How long after birth did it take you to feel good enough to go out? - Page 2

[Smokering]

I just left the house today at 1 week postpartum. DH drove us all to the mall and I spent about an hour drinking a milkshake, wandering around a few shops and generally chillin', while DH had a business meeting.

By the end of it I was zonked, and got home and promptly fell into bed and had a two and a half hour nap. I was surprised to feel so tired, but I did lose over a litre of blood during the birth...

ETA: 13 days PP now. Just accompanied DH to the supermarket. Zonked again. It's fortunate I was expecting to be a fainting violet this time around, because I am! Had a quick, natural childbirth... but still! I'm having at LEAST one big long nap a day, and the baby isn't even a bad sleeper.

Edited by Smokering - 6/29/11 at 7:15pm

[girlspn]

My mother and aunts believe in staying in bed for at least a month ('sitting month' in chinese tradition) to recover. I just had my first baby so this is my first experience. I had to run errands for baby's travel documents, and I went out for the first time 4 days pp, and a few more times that week. Each trip was only an hour or so, and didn't involve much walking, but I felt completely drained afterwards, even after 12 days pp. I had a natural birth with no interventions and thought I'd feel better sooner! 

[nononose]

I didn't leave the upstairs the day she was born, but we were out of the house the next day.  Small errands/trips.  I was doing most things after the first week, but it took a full 2 weeks before I was able to go out with my toddler without another adult to run after her!  What a difference from my first (c-section).  I had a 2nd degree tear with this one, but found it only bothered me in the washroom and sitting on certain surfaces - not with walking or mobility. 

[Ola_]

I just looked back at some of the early baby pictures to remind myself of the dates because I know I spent the first couple of days exclusively in our bedroom.  I lost 1000mL of blood in a pph after the birth so I was pretty out of it and would black out after getting up to go to the bathroom.  I didn't leave the house till day 17 and that was just to go for a walk around the block with DD in the sling.

[insidevoice]

I am always up and about within a day or so.  After my first delivery, I went home later that day, then we took a two mile walk to go out to  restaurant for dinner.  Of course, I was in my 20s then, and I bounced back faster than I do now.  My last two births it's been a couple hours before I was up and walking around, and I did get an increase in lochia when I walked more than a couple hours a day initially. 

I am likely to have a c-section this time, so I suspect it will be entirely different, but I do hope to bounce back within a week or so. 

(Caveat:  I am a cancer survivor.  I can not tolerate NOT being up and about and doing things anymore, and I tend not to notice discomfort or fatigue until I am well past what most people will find completely debilitating.  While I may be as tired as other people- or in pain, I learned early on to ignore those signals from my body.  What I do isn't necessarily healthy, but it is what works to keep me emotionally healthy.)

[Holistic]

I read an interesting blog post about waiting 40 days to leave the house here: http://integrativemom.com/prevention/fortydays/

made me think maybe i'd do the same thing! she has some valid points....

[jessica1124]

I would say close to 6 weeks as possible

[artekah]

I stayed in bed for most of the first week, then got up and started doing some light things around the house. Took my first real walk--maybe a mile around the neighborhood--at two weeks. Made a point not to do any strenuous things until after 6 weeks. I had a natural birth at home with no tearing and my blood loss was normal, so I think I probably had an easier time healing than some. It's really important to listen to your body--whether it takes you 3 days or 3 months to recover.

[member234098]

.  

Edited by member234098 - 6/2/12 at 1:25pm

[~Amy~]

I was hiking (not strenuous hiking but hiking a local moderate trail) 2 weeks after my c-section. I felt great, never took any pain meds other than a regular strength Tylenol once or twice while still in the hospital. After my VBAC, it took me a lot longer to bounce back. I was quite sore, had some stitches, and walking was really uncomfortable for a month at least. I did feel a lot better immediately afterwards with my vaginal birth, but longer term, my section recovery was easier. I expect I'm not the norm, though.

