How long does it take to recover?

[Bigbelly317]

Hi all, I am starting to develop fear :( it's my first time...
I was wondering how long does it take to recover the delivery? I would like to know your story

[jrobertson20]

Like Bigbelly this is my first pregnancy and I was wondering the same thing.  Thanks ladies my fears have been eased a little.  Good luck to everybody we are getting there!!!!!

[Suzie0224]

I have had both vaginal birth and c section.  I much prefer the vaginal birth but I didn't have a choice with the last c section.  My dr. doesn't want me to VBAC this time since they expect this baby to be in the 9+ lb. range too.  With my last little one, she was 9 lbs and 2 oz and had to be vacuumed out even though they cut me open. The hardest part for me after the c section was after I came home... stairs, sneezing, coughing and laughing.  There is nothing to worry about though - it all gets better.  See, I am doing it again in 7 weeks!

[chinesebones]

I had a 9 lb 5 oz baby without an epidural.  It was no fun for the last few hours, but afterwards I recovered really quickly.  I took it easy while in the hospital, but once we got home I was climbing stairs, etc.  The only pains I had were a bruised feeling for a couple of days and pulling from the stitches, but while in the hospital the nurses brought me ice packs to sit on and a squeeze bottle to use for rinsing; before we went home they gave me a sitz bath to use a couple of times a day.  They also told me I could take certain painkillers and use a numbing spray.  I doubt I would have even been very sore if my dd wasn't so huge- with a giant head too.

It takes a while for your stomach muscles to retighten, so I couldn't sit right up in bed for a while- had to roll on my side first- but that wasn't painful, just inconvenient.  

It's only natural to be scared, but try to remember that women's bodies are made for bearing babies.  I kept reminding myself that even though I didn't know what to expect, my body knew what it was doing- it did, too!  I read a couple of good books on childbirth: Ina May's Guide to Childbirth and the Bradley Method book.  Understanding how labor progresses really helped me to be less apprehensive.  Best wishes!

[ttc1010]

Hi!

I have a 4-year-old and had him via C-section.  And it was nowhere near as bad as what I thought.  I was up and moving the day after and was feeling totally like myself within a few weeks.  And I know a vaginal is much less severe.  I think a lot of it also depends on your physical health before you got pregnant too...the more fit you are, the quicker you bounce back.  And everyone is totally different...goodluck to you!!!