Recovery

The good, great, best news is that Eve is a fantastic newborn. I don't have a lot to compare her to, but so far, she's been a dream. She isn't very fussy, and when she gets fussy she's easy to soothe. She eats a lot (we haven't figured out a breastfeeding "routine" yet, but I'm just following her lead) and sleeps a lot, especially at night. I was unaware that newborns were capable of sleeping for 6- and 8-hour stretches.

My only "however" here is that I wish I had the opportunity to be writing more about what's going on. I want to tell the labor and delivery story while it's still fresh in my mind (and physical memory). I want to write at least something about breastfeeding because now that I'm doing it, I feel I have a better platform from which to rail against the "Nursing Nazis." And I also want to write about a bunch of other stuff so it's not BABY ALL THE TIME around here.

But the pain meds. They make this hard.

I've been on a Vicodin/Ibuprofen cocktail since my c-section, and I hate it. I love that I'm not in agonizing pain, of course, but I don't like taking Vicodin. It makes my head fuzzy and communication challenging -- I can hear myself speaking slower than I'm thinking. Writing is nearly impossible. (I'm embarrassed by how long this entry has taken me to put together; I can barely construct emails.)

So yesterday I decided to start cutting back on the meds, because I'm strong and feeling great! Yes! But then everything started hurting a lot, and then more, and then by 2 a.m. I had to call the doctor to make sure I wasn't going to die.

Doctor: Are you still taking your pain meds?

Me: Yeeeees...but... I took only about half the dosage today.

Doctor, with nearly audible eye roll: Why don't you take the correct dosage now, and then call the office tomorrow morning if you're still hurting.

Duh.

So right. Apparently I'm still recovering from surgery, even though I've basically been ignoring that fact for a week. Thus, it'll still be a while before I can construct the blog posts I'm dying to write. (I hope you will be patient!)

And thanks, again, for reading.

Comments

  1. Kristy,

    You are doing amazing! Don't forget that. We understand that Eve certainly comes before your blogging fans. I know what you mean about capturing the stories while they are still fresh. How about audio recordings? When you are feeling more up to it you can go back and write up the experiences.

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  2. Thank you for the update! You DO have a fabulous newborn. Non-cranky and easy. A dream. Yay, you guys!

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  3. Thanks for the update!

    Also, nursing a lot is completely normal- especially in the beginning. Growth spurts, building your supply etc. You're doing great, Mama!

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  4. *gentle non-jarring hug* You're doing great! Of course we'll be patient!

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  5. Congratulations! Now take your drugs and feel better soon.

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  6. Don't worry - you won't forget the experience. I had my baby 22 years ago, and I still remember what happened. The audio idea is a good one, because you can record it as telling Eve the story of her birthday. Meanwhile, take your meds, get all the rest you can, and concentrate on recovering. This was a C-section, not a paper cut! We'll all be here when you can get back to writing. Please give Eve a kiss on her cute little cheek (any one of the four will do) from her cyberaunt.

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  7. Congratulations again and just go heal up. You've got better things to do than worry about us (although once you've gotten back to you, do come back.)

    Best wishes on a speedy recovery.

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  8. Hope you're feeling better soon. If you keep having that much pain, GO SEE YOUR DOCTOR. I know everyone is different, but that doesn't sound like normal c-section recovery pain. I've had three c-sections, and by the time I was home from the hospital generally the only pain med I needed was a little tylenol. If you're having a ton of intense pain, something else may be going on. Don't be afraid to talk to your doctor.

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  9. I can't remember what I took after my c-section (wasn't vicodin I don't think), but I had pretty significant pain the first two weeks, especially if I went too long between doses.

    The third week wasn't too bad, just had to be careful how I moved. Buy the fourth week the pain was pretty much gone, so hang in there and remember you had MAJOR surgury. You don't need to be healed completely in a week, but you will get better everyday.

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  10. I can't believe she sleeps in six- and eight-hour stretches! You are the luckiest lady ever. Also, I echo what the above poster said about major abdominal surgery taking weeks to recover from—you are doing great!

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  11. I agree with Kate - she is sleeping 6-8 hours?? Do NOT tell other new moms you meet - they'll hate you :)

    And if you think the pain seems not right - call the Dr. at any time.

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  12. I had a c-section as well. However, I was one of those strange ones that really just pushed through that pain. I came home from the hospital with the twins, took a nap, and then got up and mopped the kitchen floor. I was a freak about cleaning!

    Just remember, they pulled your inners outside of your body and put them back in. That's bound to leave residual ouchies! Take your pills like a good girl!

    It's good to hear the baby is doing so well!

    Sheri

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  13. Oh girl -- take the pain meds as prescribed. Yes you just had a baby, but you also just had MAJOR surgery!!!

    I can't believe that she is already sleeping 6-8 hours, that is just amazing for a newborn. Mine didn't do that for months.

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  14. Kristy,

    I had a c-section and was on percoset + ibuprofen, and i think I got my perc refilled, although stopped them before finishing the second bottle. Stayed on ib longer. ANYWAY, FYI: the newborn sleeping a lot is likely due to getting the narcotics in your breastmilk!! My son didn't sleep that long, but I think after I stopped the perc he "perked" up a lot more. So don't be surprised if that happens.

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  15. Many congrats. As a fellow c-sectioner I will share with you the best info I was given by a friend. Don't try to be a hero...take all your pain meds until they run out. There is no reason to feel miserable.

