I was never a super slim person, I always had a little belly from indulging in too much sugar. When pregnant, I gained a lot of weight in my tummy. I had a c-section three weeks ago and I can't see my incision cause my tummy hangs over it. I know I'm not the only one so how can I see my incision and make sure it's healing okay? i can kind of lift my tummy up and get a little peek at it but not enough to really feel confident that everything is healing nicely and it's not very comfortable to do so. How are we checking on our incisions if we're not slim enough to see it clearly?

Terrible GI issues 2 years after C-Section

Hi, my wife and I had a baby almost 2 years ago. She had to do a C-Section because she was not dilating after 36 hours of trying so we called it. Anyways everything went fine and we have a beautiful healthy baby girl who is now a toddler. In the past year her stomach has been giving her lots of trouble. She always describes it “they did not put me back together right”. She is basically now in stomach pain 10-15 times per day and she has diarrhea from it and it’s really hard for her to hold in. She doesn’t get on Reddit so I decided to post for her. What do you think could be the culprit. Just to clarify she has had these GI issues since day 1 of the c-section but in the last year they just keep getting worse and worse. Just wanting to go in the right direction.

I’m 8 weeks post section and directly above my incision is still significantly swollen and my lower stomach is still quite bloated. Having such a bad flare up of IBS symptoms and I’m just wondering if anyone else has had this/when it gets better?

Mamas give me some positive outcomes and stories!! I had 3 amazing c sections (tough recovery) but no hiccups. Any advice for a 4th?

I have a big apron belly and noticed today when I was looking at my incision (via phone camera because I can’t see it myself) that one end looks red compared to the rest. Of course I only have like one comparison picture I took a few weeks ago and it definitely looked red then too but not as much. I have no pain or warmth to the area, it’s definitely closed, but wondering how concerned I should be and if I should get checked out

Hi all, just wondering if this is normal? I had a c section 3 weeks ago and I'm having mild cramping. It's almost as if I'm having mild period pains. I'm thinking it's my uterus contracting but I thought those types of pain would be over by the first week. Also my general abdominal pain has gotten a bit worse (not terrible but still hurts and needing painkillers again) in the last few days.

Is this anything to worry about or normal? Any advice/insight would be appreciated!

I am FREAKING out. In the shower just now I was running my hands along my CS scar with soap to clean the area when my fingers discovered something that didn’t feel right. Sure enough, there appears to be an open spot right along my incision— see photo. Naturally this happens when my OB’s office is closed tomorrow (Friday) for the Thanksgiving weekend so I can’t contact her. What do I do? It’s late at night for me so I’m planning to put antibacterial ointment & a bandaid on it for the time being. But I am so scared. My incision was healing so well and now this happens out of the blue 😭

This is a little weird to describe, but I’m 5.5 months pp and I had a bit of a complicated urgent c section in mid-June. Since then my stomach just seems so… different? Not the bottom part below the belly button (I have the usual numbness, apron, etc but none of that concerns me). But the area above my belly button to my rib cage, it feels hard and I still look super pregnant! Is this normal too, and just not something people talk about? I don’t have any GI symptoms or anything so I didn’t bring it up to my doctor yet…

I did gain a LOT of weight during the pregnancy and still haven’t lost anywhere near all of it - but it doesn’t feel like it’s fat, since it’s hard and not soft and flabby.

Anyone else experience this or anything like it?

I’m going in for a c section on Tuesday - partially elective and medically suggested.

I’m nervous AF, I am in Canada and don’t know what to expect, the only thing they told me was to wait for a call Monday night letting me know what time to come in Tuesday.

Do they give you something beforehand to calm your nerves? I am so nervous and just want to feel high and relaxed during the entire thing. Do I have to ask for something or is it just given?

I’m currently 3 weeks post c section. Was sitting on the couch and felt some popping sensation internally around the incision area is that normal? It’s not painful just a weird sensation.

A week and a half after my c-section I had to get readmitted for an infection. I was in for 10 days of IV antibiotics and 3 wash outs in the OR. I am now home on a wound vac. A home care nurse comes to the house twice as week to change the dressing and im seen once a week in a wound clinic. The doctor at the clinic very nonchalantly said my wound could take 3-9 months to heal. The nurse said bc I'm on a high protein diet and I'm young and healthy, she thinks it could heal in 6 weeks. Has anyone had a similar experience? What was your healing time like? I just want an idea of what I'm in for.

