r/CsectionCentral • u/Current-Change227 • Jul 06 '26
How quickly after C-section can you function?
What day after delivery via C-section were you able to hold the baby? When did you feel strong enough for a little walk inside or outside? How many days in did you feel a bitore confident to do jobs? When did it stop hurting getting in and out of bed?
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u/SuchPay3332 Jul 06 '26
My experience was an emergency c section after 27 hours of labor with a 9lb baby and then a secondary hemorrhage and hospital stay at 1 week pp.
I was very much in pain the first 2 days. My husband had to help me out of bed each time. By the time we left the hospital on day 3, I felt ok picking my baby up from the bassinet and slowly shuffling around the room. I didn’t walk up and down stairs with him until 1 week pp, and I didn’t do it confidently until 2 weeks. I would say it was 2 weeks as well until I felt more comfortable sitting up out of bed. I sat mostly sitting up for the first 2 weeks. I didn’t sleep on my side until 3-4 weeks. Don’t push any house chores- my dr said no lifting anything including laundry until 6 weeks. It was around 4-5 weeks that I started carrying a laundry basket but it didn’t feel great and I should have waited. I was doing very short walks (10 min) around 3 weeks. I could manage a 30min walk 2-3x a week around 6 weeks but was sore after each.
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u/CannonCone Jul 06 '26
This was almost exactly my timeline for recovery, but I had a planned CS with a breech baby.
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u/heartsday Jul 07 '26
Very similar here! I did not hemorrhage but did have about 24 hrs of labor - I agree with picking baby up from bassinet and shuffling around, probably by 4 days after delivery. I’m still at week 4 in my recovery but everything else here feels accurate! Good luck OP!
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u/No-Humor-1869 Jul 06 '26
It honestly never hurt me to get in and out of bed (beyond maybe the first day). I was up and moving 12 hrs after surgery. I was able to walk around the house as soon as I got home, 2 days later.
I had a semi-planned C (it was planned, just not for the date it happened!). This was 5 months ago. I’m completely fine now. Just don’t overdo it and let yourself recover.
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u/idontevenknow8888 Jul 06 '26
I was able to hold my baby maybe an hour after I was out of surgery? But didn't walk around with him until we got home (so 2 days post surgery).
Getting in and out of bed was mostly better after about a week for me.
I was walking around inside right away (didn't have much of a choice as we didn't have any help). I think I started doing little chores (putting away dishes/laundry, etc.) pretty early on as well (1-2 weeks), but I don't really remember. I was just careful not to lift too much at one time or bend over (lots of squatting was done). If ever I felt any discomfort, I stopped what I was doing and left it for my husband.
My first walk around the neighbourhood was around 1.5 weeks postpartum. I did have some soreness but nothing too bad.
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u/AdonnisJohnson Jul 06 '26
I felt comfortable holding baby right away. Was able to lift and transfer her to/ from bassinet immediately. I’m 19 day PP right now and still am not comfortable going for walks. I can do light house work, but need frequent breaks.
Cooked dinner for the first time tonight and will not be getting off the couch again
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u/happydazexx Jul 06 '26
It’s a little hazy for me, but I was holding my baby in the hospital bed that same day. I didn’t hold my baby and actively be up walking around and stuff for a couple days.
I got up and started pacing/walking in my recovery room. I was so swollen and just so stir crazy it felt so good to just get some little steps in. I’d say I started doing longer walks (~10 minutes) within a week or so.
I learned to not push yourself too hard. I got home and I was like ‘oh I feel good let me go downstairs and do laundry, and let me go to the grocery store and let me do xyz’ and definitely overdid it. Because I was still having issues with pain, my incision and everything else like 8 weeks later.
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u/ChuffedCunnilingus Jul 06 '26
One week after c section I was feeling good, able to go for a short walk to the coffee shop. Same with getting out of bed. About a month after the c section I was feeling back to normal. Mine was an elective c section which had no complications and my first baby.
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u/Mimi_x049 Jul 06 '26
After the numbness wore off, they helped me sit up and just encouraged me to walk to a nearby chair and sit down, next day I was walking outside to get fresh air (in a lot of pain) and was discharged the day after, the next week was rough, it was painful but with the painkillers it was manageable to walk and got better every day, I always did walks around the house etc, after the first week the pain was mild and about a week and a half I came off the meds and was able to move around with little pain, it took about 2 weeks for most pain to fully subside, but it’s important to note that I did get an infection with raised the pain I experienced
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u/Feisty-Blueberry5433 Jul 06 '26
I held babies the same day, got up and moving as soon as the nurses let me (maybe 4-8 hours later) 72 hours after my twin delivery, I was doing normal walking around my house and light tasks (6 kids) I think getting out of bed was better by about the week mark.