[samstress]

well, i've gotten out pretty quickly (out of necessity and out of the fact that i just hate being cooped up in the house) after both my births (one c-section and one vbac with an episiotomy), but nothing more than just shuffling around the grocery store.  i'm gonna say it took about four weeks before i was really moving and even longer before i felt 100% myself again (maybe six to eight weeks).  i'm now nearly nine weeks pp and have finally started running just in the last week.

[Zan&Zav]

First birth, natural drug free birth, 24 hours later i was out with baby for a 4 hour walk.

Second birth, emergency classical C-section took about 8 weeks before I could walk longer then 10 minutes.

[SilverFish]

wow, i really am having a hard time remembering! with dd, it was a fairly easy and not too long labour, and she was in the NICU for 2 weeks after, so i was out and about quite a bit within 2 days of delivery, as i was travelling back and forth between home and the hospital. as soon as she was home, i was pretty much back to my normal level of activity, walking, etc (and we lived in a 3rd floor walk up, so lots of stairs!). however, despite the fact that i was quite active, i felt horrific. my tearing was 2nd degree but quite extensive, and what with the stairs and the travelling, i ended up tearing my stitches in the first week. i was not close to feeling myself physically and emotionally until about 9 weeks pp. that was when breastfeeding finally got sorted out, the tearing was fully healed, and i was sleeping a bit better. the weather becoming nice and warm around then really helped too! 

[KaylaBeanie]

It's been interesting reading the wide variety of experiences! I haven't had babies yet, so I obviously have no idea how things will go. I will say though, I love any excuse to curl up at home in my pajamas with loved ones, so that "40 days" thing intrigues me. I love the idea of spending that time in comfy clothes, resting and nursing baby while family/friends come to me. I've always been a visual person and I envision the first month or two after the birth of my first baby to be spent in sweats, nursing while spending massive amounts of time watching TV and surfing the web. Sounds heavenly to me.

[philomom]

We went out with baby in the sling at four days after. The holidays were coming on and I had to get a few things bought.

[ThreeCats]

DS was born on a Saturday morning. We had him at the Outlet Mall (in a sling) on Monday afternoon - I needed a bra. I was tired, but otherwise felt fine. It was a hard labor (induction), and I had an epidural...but I was walking around and wanting to go home within a couple of hours of his birth.

[MrsMike]

I'm 10 days pp. I was up an about the house - even did a few dishes - a few hours after the birth. I tried to lay in as much as possible for the first 3 days. We were out briefly at 4 days pp, but I didn't really get out of the car. I visited Target at 5 day pp for a new bra and I've been out at least once a day since then. I'm resting as much as possible when home - hubby has been doing most of the cleaning, brings me meals in bed and takes my son out for a few hours so I can nap with the baby - but I cannot stand to be cooped up. I've felt fine. Had a bit of bottom soreness the first few days I started going out, but it's gotten a lot better. My pp bleeding has slowed and is just some brownish to clear discharge now. Oh, I had a natural birth at home with a 2nd degree tear.

[lizsky]

In the past I've heard so many "I felt awesome right away" stories that I'm kindof reassured to realize that I'm not the only one who felt pretty sore and tired for a while.  With DD I had a great waterbirth, but a 2nd degree tear, and felt sore whenever I walked or climbed stairs for a couple weeks.  I wanted to stay home and take it really slow, but the unexpected death of my best friend 4days postpartum sent me 200 miles to a funeral where I had to make a speech at 13 days post-partum :( ...with my next little one due next spring I am hoping for a REAL babymoon.  Although my toddler might make that more complicated!    

[Honey693]

With my first I tore and was out the next day.

Second, no tear and I was out the next day,  I would have been out that day, but that got vetoed by everyone.

I am one of those lucky people that bounces back super quick from everything (I ate solid food 24 hours after having my wisdom teeth taken out under general) and can't stand to be home for more than 24 hours.  That being said I took a ton of naps too.