# Pregnancy Recovery



## amber83 (Dec 18, 2009)

It has been forever since I posted here, and in my absence, I had a baby. 

Some back story: I am 26 and I got pregnant while on BC, so I had not planned for it. I was a type II diabetic prior to pregnancy, and during pregnancy had to go on medicine for hypertension. 

Due to issues with healing, my doctor and I wanted to avoid a c-section. Sadly, even after laboring for 21 hours, I could NOT give birth vaginally. So, a c-section it was. After coming home, I leaked serous fluid for 4 weeks. During this time, my doctor had to open the incision up a little to drain. It wasn't enough, and she actually cut 1/3 of it open last week. Now the wound must be packed twice daily until it heals. 

I am so frustrated because I feel like I am healing at the speed of a tortoise. I miss taking baths...hell, even a REAL shower! I miss sex with my husband.

I'm trying to understand if this is because I am a big woman, or if it is common across the board. Has anybody else ever experienced this?


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## toni (Dec 18, 2009)

How long ago did you have the baby? Why can't you have sex with your husband?


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## amber83 (Dec 18, 2009)

The baby is 5 weeks old today. 

As for sex...it is out until this incision is completely healed. We're still having to pack it with gauze twice a day until it is healed...which is going to take another 2 plus weeks or so.


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## MisticalMisty (Dec 19, 2009)

I'm no doctor, but as you may know, Diabetics have a really hard time healing. Even the tiniest wound can take days, weeks, months or sometimes years to completely heal.

Be careful with your sugar levels and enjoy your new baby 

Misty


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## Miss Vickie (Dec 19, 2009)

Amber, I'm both a (formerly) fat woman and a nurse so I have both personal and professional experience relating to what you describe. Unfortunately, poor wound healing is a risk with any surgery, and the area where cesareans are usually done (under the pannus) is particularly prone to what happened to you, since it's a moist area which doesn't help with healing. Being diabetic adds to the risk, as does being fat. However, I've seen it happen to thin women as well, and I've experienced wound healing problems after my tummy tuck. So sometimes I think that some of us are just really unlucky in this regard, but add diabetes to the mix and it doesn't help.

If your wound continues to be problematic, you might ask your doc about a wound vac. I had a patient who was quite fat whose incision opened up and we needed to get her healed ASAP so she could return home to her village in a remote area of the state. We got a wound vac (a portable pump that's attached to a dressing that covers your wound and draws out the excess fluids and helps pull the edges together, which allows for MUCH faster healing) and it was amazing how quickly it healed. Like by a factor of ten. It's kind of a hassle to keep with you but the portable ones aren't that big and if it helps things heal more quickly it's worth it. Not a lot of doctors have experience with them, so you may need to see a wound specialist, and there are nurses who will come to your home and do the dressing changes. 

Unfortunately, once a wound opens up like that, the only way it can heal is from the inside out, with the whole packing thing unless you do a wound vac. I know (personally) what a hassle this is, and how uncomfortable it is. I did it for quite awhile and hated every minute of it. But I promise you that you will heal. Just do what you can to take care of yourself -- don't do too much, eat good foods, get in good sources of protein and nutrients and keep those sugars under control -- and you'll feel better soon.

Good luck, and take care. I'm sorry you're going through this.


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## Tad (Dec 21, 2009)

Totally no expert, but I was reading what Miss Vickie said, and if I remember correctly from your earlier posting you had lost quite a lot of weight--in a lot of people that leaves an "apron" of fat, that I'd imagine could really accentuate what she said about the problem of healing from a C-section when the belly is over the area, keeping it moist. I don't know how your weight is carried now, but just a thought that maybe that could have been another complicating factor?

But also: congratulations! My wife was about a year older than you when we had our son--also unplanned and despite birth control. And we realized afterward we never, ever, could have planned it so well. I hope your little one will be just as much of a blessing!


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## bexy (Dec 23, 2009)

Amber I don't really have any advice as my birth was vaginal, but I really just wanted to say it will get better, rest as much as you can and most importantly congratulations on your darling wee man xxx


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