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MissAngel 
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 Topic: Healing when one is larger
Posted: 01 May 2008 at 4:42pm |
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So it just occured to me (with my impending c-section) how the heck am I gonna get all nice and healed up when i'm a fatty and have a stomach which will hang down over the wound sight??? Of course not all of us are blessed/cursed with a nice flat(ish) tummy, so what do they do? I'll be asking the obstetrician on tuesday, but I was really worried about it today!
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Freesia
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Posted: 01 May 2008 at 5:53pm |
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I'm the exactly the same and have a nice 'apron' that hangs down but I healed up great without any problems/infection and that was in the middle of a sweaty summer.
Make sure that the dressings they put on cover the wound properly (get DH to have a look and check it is totally sealed off) and if possible leave it on for as long as you can. I had mine dressed for about 10 days - basically until the stitches came out. My midwife wanted them left in for a bit longer to help it seal and she replaced the dressing a couple of times. After you shower it helps to use the blow dryer and dry it out too and when you lie down, lift up your belly and hold it there for a while to let it breathe. I think that was all I did. Good luck with the c-sect and bubby.
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peachy
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Posted: 01 May 2008 at 6:54pm |
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I also recommend a big fat sanitary pad laid across your wound (held in place by your knickers) gives great relief from pants that dig in to that fold that the op creates! I did this for a good few weeks after my section!
I actually found that the thing that annoyed me the most was how itchy it was and still can be! My tummy did hang over my wound (how can it not, you are cut in just the right spot to create an over hang). Now I have lost weight I don't have the over hang anymore!
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ElfsMum
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Posted: 02 May 2008 at 10:48am |
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i had no problems with healing...dressing didnt come over for 3 weeks though...and overhang didnt come back for a couple of weeks either... healing isnt any different for larger people:) but i was surprised at how little i could do initially.. (not sure if having emergency after labour made a difference.. what do you think peachy?)
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Freesia
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Posted: 02 May 2008 at 11:59am |
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Healing is different for larger people. I'm talking about large, like had an overhang before pregnancy, had one during, and will have one for ever after. If your tummy overhangs it normally, then after the c-sect, if you aren't really careful with keeping it clean and dry you are really likely to get an infection. It just never gets a 'breather'.
It's not that hard though, just takes a bit of time when you're already rushed off your feet. I'm sure your ob will have a few suggestions anyway.
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Neeks
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Posted: 02 May 2008 at 12:34pm |
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You'll have no problems if you keep your wound clean and dry... I had no dressings on my wound 5 days post op but I did find the sanitary pad on it helped with the rubbing when wearing pants
Even 6 months on, my scar gets really itchy.. and it's still numb from nerve damage
(oh and my c-sect was an emergency one)
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peachy
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Posted: 04 May 2008 at 8:46pm |
KA, I had no problems with my healing, but I was laid up for 6 days after having it. After my marathon 27 hour labour, then a c section my body was shattered. I didn't get out of bed for 2 days, and even then I could barely walk. I think the best thing about having an emergency c after labour is that your body has done everything it was meant to do during childbirth except for the baby coming out vaginally, so its probably better for your body etc I would think??
Man my scar has been so itchy this weekend, it drives me crazy and its so embarrasing scratching "down there"!! I actually hate the fact I have my scar it annoys me so much, but I did get my beautiful girl from it, so it does make up for it 
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Kels
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Posted: 05 May 2008 at 12:15am |
My c sect took forever to heal as the staples were taken out too early and it opened and because I had a over hanging tummy I had to laydown and air it as much as possible as advised by the GP. Keeping the dressing ventilated helps healing and with my tummy over it air wouldnt have been getting thru properly.
Off the topic - Peachy I cant believe they didnt get you up on day dot or the next. It is very unsafe due to circulation that you get up. Naughty nurses!
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ElfsMum
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Posted: 06 May 2008 at 8:59am |
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freesia- i am large(106 kg before pregnancy) and my healing much easier and better than my two skinny friends:)
peachy- mine never been itchy or had any problems..sound like i was lucky.. i never thought about it that way in terms of having done everything except the delivery... thats a good way to think about it:)i was up very soon after.. even with stupid catheter for 48 hours.. :(
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peachy
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Posted: 06 May 2008 at 10:03am |
Kels probably due to two things, I had the WORST possible birth anyone could ever have and secondly Waitakere Hospital was so short staffed I am surprised they got me out of bed at all, some days there were only 2 nurses on for a whole ward full of newborns 
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ElfsMum
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Posted: 06 May 2008 at 10:09am |
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yes peachy you deserve a much better go next time !
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Freesia
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Posted: 06 May 2008 at 10:26am |
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48 hours?? Yikes. I'm even bigger than you KA and I healed up fine too with no probs at all. But it could've been because we were so careful in looking after it. I feel lucky too in that mine never itches or anything either.
