Whqt were your restrictions after giving birth? Lifting, etc...

[MIGrandma]

I really don't recall having any restrictions.

I do remember coming home when our second child was born (after spending 3days in the hospital) and vacuuming and doing laundry the day we brought her home. I wasn't in any pain at all and felt great so just went ahead and did it.

But I know doctors/hospitals change things all the time. Like our doctor recommended starting the kids on rice cereal at night at 2 weeks old. Now they say not until 4 months.

 

[1PrincessMomma1]

Yeah they said it but who follows it? I drove the about 28 hours after birth with most of the kids.

 

[waltskids]

I was told no driving or lifting for 2 weeks too (nothing over 10 lbs). I had 2 regular deliveries with stitches and both times I was driving by the 3rd day after I came home. I think they tell people this but I don't know anyone who actually follows it, except for c-sections of course.

 

[taximomfor4]

It's generally in the mountains of discharge paperwork at the hospital. Different OB's might have their ow2n as well, but each hospital I was at (for clinicals and for my kids' own births) had standard forms.

Just a word of warning -- I did too much after dd#2 was born. Too much lifting, too much activity can increase bleeding, especially at the site where the placenta was attached. Ended up relapsing, and getting an infection in my uterus. I was very, VERY sick. Remember waaaaaay back? Women died from childbirth. If not during, sometimes after...Childbed Fever. While bacteria was the infecting organism, having the uterine lining open is a portal so that the organism can enter the bloodstream.

Childbirth, whether by C-section or not, is a major strain on the body. It requires recovery. MOST of us probably don't adhere to the recovery time strictly, and end up fine...but developing that fever was SCARY and eye-opening. I was back in the hospital WITHOUT my new baby, and then on bedrest for WEEKS more.

 

[Freyja]

No restrictions after my 4 natural births. However, after the c-section I was advised not to lift anything heavy for the first 2-3 weeks.

 

[ZPT1022]

I had less restrictions with my first- no lifting anything heavier than the baby for a few weeks, no vacuuming, etc... but nothing about driving. I did have a bunch of stitches this time

After my twins it was no lifting anything but the babies, preferably not both at the same time (yeah, okay), no driving three weeks, etc... but I had a rough delivery, lots of bleeding, they tried to turn the second twin and cracked some of my ribs in the process- all in all a pretty rough delivery and recovery.

 

[disney1990]

Whatever the restrictions, be sure to follow them. Our neighbor did and she hemoraged and ended up back in the hospital.

 

[krcit]

It's generally in the mountains of discharge paperwork at the hospital. Different OB's might have their ow2n as well, but each hospital I was at (for clinicals and for my kids' own births) had standard forms.

Just a word of warning -- I did too much after dd#2 was born. Too much lifting, too much activity can increase bleeding, especially at the site where the placenta was attached. Ended up relapsing, and getting an infection in my uterus. I was very, VERY sick. Remember waaaaaay back? Women died from childbirth. If not during, sometimes after...Childbed Fever. While bacteria was the infecting organism, having the uterine lining open is a portal so that the organism can enter the bloodstream.

Childbirth, whether by C-section or not, is a major strain on the body. It requires recovery. MOST of us probably don't adhere to the recovery time strictly, and end up fine...but developing that fever was SCARY and eye-opening. I was back in the hospital WITHOUT my new baby, and then on bedrest for WEEKS more.

Wow! Very scary!! My ds(3rd child) was born 2 weeks early so I didn't have everything done and when I got home from the hospital I felt great so I was running up and down stairs doing laundry and straightening up and BAM-all of a sudden I had terrible pains and was bleeding like crazy. I took it easy and luckily I was fine. They give you restrictions for a reason!

 

[wilderness01]

There are restrictions whether a "normal delivery or c-section." A c-section just has a longer recovery period and greater restrictions.

We say no lifting anything heavier than the baby for 4 weeks and no driving for at least a week. No pushing the vacuum either because it uses more strength than you realize. We don't want you driving because we want you to be able to slam on the break with no pain or tenderness in the perineal area.

Everyone should have discharge instructions sent home with them, but whether or not that happens, is another story.

 

[kerstfan1]

when having a c section your body will take up to one year to recover
sometimes even longer they have to cut trough i believe 6 dierent muscles on top of each other

 

[HelenePA]

no restrictions after any of my births.. all ******l. Now I did get yelled at for picking up my first daughter a few hours after having her sister by the nurses

DS2 was jaundiced so I had to take him for blood tests daily. One of the nurses was amazed I had just had him 2 days before.. she told me she was in the hospital for 7 days with vag. deliverys I would have gone insane being in a hospital for 7 days!

 

[RachelEllen]

I just want to reiterate that the driving restriction is a really, serious safety issue. You may feel fine, but if you have to slam on your breaks really quickly when driving, not only might you hurt yourself, you might also involuntarily pull your foot back (like you startle when something you touch is too hot, or how you protect a muscle you are straining too much) This could cause a serious accident.