Recuperation After a C-section

Oh, L.~ You just had a baby, and not natural may I add- do you realize your body has been thru a whole surgical procedure!!!! I mean, you got a beatiful baby out of your tummy.. wow!! Congratulations by the way!! Welcome to mommy hood- I have had 2 emergency c-sections so I know what you are talking about. I was very worrisome just like you are now but if I had known what I know now *2 babies later* I would just rel- ax!!! You are a new mommy, enjoy your time with baby, play with him and enjoy every feature and new adventures they will seek. Believe me, when you do get your body back to normal, and running around after your SON- you will wish you had a break!! For now, these symptoms should go away about 2 months after birth, and don't stress your muscles too much with excercise, remember your body tissue in that area is still very tender and you dont' want to have any scarring just becuase you want your "pre-prego" body back!!! Enjoy being mommy and please re-lax!! it will do you good!!

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I had a C-section and I didn't have any of the numbness or puffiness after a few weeks. After 3 months it seems like everything should be back to normal in regards to the scar and the surgery.

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Hi L.,
Bottom line, if you are more swollen than before and if you are having any more pain than previously, you need to get back in for a checkup. Other things to look for are fevers, redness, heat at the site, the incision opening up to any extent at all or just a general "ill" feeling. I agree that the last thing you need to be worrying about right now is getting back into shape. Excessive exercise will just tear your c-section repair and cause major problems. Just enjoy being a new mom for a while. That's plenty to work on! We're way too focused on having that perfect movie star body so soon after having a baby. There's no rush! I think you soon will find life has many more important things to worry about! But really, if your symptoms are worsening in any way instead of improving at this point, you need to be see by your OB. Take care!

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I had a c-section 2.5 years ago with my son and another last week with my daughter. I'm not sure if you're more swollen now than you were previously or if you're just concerned because you're "still" swollen. Please give yourself time to recover from this major surgery. Are you more swollen now than you previously were? If so, I would ensure that you aren't doing too much too soon. It's much to early (IMHO) to be worrying about exercise that target specific body areas. If you overwork your abs etc., they'll become swollen because they're being worked too hard too soon. It took 40 weeks for your body to change during the pregnancy (keep in mind that organs shifted etc. to accommodate the baby)....so you can't expect to be back to your pre-pregnancy body after just 3 months...even if you only gained 7 pounds (wow...only 7 pounds...amazing!). Allow yourself time to heal - and don't worry, you can get your pre-pregnancy body back. Prior to my son, I worked out for at least an hour a day...so I was pretty fit. Within 6 months of his birth, I was working our regularly again and back in my pre-pregnancy clothes. Don't stress about the weight - if you eat healthy foods and slowly introduce an exercise routine, the weight will come off in due time as your body returns to it pre-pregnancy "status". As the other poster said, enjoy this time with your little one...before you know it, they'll be off to school!

If it'll make you feel better, call your OB/GYN for reassurance that this is normal. Good luck!

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My first c section went well, but I got swollen and numb after. I just ignored it, and two years later I went to acupuncture to help get pregnant again and was told that my body never healed after the first surgery. acupuncture healed me, I started losing wieght immediately, got the sensation back, and, though not exactly the same body shape as before, darn good now. As a bonus, I got pregnant again (after two visits) the second pregnancy was so easy, and after the second c section I went back to acupuncture to ensure proper healing, and am now (with a five month old) back to myself, or better, once again.

PLEASE be very careful about exercising an injured body. You are healing, and excersise will aggrevate the injuries, and could, even now, cause you to hemorage or cause tears.

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ok babe, its still way to early for you to try and get rid of or work of the Mama pudge. Let me tell you i have had 4 c-sections. (each a year apart, not recommended) where my insecion was i can still run my hands over the scare and its still numb for me.. the cut so many times that they killed some nerve endings. I say that you need to wait atleast 6 months b4 u start consintration on that area. if its puffy and painful u may need to see a doctor. you may have an infection
hope this helps

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I think you need a checkup to make sure nothing is wrong... IE infection... since you have just become swollen puffy and numb... These are all normal after a c-section... but generally are an immediate result that can last a while... not ones that show up 3 months later...

And you definately should take it easy until you are fully healed... I over did it... and I'm still dealing with pain issues (3.5 years later!)

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Dont take it this as gospel but having had a c section and others that bI know can't get that muscles to tighten because they were cut in the c section. So for me on lives the flab.

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Hi L.,

Something great to do for your stomach and abs is Pilates. It really strenghtens those muscles and you will be back in shape in no time. I just do the Pilates at home with a DVD I have. It is called Winsor Pilates and it is great. It comes with a 20 minute workout that works abs and butt and another longer one. I do the 20 minute one and get great results.