MissAngel, did your Ob give you some suggestions for what to do?
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Freesia
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Posted: 06 May 2008 at 10:29am |
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Peachy, we had a few nights when there were only 3 nurses on and they made you feel like such a PITA if you rang them for help. A few of them were like that all the time too. I couldn't wait to get out of there.
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ElfsMum
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Posted: 06 May 2008 at 12:35pm |
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freesia- yeah got it out slightly befoe even though the nurse wsaid 'i cant believeyou are allowed to get it out now' but i had the doc who did the c section tell her i was allowed too..no end of problems with this stupid women..most of the rest were nice ...anyway:) it was because of blood in urine or something?but i hated it so got it out early:)
we had lots of nurses but some were awful they all had different ways of doing things and all it did was confuse me:( i complained once and got told by one nurse what she thought about that(is it my fault she had given up smoking two days beforehand!) i should have laid an offical complaint.
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Neeks
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Posted: 06 May 2008 at 2:55pm |
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I was up and about the same day, but for short bursts.. first time was for a shower and a cuddle of my little girl, then i took it slowly from there on in... I had those horrible pressure bandages on my legs and they made me swell up worse so I refused to put them on once I had taken them off to have a shower...
I was in hospital a total of 5 days post baby and I did most of the work myself.. bathed, fed, changed...without the directions of anyone else
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ElfsMum
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Posted: 06 May 2008 at 3:25pm |
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neeks- well done...
theres no way i could have got up except to go to the loo etc for the first few days...:( (and when they made me) turning over was hard enough! cant imagine what it will be like next time..
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Freesia
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Posted: 06 May 2008 at 6:23pm |
 Neeks wrote:
I was up and about the same day, but for short bursts.. first time was for a shower and a cuddle of my little girl, then i took it slowly from there on in... I had those horrible pressure bandages on my legs and they made me swell up worse so I refused to put them on once I had taken them off to have a shower...
I was in hospital a total of 5 days post baby and I did most of the work myself.. bathed, fed, changed...without the directions of anyone else |
I had forgotten about those bandages. I was in for 5 days too and had to do everything right from go. Trying to get up and down all day and night with the c-sect was really hard. Then they wouldn't help to settle her because they were too busy so I had to walk her around the corridors all night myself. There was just no other option but to get up and about.
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Kels
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Posted: 06 May 2008 at 7:03pm |
peachy wrote:
Kels probably due to two things, I had the WORST possible birth anyone could ever have and secondly Waitakere Hospital was so short staffed I am surprised they got me out of bed at all, some days there were only 2 nurses on for a whole ward full of newborns |
I would probably say the latter as I had a horrendous birth labouring and trying to push out my 10lb baby and then having a emer c sect so fast they didnt have time to give me an epi and gave me GA instead. as soon as I was awake I was up with the nusre trying to get me to walk, of course I was crying my eyes out in pain but not really understanding the importance of it all.
I think that is terrible not to have enough staff on, the poor mums and bubs not to mention the nurses who are racing around trying to look after everyone. Lets hope it doesnt take a dead mum or buba for them to realise they need more staff.
Peachy I really wish you luck for next preg/labour. My other 2 were a breeze (not that I would have said at the time lol)
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Bombshell
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Posted: 07 May 2008 at 5:31am |
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I am larger too and found I just lifted my tummy up to pat the scar dry...it took me weeks to be able to look close at it...I hate blood etc! I eventually had as I had an ingrown hair and had to get it out! going back to spec for 6 week appt was a help as he told me how awesome the scar looked etc etc....great booster!
as for in hopsital help....i was made to get out of bed once catheter was taken out and once morphine pump was taken out i could walk free - but til then i took pump and all to baby and bthroom! I was made to walk around and had sockings on for all five days. I lost a lot of blood etc yet I had an amazingly positive c section experience and will do it again. Mine wasnt emergency and i never labourer tho - maybe that is the difference.
I have lost a little weight - NOT much - and scar is barely noticeable for me now. the occasional itch comes and goes...
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ElfsMum
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Posted: 07 May 2008 at 8:43am |
Freesia wrote:
Neeks wrote:
I was up and about the same day, but for short bursts.. first time was for a shower and a cuddle of my little girl, then i took it slowly from there on in... I had those horrible pressure bandages on my legs and they made me swell up worse so I refused to put them on once I had taken them off to have a shower...
I was in hospital a total of 5 days post baby and I did most of the work myself.. bathed, fed, changed...without the directions of anyone else |
I had forgotten about those bandages. I was in for 5 days too and had to do everything right from go. Trying to get up and down all day and night with the c-sect was really hard. Then they wouldn't help to settle her because they were too busy so I had to walk her around the corridors all night myself. There was just no other option but to get up and about. |
thats shocking....as much as i had issues with the hospital the care during the night esp was fab just ring the button and they help you if you cant do it while still encouraging you if you could..
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Healing when one is larger