I’m 3 weeks post partum and I feel amazing. No pain, my incision is healing beautifully and I know I’m not supposed to but I’m moving around better than I was in pregnancy and am able to lift things 35lbs and up with no pain or discomfort (I found this out because I had to change out our water bottle, unfortunately there wasn’t much of a choice). Anyhow, I was very active and did weight lifting a lot before my pregnancy. Naturally I slowed down during the first trimester and now that I’m feeling so good I’m just itching to get back to the gym, I also have an apron belly as I gained quite a bit of weight while pregnant and I want to get back in shape and feel good again. I’m wondering if I should take it slow once I get back (I’ll obviously wait until my dr gives me the go ahead at 6 weeks). Or if anyone was able to just jump right back in without hurting themselves? As someone who’s worked in physical labor jobs and loved exercise being stuck in the house and unable to really let myself move around and be active is driving me crazy I’m thinking of starting to do some light yoga just to move until I can body build again.

Has anyone experienced unexplained infertility and or had a really hard time conceiving again after having your c section?

For context: I was on combo BC for 4 years then got pregnant 3 months after getting off BC the first time we really tried. My hormone levels were really low and had a rough first tri. My baby was born 2022 by semi emergency c section and I had zero complications and recovered very well and fairly quickly. I tracked my cycles to avoid getting pregnant and that worked well then a year later we decided to start trying again since I was told to wait at least 18 months birth to birth to try for a VBAC. At 6 months of trying with no success I went back to my OB to see what our options were and I got an HSG at 7 months trying and my husband had an SA done. Both came back clear and incredible numbers. My OB and the RE that we saw for my husband’s SA didn’t have any other reason to believe I’d need further testing and it was just a matter of time. Since I have a history of low progesterone and short cycles I’ve also been on progesterone supplements since I saw my OB at 6 months trying. It’s now 1 year trying with no success and no other real reason to do further testing and I am frustrated as heck.

What was your experience like and what did you do to “fix” your “problem”?

Hi! Has anyone here had 5-6 (or more) cesareans? I know it’s not recommended but just trying to get some firsthand accounts on how it went for women that have gone through it themselves. Any complications? Regrets? Positive experiences? Etc, just whatever you want to tell me about it. Thank you so much! 🩷

i (24f) am currently almost 8 weeks pp (c-section). gained about 40 pounds from pre-pregnancy to the day i delivered. lost 20 pounds pretty much right away & then slowly lost another ten over the last several weeks. i know things will never look the same. i really want to buy some new jeans but don’t wanna go all out if im not going to fit in them within the next several months. do you think ill be continuing to lose more weight? does the loose skin ever get any better? c-section shelf has gotten sooo much better every week but like damn.. will i ever not have a sag?

I'm one week post c section. Does this amount of swelling around my incision look normal? It's like it's all raised about an inch above everything else.

I'm officially 4 months post op, and I've had no improvement in pain level. I've seen 9 doctors, have been in PT for 3 months, had all the scans.... When does this get better? How do people do this?! I'm terrified to have surgery ever again after this.

So my c section was originally planned for 12/16. Due to baby’s size. And I honestly wanted one anyways 🤷🏻‍♀️. Now. Due to high blood pressure. Baby boy is now coming THIS Monday. I know it’s only two weeks earlier but the panic is starting to set in :( I had a vaginal birth with my daughter ten years ago. Needless to say it should’ve been a c section. It was so traumatizing. But seeing some peoples stories on recovery is scaring me. I’m a single mom. Baby’s dad WILL be around for the first 6-8 weeks. Around my house to help with baby. But I’m afraid of not really being able to take care of myself. Will it all be ok? Will I recover ok? I have awful anxiety. Hopefully I can get some kind of drugs in my system from my dr when I get my IV to calm me down 🤦🏻‍♀️.