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  16. So happy you are happy! Remember: everything changes, the good AND the bad. By two weeks from now, everything (sleep, feeding, pain, chaos, dealing, everything) will be totally different. One day at a time, dude.

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  17. As I recall it, the only "routine" we had at that point was that the baby "eats a lot . . . [mommy's] just following her lead." That's the best thing you can do right now. The Nursing Nazi's drive me nuts, too, and I look forward to reading your rant when you're up to it.

    And, now you know you still need the pain meds, so don't slack off on them for a while. :)

    I tell all my new mommy friends this: The first 6-8 weeks are the hardest. As soon as yuou make to that two month mark, you realize that things have pretty much fallen into place.

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  18. Congratulations on your beautiful girl. I've had two c-sections. The first time I tried to get off the Percocet too early for the same reasons you've said. I hated the way it made me feel. But being in pain was really draining and didn't help me or my baby. Hang in there and use the pain management they give you. You really will be able to do without it really soon.

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  19. When you are up to writing again we will be anxiously awaiting your posts. Take care and for goodness sake let your doctor sleep. :)

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  20. Just type (in an off-line document), don't worry about whether it makes sense. You can fix it up later, but you'll have the raw material of your thoughts and feelings and experiences to work with. (And the vicodin effects are part of that!)

    Or talk into a recorder.

    Big congratulations on your new baby.

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  21. Glad to here Eve is here and you're doing well.

    Not to be a downer, but it might be that Eve is sleeping so well because she's getting some of that Vicodin via your breast milk. I quickly googled "Vicodin and breast milk" and found that it definitely CAN get in breast milk. The question (if it were me) then would be how much is she getting, and how harmful is it? I don't know the answers to those questions, but please think about it, talk to your doctor, etc.

    There was some mention in the one article I looked at of timing your meds (feeding first, then taking it), but that seemed to be for a baby who ate less frequently. With a newborn who is pretty much feeding around the clock, I'm not sure staggering feeding times would make much difference (because she'll be feeding again, long before the meds wear off).

    Just know that once you stop taking those meds, she'll stop getting them too, and might have withdrawal symptoms. Like sleeping less.

    I've never had a C-section, and besides, each of us has a different tolerance to pain, but I think you're wise to wonder about taking it. If it were me, I'd be carefully considering all pain relief options, and trying to choose what's best for baby. Perhaps you've already done that. But it's something many people don't think about because they assume the doctors already know what's best (sometimes they don't think things through).

    My sister had a similar situation, with the doc prescribing pain meds that affected the baby. I don't know what she was taking, though.

    Breast feeding is awesome! Best of luck.

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  22. Here's a link to an entry in my sister's blog. She was given Percocet (apparently similar to Vicodin), which can cause constipation:
    http://melstra.livejournal.com/232934.html

    So if Eve has trouble pooping, keep it in mind. ;)

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  23. I'm so hating you right now. Seriously. My daughter is 9 months old and STILL won't sleep for 6-8 hours straight! When she was that young, it was EVERY 2-3 HOURS that she wanted to be fed, even at night!!! I almost lost my mind. I still might if she doesn't jump on some kind of sleeping bandwagon here soon.
    So congrats on the new little one and her awesome sleeping ability. Even though I'm bitter, very very bitter.

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  24. Congratulations!

    I am 37 weeks with my fourth baby and it is still as exciting and scary as though it was my first! Newborns are amazing. Indulge her...feed her as often as you like, sleep when you can, recover. She'll develop a routine soon and I breastfed all my babies every 2/3 hours in the first few weeks.

    Enjoy. They don't stay little for long!

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  25. Just stumbled on your blog and enjoyed your post. Still not sure how I got here.. lol My son is two months old and I, too, had a c-section. I'd like to tell you I'm fully recovered but I'm not. Things still hurt a bit. I STILL have not written the birth story blog post or really much about breast feeding... but I have also had a son graduate high school and two grand daughters born since my son was born. If you want an explanation of chaos feel free to read my blog. LOL Your daughter is beautiful!!

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  26. Um, duh, are you kidding me? Relax sweatheart! Your recovery totally takes top priority!

    I had a surgery similar to a c-section (doc said it was a harder recovery but compared it to that as the most similar) and the first week after I have little memory of!

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  27. i'm so right there with you, obviously. our crazy birth stories. never would have thought i'd end up with a c-section too.

    my dr. prescribed oxycodone. that stuff made me feel CRAZY. i stopped taking it last week and just stuck with ibuprofen. still get a "twinge" of pain here and there. dr. appt. tomorrow...wonder if he'll pull the steri-strips off. that's all that is holding my incision together. yikes.

    hope you're doing alright! our nights are all screwed up. crazy baby noises in the middle of the night...why not the middle of the day? i could handle that much better. *sigh*

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  28. I had my c-section a week ago, and like you, started tapering my meds (ibuprofen and percocet) and then wondered why I hurt. Why do we keep forgetting that we had abdominal SURGERY?

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  29. First of all, congrats on little Eve! Such a cutie!

    Second, this is what makes you an awesome blogger and story teller. Always thinking of how to get that story out and I admire that.

    Rest up and I'm excited to hear what's next in your new life. Don't worry, I'll be here whenever you can crank out your next story:)

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  30. Quick FYI: I didn't have a c-section or painkillers to deal with after my daughter was born. I did breastfeed. She DID sleep 4-8 hr stretches. So-- maybe little Eve is a dream sleeper. It can happen naturally.

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  31. You are totally slacking in the adorable baby picture department. Ten-hut, woman!

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