for a suppository at the hospital. )

 

WOW!!!! I am glad I read this. I am much more less stressed out about my c-section now. I guess the sex thing and waiting that long is what I was suprisd about. I guessed I assumed becasue I wasn't having them vaginally I didn't have to wait as long. I know that should be the last thing on my mind, but I was suprised.

 

I had my c-section on Wednesday night at 7:30pm and showered first thing on Friday morning unassisted. It felt great!

I was driving 10 days afterwards and was given the OK to have sex 5 weeks after (which was today!). Since our 2 boys are still in the NICU and we're both fairly rested, we've been getting a bit anxious for that OK (hope that wasn't TMI!).

My recovery from the c-section was MUCH easier than I had expected and I've been feeling great since about a week afterwards.

 

I was up the next morning to shower after my c/s. I didn't need any help and wasn't really in any pain (was still taking the pain meds). I know what you mean though...I had been on mag sulfate and hospitalized and I hadn't been able to shower or wash my hair for FIVE days. That first shower was a HUGE relief. I, along with my hair, look greesy in my delivery pics...UGH!

 

I think I took a shower on the 2nd day after my c-section (I had the c/s on Thursday, took a shower on Saturday). I felt horrible, but they have a little seat in the shower, and the shower head is detachable (at least they did at my hospital). The hardest part was standing up long enough to dry off. I think I did do it when DH was in the room, just in case, but he didn't have to actually help me. (He did have to help me go to the toilet the very first time, which he was NOT happy about, but too bad!)

In general, I have to say my recovery was worse than I expected. I don't want to scare anyone, but I had heard so many people say they were up & around within 12 hours and feeling pretty good within 3 days, that's what I was expecting, and it turned out not to be the case for me. So I guess I just want people to be aware of that. But I should have been more proactive with my pain meds (not just taking them when they were offered, but actually requesting them ahead of schedule so they'd actually show up on time <_< ), and I should have gotten up and walked around earlier. I had no long-term problems, it just took me a good 6 days to feel remotely functional. After 10 days or so, it got a lot better.

 

I don't know if the no dialation of the cervix had anything to do with the no sex for 6 weeks.. I think it was more of stomach muscles and the incision. I know at 8 weeks it was painful to DTD.

 

Took a sponge bath the day after the section right after they took out my epidural pump. Then the next day I could shower. I was sore but managed and was then released from the hospital because I couldn't stand to be there any longer.

Released for "activities" at 7 weeks but didn't DTD until about 14 weeks (mainly 'cause I bled most of that time, was too tired, and I was still sore). DTD was painful for me the first few times...mainly because I felt like my cervix was being beaten to death and it never felt like that before.

Allowed to drive 10 days after section.

 

QUOTE(Minette @ Oct 25 2007, 04:15 PM) [snapback]467225[/snapback]
I think I took a shower on the 2nd day after my c-section (I had the c/s on Thursday, took a shower on Saturday). I felt horrible, but they have a little seat in the shower, and the shower head is detachable (at least they did at my hospital). The hardest part was standing up long enough to dry off. I think I did do it when DH was in the room, just in case, but he didn't have to actually help me. (He did have to help me go to the toilet the very first time, which he was NOT happy about, but too bad!)

In general, I have to say my recovery was worse than I expected. I don't want to scare anyone, but I had heard so many people say they were up & around within 12 hours and feeling pretty good within 3 days, that's what I was expecting, and it turned out not to be the case for me. So I guess I just want people to be aware of that. But I should have been more proactive with my pain meds (not just taking them when they were offered, but actually requesting them ahead of schedule so they'd actually show up on time <_< ), and I should have gotten up and walked around earlier. I had no long-term problems, it just took me a good 6 days to feel remotely functional. After 10 days or so, it got a lot better.


Minette makes a good point here. You have to actually ASK for your pain medication. I had assumed that they would just bring it to you on schedule but they don't!! So make sure you know how often you can take it and ask for it at least a 1/2 hour before you'll need it!!

Cary