Sorry. I know no one has the answers for me. But I just needed to vent. I’m just scared :(

I had my first period 12 weeks postpartum (not BFing) It was extremely heavy. Went to the ER because I was soaking through a super plus tampon and pad every 1-2 hours. They said it was normal. Then 2 weeks and a few days later I had another period. Heavy but not as heavy as the first one. I finished that period about a week ago and I’m a light pink every time I wipe after using the bathroom. Had this happened to anyone?

I gave birth, was trying to go for vaginal and things ended in c section after an induction. It was tough but ya know, it is what it is.

I’ve made peace with the fact that I had a c section. I also want to have another child. My issue is that I don’t see the appeal in a VBAC but I’m also super afraid of another C-section.

So many people have said to me they hope I can get a VBAC for the next one and even my midwife after my c section said “you’d be a great candidate for a vbac!” Very cheerfully I might add. But I just don’t get why?

I was wondering if anyone here has had a successful vbac after 3 csections?, if yes what was your experience like?

Hello, 38+3 with breech baby going in next week to have a csection. They officially cancelled my induction and are waiting to hear back from scheduling as to what date I’m going in for surgery. I didn’t get to really ask a lot of questions but I’m very very curious as to what your day was like when you went in. I don’t want gore detail like sensations but I’m kind of a control freak and knowing the steps really puts my mind at ease to fill in the blanks.

What’s prep like, do they shave you anywhere? Do you get a catheter? Were you just naked from under the breast down? Did they talk to you and let you know what was going on during them taking baby out and after while being stitched up? How long were you in there? How long did they keep you in the hospital? When and what was your first shower like? Is there anything important you would have liked to know before going in for your c section? I’m not really nervous anymore I’m kind of just ready for it to be the day already and the anticipation to go away! If you take time to reply I really appreciate it I will read them with my husband who is equally curious.

I had a scheduled c with my first and unfortunately an emergency c section just last month with my second. I’ve always wanted 3 children but I really don’t want 3 c sections. I wanted an unmedicated birth for both of my first 2! (Both were breech).

Has anyone had a successful vbac after 3 c sections? Wouldn’t be for another 2+ years.

I'm in no way trying to downplay others experiences or gloat but I just want to know if anyone else had an easier recovery? Looking back after a year and reading others experiences I realized I didn't have any issues or severe pain during my recovery.

I had my son around 6:30pm so I was in bed until 8am the next morning. My son was taken to the NICU that morning to monitor an infection and I was wheeled down the first time but walked every other time which was after noon I believe. I only really got up to go to the bathroom or to see my baby. He was in the NICU the whole stay. I remember it hurt so bad when I laughed or when I sat up wrong from laying down. I stayed for 3 days then went and stayed with my husband's grandparents because he had to go back to work that week. The first couple days "home" we're the most painful since I wasn't on a constant rotation of pain meds, but I was up and moving around pumping and cleaning the parts every 3 hours. After a week at his grandparents we went back to our house and I was completely alone during the day taking care of our son. I still had the belly binder thing and I wore that constantly for the first 3 weeks I think so maybe that helped? But I was barley talking pain meds and was moving around just fine. We went to church after 2 weeks. Someone commented about me being out and about 2 weeks after a C-section but I felt pretty much normal by then.

I know it can be a painful healing process for others but am I the odd one out in experiencing a very easy and quick recovery time? Like obviously I wasn't completely healed by 2 weeks but I wasn't extremely sore or incapable of doing most things after I left the hospital.

ISO uterine rupture cases and the length of time between c sections.

I lost my daughter in August via emergency c section and am weighing up the pros and cons of having a scheduled c section vs attempting a VBAC.

Am curious whether the longer the time the scar has to heal, the less likely a uterine rupture during a VBAC would occur.

TIA

I’m 15 weeks out from my section. Feeling pretty good generally, no pain etc. I currently go on long walks with the baby and my dog as my form of exercise but I’d like to get back in the gym and use the weight machines etc. how did people find working out pp? Would anyone say there are any exercises to avoid? I would say I was mildly active before baby. I’d go to the gym a couple of times a week and go for short runs occasionally.

Hi! I'm dying to get back on my peloton but I'm scared its too soon. Im 11 weeks post partum.