I had my baby boy Monday, October 2nd by emergency cesarean after 11.5 hours of labor. His heart rate was dropping and he was showing signs of distress. Doctor said he wasn't tolerating labor well at all anymore and he needed to get him out right away. The section itself went great, except I had some bleeding that they couldn't stop for a few minutes below my incision. So that was kind of scary.

Anyways, I just came home from the hospital yesterday and I'm just wondering how long the pain will be this bad? I can barely stand up straight when I get up from a chair or something, I walk at the pace of a drugged up snail, and sleeping is horrible. It hurts so much to lay down, but we don't have any kind of reclining chair or such. I have a prescription for Tylenol #3, but even taking that religiously every 4 hours, the pain is awful.

When can I expect it to start to diminish and feel like a person again?

Congratulations on your baby!!! He's so cute!
I think I remember the pain going away around 1 or 1 1/2 weeks post partum. I totally remember feeling the way that you are feeling- it was so hard to stand up or get out of bed- I had to prop myself up on the couch in order to get any sleep. My suggestion would be to get up and walk around your house as much as you can, because it will help get things back to normal quicker. My c-section wasn't emergency, and I'm not sure if the recovery is different from an emergency c-section and a regular c-section- it way take a little longer. Hang in there though, you should be feeling a lot better soon.

Everyone's different. We have some here who jumped right up after their surgery. The worst of my pain (Rx meds) lasted 3-4 weeks. I could barely walk. I couldn't hold Ben very well. Some here have had pain lasting 10+ weeks. Talk to your doctor about a stronger pain med if necessary.

It took about 2 weeks to feel somewhat human...

Hey Cassie! It like what Bensmom said it really depends on the person. I am 2 weeks PP and I have no pain at all anymore but some moms will have bad pain for weeks. The best way for you to heal quicker is is move around as often as you can. I don't mean doing the laundry or cleaning your room. I mean if you want something to drink get it your self instead of someone else. It keeps you from getting realy stiff and really does make you feel better faster.

What's Tylenol #3? Is that with Codeine? I know everyone has a different pain threshold, so that works for some.... but there is no way I could have gotten by on that. I was given Vicodin after my first c-section, and it did nothing at all for me! With my last two I was given Percocet and that REALLY took care of the pain. Like someone else suggested, maybe ask our doctor for something stronger! I hope you feel better.

Yes, Tylenol 3 is Tylenol + Codine.

I agree! I'm allergic to Vicatin (it did nothing anyway), and Darvocet is like eating candy... it doesn't even knock me out. Percocet does for me what tylenol does for others. It kinda dulls the pain a little, but even it doesn't do the trick. I had a minor surgery when I was 12, and the doctor accidentally prescribed the adult dose of Codine to me. (Family friend... no, we didn't sue! ) I got hooked, and ever since that time, I get addicted to pain meds within 3-7 days of taking them and have to switch to something else. It's one of the reasons I try to jump back and forth between tylenol and advil so that I don't get too used to either one.

Edit... that controlled-environment addiction is also the reason I never tried recreational drugs when I got into high school. I knew how easily I'd get sucked in, and my parents would have found out and locked me in my room until I was 80. LOL! I guess in that case, it was a GOOD thing.

I honestly get enough Percocet to last me three weeks. It takes me at least a week and a half to be able to get up and shower without assistance. Before that, I really do need help with most any type of moving.

Good news: It gets easier with every one! My biggest problem with the second one was that my incision stayed open for 8 weeks. Gross!

Wow! What did you take after your c-section? Darvocet? I've never had that.

I was originally given Vicatin (didn't know I was allergic to it). Then I was given Darvocet... after a week of calling and complaining about the pain, I was given a week supply of percocet (which apparently is a big deal in texas??? ... she had to write the prescription on carbon copy paper, have another doctor co-sign it, and I had to show my i.d. to pick it up at the pharmacy?!?! ), after that ran out, I went back to the week supply I had left of the darvocet. 3 weeks was all she'd give me of Rx meds. I was in severe pain for 4 weeks (had trouble walking, needed help in the shower), and was in pretty bad pain until 6 weeks. I kept taking both tylenol and motrin after the meds ran out.

I agree that every person is different. I was on two meds--Ibprofen 600 and hydrocodone (or something like that--like Tylenol 3 or Vicadin). I would definitely call your doc and see if he/she can give you something else for the pain. I don't really remember being THAT sore past my hospital visit (four days). I actually had more pain when my milk came in than I did at that point with my c/s. Plus, like pp said, it probably has something to do with the fact that your c/s wasn't planned.
I hope you get answers/relief soon!
Congrats on your beautiful little boy!!!

After my first csection which was an emergency as well, I was on morphine in the hospital and given tylenox for home. I was in pretty bad pain for about two weeks and then it was just doing certain things that hurt after htat.

With my second csection, i was given tylenol 3 but barely took any of them. I was up walking in four hours.

I had a TR this spring and they gave me percocet for that surgery. I have a feeling i am going to ask for it for this csection as well. It really helped me out. I still have some left from my TR so if she doesnt give them to me i have plenty here to take still.

I had the exact same thing happen to me on Aug. 4th that happened to you...concerning birth and all. The pain lasted bad for about 4 weeks. It was so irritating because I had to use the wall, backboard, nightstand...anything to get up. I couldn't turn over in bed. I just hated it. My doctor gave me Norco. I'm not sure what it is equivilent to, but it worked pretty good. I have had percocet, and prefer it over any other med...and you can take it while your nursing. I would ask for something stronger. Tylenol 3 is way too wimpy of a pain med for what you just went thru!

Thanks all. I'm having a good day today. Yesterday was brutal... I just wanted to cry. I'm almost out of my prescription...eek!! Hopefully it gets better soon.

TAKE IT EASY! That was part of my problem. I wasn't steady. If I felt good, I did stuff I shouldn't be doing, and then the next day I couldn't do ANYTHING. Do exactly the same activities whether you're feeling good or bad. It'll keep your muscles limber and keep you from over doing things.

Yeah, I think that is my problem. I'm trying to do too much. It's so hard though to do nothing! I've been trying to take it easy today, but I'm starting to really hurt again so I think I'll just have to sit and do nothing for a bit. I have to keep telling myself I can't do the things I keep trying to do

Everyone is diffren, some the pain last for weeks while others bounce right back.

When my mother and her friend ahd thier C-sections it took them weeks to feel better where with me not even 24 hours later I was up and out of bed no problem. I had pain here and thier but the pain medication they gave me, ahhh was I in love .... but after a week they took me off of it and I was totally fine.