Pain After C-section

I also gave birth c-section 3 years ago and i remember the feeling you are talking about. I experienced it too. My doctor told me it was just pain from healing. Did you have staples in your incision? Have they been removed yet? Until they removed mine and about a week after i felt those pains. The skin around my incision was healing and stretching and caused a burning sensation. The only thing i found that worked was using warm washcloths or heating pads along that area. Mine also only occured at night so i would put baby to bed get the heating pad ready and lay down and place it on the area where it hurt. It helped and the pain was gone in about a week. I also had an exercise ball that i would sit on and bounce a little, and try to rock forward and backwards to try and exercise those muscles in my lower stomach. It helped to strengthen that area a little at a time without over doing it. Take it easy, and be careful because it does take a while to get back to normal. Its a big adjustment training your body all over again, but don't worry you will be back to normal before you know it. Good luck and congrats! Enjoy all these first moments they fly by so fast.

I had an emergency C-section with my daughter in March 2008. I get more of an itching/pulling sensation. My gyno told me that it's the nerves trying to regenerate. My suggestion - trust your instincts. If it's painful and doesn't go away, something may be wrong. Don't be afraid to seek a second opinion. Your baby needs a healthy mom to take care of him! Good luck!

I had a c-section and did not have this experience, however, it does sound like things are trying to shift back, you'll feel all sorts of weird pains for the next few months. I would take warm sitz baths and if you can begin massaging the c-section scar (very lightly) with some vitamin E oil (or coconut or olive oil, NOT baby oil) to help move the scar tissue and loosen it up so you don't lose any feeling. Another good tip from a nurse friend is to use a foot stool when trying to have a bowel mvmt, lean back and let gravity do the work instead of your abs (which I am sure you know is a tad difficult), this may help alleviate the pain too to take the pressure off.

If you feel like your doc is brushing you off, doesn't hurt to get a second professional opinion.

Since you had a UTI, (which are common with c-section mommies b/c they of the tube used to expell the urine is either placed incorrectly or put back in without sanitizing it)please take a round of probiotics to give your immune system a boost it desparately needs from A. Giving Birth, B. from the antibiotics since it kills both good and bad bacteria, you need to replenish it and replenish your son's too since it does go into his system. Florajen 3 is a top-rated brand and can be found at a health food store or a Whole Foods.

Congrats and let me know if you have any further questions.

J. W. MPH
Wellness Educator/Lifestyle and Wellness Consultant
JJ Wellness Consulting

Yes I feel your pain I just had my 2nd c section 8 weeks ago and after about 6 weeks the pain finally went away. I do agree that warm wash cloths, a warm bath use to also help. You can even massage it with some baby oil that helped. The joys of motherhood huh! One thing that the doctor had told me the first time was to becareful not to carry anything heavier than my son. Good luck and I hope the pain will go away soon for you...and congrats on your son

I had a c-section and had all sorts of odd pains and even had an ultra sound to rule out complications afterward. I was in pain and felt terrible and thought I had to be the slowest healer in the world then out of nowhere one day you feel better. I takes a LONG time. It's major surgery and childbirth. Double whammy. I also took the pain pills sparingly because I was breast feeding, so we probably felt more things going on in there and the contractions that come from breast feeding. Hang in there.

I recently had my 3rd c-section in 4 years and each recovery was harder than the one before. Part of the reason for that was that I had more children to take care of each time! You really need to listen to the doctors when they tell you not to lift anything. (My dr told me nothing heavier than 8 lbs, which was the size of my last baby. The other 3 kids were SOL.) Easier said than done, but you will recover more quickly.

I was in so much pain after this last one that I was absolutely convinced I had a surgical hernia. So my doc sent me for a CT scan. They saw a small scar on my bladder (probably nicked it during the surgery) but everything else was fine. Doc said the pain was either from 1) scar tissue, 2) too much activity, and/or 3) normal recovery. Remember that all of your organs were moved around from the pregnancy and from the surgery. And you have lots of tissues that need to fuse together again -- it's not just the incision that you can see on your skin.

I know I felt worse at night because that's when I finally sat down after moving around all day. If you're doing things, you don't think about the pain. When you aren't doing anything, you can finally realize that you are hurting.

I continued to wear a maternity support belt to hold everything together and to stop the jiggling. I also took 4 motrin at a time instead of the pain meds. I did that every 4 hours even if I didn't feel like I needed it. That way I didn't "get behind the pain". Other than that, I just tried to take it easy as much as possible. It took about 6 weeks before I really felt better.

Please try to rest. Get help from everyone who offers. And if they don't offer, then ask for help. I hope you feel better soon. Congrats on your beautiful new baby boy!!