# For anyone who's had a C-Section......



## bluegrassgirl (May 8, 2007)

I recently had surgery to remove my colon because only half of it was functioning. It resulted in me having to have an ileostomy. I had the surgery done on January 16th., and its been 10 weeks since surgery.
The only trouble I'm having is that my abdominal muscles are still sore, especially if I do too much, like housecleaning or lifting stuff.

How long did it take all of you who had a C-Section to have your abdominal muscles to heal completely? I'm asking you guys this, because you had to have a surgery that cut through the muscles and stuff. Was there anything you did to get your muscles to heal faster? What did you do for the muscle pain in the meantime? Is there a homeopathic medicine I can take to get my abdominal muscles to heal?

I really need to hear from you all, because I'm trying to heal up enough to take the CNA classes next month that are offered at the nursing facility I was recovering at after surgery.

Jessie


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## accountclosed3 (Jun 13, 2006)

do you have support garments? it can help a lot to have some form of compression garment.

i haven't been through this, but i recommend it to many clients, and it might be helpful in this case--as the muscles are healing and sterngthening.


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## cj'smommy (Aug 14, 2003)

From what I understand, they do not cut your abdominal muscles when you have a c-section. They do push them aside, but they are not cut. I asked my OB that question last week.

I can't really remember but I think it took me about 4-6 weeks for me not to be sore after my c-section. I made sure I was active, but not so active that I hurt a lot. I had a pretty good recovery without a lot of pain.

Hope you feel better soon!


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## rmzbm (Jul 8, 2005)

I'm not a c-section advocate but you asked & I have to be honest...I've had 4 & never even felt like I had surgery after. They don't cut the muscle in a c/s. So maybe that's why it's different, I dunno.


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## crazydiamond (May 31, 2005)

After my C-section, in which they did not cut my abdominal muscles, my abdomen was sore for about 10-12 weeks. I went back to work at 12 weeks and remember thinking "gees, how do they get away with only giving 8 weeks of disability for this surgery??".

Then last year, I underwent a much more major abdominal surgery in which they removed the entire left-half of my abdominal muscles and replaced it with donor tissue. The recovery was much more intense than the C-section, but I was able to go back to work after 6 weeks.

I would say that you'd be fine taking the class next month, particularly if its not very physical.


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## organicmommy (May 16, 2005)

I have had 2 c-sections and I was back to doing 99% of the things I was before by 10 weeks at the latest with both of them.
Let your body heal hon, you will be glad that you did.
Hugs
Jessica


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## felix23 (Nov 7, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *rmzbm* 
I'm not a c-section advocate but you asked & I have to be honest...I've had 4 & never even felt like I had surgery after. They don't cut the muscle in a c/s. So maybe that's why it's different, I dunno.









: I was terrified of the pain and kept waiting for it to start, but I never even had to take pain meds after I left the hospital. My stomach felt a little strange for about 8 weeks, but I really felt fine.


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## rmzbm (Jul 8, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *felix23* 







: I was terrified of the pain and kept waiting for it to start, but I never even had to take pain meds after I left the hospital. My stomach felt a little strange for about 8 weeks, but I really felt fine.

Yeah, I never so much as took a tylenol after.


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## Changed (Mar 14, 2004)

I seriously thought I would die. I NEEDED vicodin and motrin together for the first 6 weeks. I remember actually vomiting from the pain the first time I stood up.


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## Anno (Feb 18, 2005)

I had a myomectomy (abdominal surgery to remove a fibroid) about a year before I had a c-section, and the myomectomy was much harder to recover from than the c-section. I don't think it was due to being distracted from a newborn, either. I think the duration of the surgery and being under general anaesthetic made the myomectomy much worse. I would say it took about 8 weeks to feel pretty up to snuff after that.
The cesarean took less time-
Hope you have a speedy recovery!


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## N8'sMom (Jun 25, 2007)

I think everyone is really different. But I had gallbladder surgery
about 10 years ago (it was laproscopic) and it was MUCH
MUCH MUCH worse than the c section. The gallbladder surgery
was HORRENDOUS! The c section was gravy compared to that.
I was sore with the c section but I never felt muscle pain in my
abs. And was doing regular things within a week. And exercising
around 6 weeks.


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## BetsyS (Nov 8, 2004)

I took the Percocet and Ibuprofen for a good 2 weeks, then I needed the Ibuprofen for 2-3 more weeks, so I'd say 4-5 weeks before the vast majority of the soreness went away.

However.... I'd consider my recovery very, very good. I'm not good with pain. Really.







So, to only take medication for 4-5 weeks was really good for me. I was prepared for 12 weeks or so.


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## A_Random_Phrase (Mar 27, 2008)

The pain I had right after my C-section was pretty horrific, but I was told that it's worse if you've had labor pains before the section (I had 13 hours of serious labor before I got cut). I stopped taking pain pills three days after because the iccky way the pills made me feel was just as bad as the withdrawal effects (I ran out of the pain pills). I would say that I was pretty well recovered by 6 weeks. I didn't know they pushed your muscles to the side. I thought they just cut through them (but I didn't ask). But that may be why you're healing a bit slower than a C-section.


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## Storm Bride (Mar 2, 2005)

It's been different every time.

Six weeks out from my first, my abdomen was a little bit tender, and the muscles were still a bit weak, but that was it. I walked 18 blocks uphill home from my six week checkup, and I was a bit slow, but had no difficulties.

Things were about the same after my second, but with some weird lingering pains until about 7-8 months pp.

After my third, it was about 2.5 months or so before the pain was gone, but I also had an infected incision. The problem with that one was lingering (possibly permanent) numbness and loss of sensation.

After my fourth, in November...hard to say. I still have some pain in my abdomen, but it's very, very mild. It's more that everything is very tender, and something else that might be adhesions, but I really don't know.

As others have said, the abs aren't actually cut in a c-section, so you (OP) would have a very different healing experience, I think. The reality is that surgeries are all different. Some people will have a really bad time the first time out. Some won't have that bad a time ever. Some have very different experiences every time, like I did.


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## gwerydd (Jun 7, 2007)

i was able to get by on the Motrin and Tylenol i was given. i took the subway a week after dd was born to visit her in the NICU (my mother had a coniption when she found out because of the risk of infection). i was sore for a few weeks but it gradually diminished. i still have numbness around the incision site, it feels like i got a novacaine shot.

Stormbride is right that healing is different for everyone so it's really hard to compare.


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## mamaana (Sep 21, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Anno* 
I had a myomectomy (abdominal surgery to remove a fibroid) about a year before I had a c-section, and the myomectomy was much harder to recover from than the c-section. I don't think it was due to being distracted from a newborn, either. I think the duration of the surgery and being under general anaesthetic made the myomectomy much worse. I would say it took about 8 weeks to feel pretty up to snuff after that.
The cesarean took less time-
Hope you have a speedy recovery!









:

My two c's were a breeze compared to the myemectomy. I found an abdominal support belt really helped.


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