C-section recovery with a toddler
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Hi Casey! Thanks for sharing. That's so interesting to hear your recovery was more straightforward with your planned section. Also great advice regarding taking recovery seriously. I was saying to my husband last night that if I do have another section, I'm going to listen to my body more this time and not rush myself, as last time I felt like I had something to prove (no idea why!)
I had an emergency csection with my first (23months now) and an elective five weeks ago. Having your husband for so long and family around will be such a help! It is challenging and i had such guilt about not being able to do much, but just try to make the simple things exciting - e.g. sitting on the sofa to read a book. That was basically my only activity with him for the first week or two. I found that the pain lasted about two weeks and I was able to get onto the floor and move around fairly normally, albeit slowly, with my toddler after about 3weeks. I lifted him up (into a high chair or onto the changing table etc.) around 3/4 weeks after and can carry him short distances now at 5 weeks. It does hurt on my scar when carrying him so I can't do it much.
Hey Jacki, I had a planned c sec for my second baby and tried to avoid lifting my 23 month old for 6 weeks but I felt like I could do it from around 3-4 weeks. My pain only lasted about a week. My recovery was much more straightforward than after my vaginal delivery! But I did take rest/recovery very seriously, especially in the first 2 weeks - I laid in bed as much as poss!