Sunday, January 24, 2010

Recovering From the Big C



To be 100% honest, I bounced back pretty quickly after my c-section. I actually think I recovered A LOT faster than I would have had I gone through a vaginal delivery. I was up and walking around within 12 hours. Sore - yes. But for me, I was thankful to just have a sore abdomen vs. a sore you-know-what. I know many women feel the opposite - that the recovery from a vaginal birth is preferred over a c-section. I think it helped a ton that I had been walking like it was my job in the 10 weeks before giving birth. I was in better shape than I had been, and my abdominal muscles were stronger thanks to the constant walking. Now almost 4 weeks post-surgery, I'm only dealing with one small part of the incision that won't close up. The rest was healed within one week - but the right side - about a 1.5 cm section - just won't close up! So every week I've been going to the OB for them to check on it and make sure it's not infected. This process also involves sticking silver nitrate directly into the wound to "help the healing process". Not sure if you've ever experienced the joys of silver nitrate, but it basically feels like a lit match is being shoved in - burns like heck! Maybe it's payback for a relatively smooth recovery otherwise. : ) But I really wanted to write this post to let all the soon-to-be-mamas know that a c-section doesn't have to be traumatic. Yes, I will have a scar. But it honestly is already invisible (minus the part that hasn't healed). I'm happy to answer questions about my c-section - just e-mail me! I know I was freaked out before hand, so I'm happy to let you know more about my experience to help ease your mind!