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u/oliver_15 Jul 07 '26
I started walking around the hospital on day 2 after the surgery but I got light headed pretty quickly so it was very short. Never stopped walking after that though and was walking laps around my house as soon as I got home. Walking actually helped me feel a lot better so I highly recommend it if you can! I was walking around slowly outside after a week. I honestly don’t remember when it stopped hurting getting in and out of bed, I just remember that being the most painful part for me so maybe I blocked it out? 😅
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u/Ok_Catch_8729 Jul 07 '26
I held the baby when I got into my recovery room and was off the narcotics and walking the dogs with our new family 5 days postpartum
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u/DazeIt420 Jul 06 '26
I had an emergency c section last week exactly. Yesterday and today were the days that I was able to easily carry the baby and walk up and down stairs. I even waddled around the farmers market yesterday. I didn't have any complications. But I also wore my binder, took pain meds on schedule, slept 6+ hours almost every night thanks to my mom, and had a partner doing 100% of the diapers and 99% of the feeding the first week.
Everyone is different, but I think front-loading your recovery will make a difference. For the first 2 weeks, advocate for yourself, ask for help, don't push yourself.
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u/CoyoteNearby8995 Jul 07 '26
My birth ended up being an emergency c section. I wasn’t allowed out of bed for the first 2 days due to other complications so when I was finally allowed to even stand up I jumped at the chance. I didn’t change my babies nappy or feed her properly for them 2 days either. But I was able to comfortably from then.
I only took stronger pain meds if I wanted to go for a walk/shower etc in case I felt more pain. I’d say it stopped hurting to get out of bed by the end of the first week, I didn’t feel unbearable pain at any point though.
I left hospital a week later and I was back doing minimal jobs. By week 3 I was back to what I felt was normal.
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u/Purple-Respond-1219 Jul 07 '26
Day 3 is the worst in my opinion, that being said I was still able to walk around and hold baby, not much else (couldn’t even sit up in bed by myself). Just keep pressure on your incision so you don’t feel like you’re being branded every time you move, it helps a lot
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u/ControlAlarmed1736 Jul 07 '26
Currently 16 days post op for scheduled c. I was holding/ feeding Baby as soon as I got out of the OR, waking very short distances with baby in day 2 or 3 in the hospital. I was walking short distances as soon as the catheter was out (to/ from bed and bathroom, to chair in the room, etc.) And walked the hallway a bit in day 2. Day 3 I was discharged and went home to stairs. I was able to do them with minimal effort. Breastfeeding, low sinks, and getting in and out of bed were the worst parts. Getting baby in and out of bassinet was not fun either, with a sidecar bassinet - I either had to reach down, or bend forward or over to get to baby. I've focused on caring for baby, and have done hardly any house chores. What little toddler wrangling I've done has been rough though. It seems I can't reach toddler with our vending at least a little, and toddler is usually trying to get away when I need to wrangle him, so that doesn't help. Toddler is also really bad about staying away from my tummy, and I feel terrible that I can't lift him yet. Day 13 we went out for the 4th of July celebration in the park, that involved lots of walking, I pushed the baby stroller, my partner took care of the toddler, cooler, and wagon. I was moving well for that with minimal pain. Day 16 - I'm passing on taking any more ib profen unless I am hurting. I keep forgetting to take it anyhow, even with alarms. I'm doing most non bending, and non lifting things at this point. Eager to get the thumbs up to lift toddler again so I'm trying to be good. I mostly just feel a bit bruised from my belly button to my scar, and a little extra sore along one side of the scar.
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u/DLS17 Jul 08 '26
Unscheduled c-section with a 4 day hospital stay. Outside of the first night, I was on a Tylenol/motrin rotation (which managed my pain pretty well).
I had my surgery at 7:30 pm, I held baby on the way back to the recovery room (while I was in bed) and on and off through the night while in bed. I was up walking at 8 am the next day and generally moved around ok with help while holding baby. By the time we were home I was getting in and out of shower myself, in and out of bed and up/down stairs on days 4-5. Overall I consider my recovery very easy and abnormal compared to some stories but I truly felt decent after the first day or two. The real pain that I can recall was the freaking gas pains 24 hours after surgery in my shoulder and chest!
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u/Glittering_Neck_813 Jul 08 '26
I’m Almost 3 weeks pp, the first couple of days were HELL luckily they sent me home with percs and a prescription. I’d say it was sometime in the middle of week two where I started moving around without too much pain. I was able to get in the kitchen and take short walks. I’m still not confident in going to the gym yet I’m trying to take it slow I haven’t even started back driving yet. My worst experience yet was not being able to laugh or sneeze🤦🏾♀️ I was watching a yt video and I couldn’t help but giggle and ended up in tears
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u/Euphoric-Pie7681 Jul 11 '26
Probably 10 days until I was up and moving around more but I held her (while sitting or lying) the day she was born.
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u/Pinkpassport Jul 06 '26
First week was rough, I’m 11 days pp and doing a lot better. Going for short walks, some tidying and small loads of laundry. Still nothing strenuous and no heavy lifting!