C. S.

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Vitamin C is the vitamin I would be taking if I needed to repair tissue and collagen. It also helps with inflammation and wound healing. Take 1000-1400mg a day, working your self up to that level, or diarrhea may set in.
L-arginine gets depleated when the body is injured (operated on). It also helps with making collagen , wound repair and immune function.

It doesn't seem right to have that kind of swelling and numbness 3 months after surgery. Maybe there is an infection. How does the scar itself look? Tea tree oil is a safe skin antiboitic/antifungal that can sink into tissues and not hurt the tissues while killing pathogens.

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don't worry u r on the right path. I've had two c- sections and had the puffyness and that weird pain that feels funny more than hurt. Recovery can take up to a year to be honest but u can help it by working out. Working your mid section helps so much as long as you are not straning yourself too much. The new puffyness u r feeling may be due to the rest of your body healing faster than the operated portion. Anyhow congrats on the new baby and hope recoverygoes well. Take care!

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I would think a girdle would be a bad idea right now, especially if you have some infection. You need to ask your doctor about the pain, it shouldn't still be painful I don't think. Breast feeding is a great way to lose weight, I've heard, as long as your eating healthy foods. Congratulations on your new baby!

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L.
You need to contact your physician....A. a

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Hello,

I had a C-section 11 months ago with my twins. I had a great recovery, walking around the second day. But I di dnot have any puffy-ness. Yes, slight pain right side and I felt numb when I touch it or around the incision. As time went by it got better and the pain went away. I was able to excersie about 8 weeks afterwards but it took a little longer to be able to do any kind of excersice with my stomach. I also used a girdle from day one and I think it helped a lot. I had a friend that did not wear one and she has had more problems.

Good Luck and remember it will take time but you will have a hot mama body.

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I hope you have checked with your doctor to see if everything is alright. I too, had a c-section 3 months ago and have not had the symptoms you are describing. I started to do cardio at 6 weeks and abs around 8 weeks. Sometimes I can feel a slight pain to the right (dull pain) where all the pulling took place, but that's it. I don't have any of the puffiness and neither did my two friends who also had a c section. Please check with your doctor or get a second opinion.

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I had my first baby/csection 2 months ago yesterday. I gained 28 lbs & lost it right away. Literally losing 17lbs in the first week...I attribute breastfeeding, not having time to eat enough & what I did eat was a lot of concentrated fruits & vegies in a condensed form-I can tell you more about that-my 'diet' if you want. BUT I wanted to tell you that I still have a pooch not swollen but a pooch, a little flabby & it sticks out like when I was first pregnant but it's not firm like when I was first pregnant & hadn't had my tummy grow to 44 inches yet! I also have numbness on my lower tummy & incision. My OB said this will probably last 3 months or so. I think you need to determine if you are swollen or just still have excess pouch due to being pregnant. They say the body is never the same after pregnancy so don't expect much without diet & exercise & most importantly TIME. We had major surgery & our body's while amazing, need time to recover. I don't have a girdle, only thing I used for a week or so was that thing they sent me home with in the hospital but it was too bulky & annoying to continue use after I started feeling like I could hold myself up down there. If you only gained 7 lbs during your pregnancy it sounds like you are naturally hard on yourself. No offense intended but healthy weight gain is 25-35 pounds! I hope the baby was developed & healthy. So lay off yourself a bit & allow time to tell. If you are swollen, I agree w/ the rest of the responses call your OB & then see her/him if need be. We are women hear us roar, we just went thru an amazing life experience: pregnancy & birth & now we have the new role of motherhood-life's most important job. Enjoy

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Hi! I had an unexpected c/s with my daughter last summer. The one thing that helped me get back in shape without feeling like "work" was to put my baby in a carrier and go walking. Walking strengthens the core muscles that have been so disrupted by pregnancy and the surgery, and the slight extra weight of the baby helps condition you. It also helps the baby's development too.

I use a German wrap to carry her in but there are a lot of really cool carriers to choose from. Have you heard of BabyHawk? http://www.babyhawk.com/ These are beautiful and practical. I learned to babywear from friends who enjoy this wonderful traditional practice and from www.thebabywearer.com, where I also find gently used carriers so I get to try out different kinds.

I got strong faster after this birth compared to my other two kids, and I am sure it's because I carried the baby in a wrap every day. Now that she is 22lbs, I am conditioned to her weight because I've been doing it all along, and I can still carry her, even on my back. She loves it! :)

As for the numbness, I can tell you it may last for a very long time. Docs say a few months but mine goes on for years. :(