Air travel after c-section?

S

salevizos

Registered User
Hi. I am unexpectedly having to travel back to the US after a c-section for a family emergency, hopefully as soon as possible after my twins are born; it should take about 2 weeks to get them passports.

Has anyone done any long-haul air travel (11-ish hours) within weeks of a c-section? I was hoping to get some feedback on the experience...issues with breastfeeding, level of comfort (economy or business class), incision pain/infection, helpful tips on what to bring both for myself and babies, etc. Really anything that you think might be relevant.

My doctor seems to think it should be OK, barring any kind of infection prior to my departure, but that is a clinical viewpoint.

Any feedback would be very much appreciated.
Sarah
 
Hey Sarah,

I will try to call you later and chat about this. So sorry to hear you have a family crisis.

Although my c-section was difficult due to a drug reaction, the actual healing has been pretty good. It will be 2 weeks tommorrow and I feel about 80%.

Please make sure they give you plenty of pain relief and enough to get you through the first week at home. The most pain is in the first 7 days. Try to avoid lifting ANYTHING - have someone pass the babies to you and back again. Don't expect to be able to walk far or carry anything.

The stitches come out on day 5 and it is more comfortable then. You need to avoid laughing, coughing and sneezing!

If I had to fly right now I would feel fine about it, provided all I needed to carry was the diaper bag! I am fine to hold the baby and carry her around the flat - but not in a sling or capsule yet.

Take care and we'll talk soon.

Rach X
 
make sure you take your pain killers at regular intervals before the pain kicks in. I haven't flown right after my c-section, but I was able to carry my 25lbs son 2 weeks after my 2nd son was born. Good Luck!!
 
i took both of my kids to canada 5 weeks after my youngest was born (my older one had just turned 2). i did it by myself, economy for 36 hours door-to-door, 7 airports, one blizzard, sitting on the runway for 4+ hours...

didn't have any problems, other than that...LOL! if you can afford business class, go for it. will you be taking the kids?

ps> rach... and not to be crude, but that first pooh can be kinda hard (literally and figuratively!)
 
Hi- with my first born I flew 5 weeks after he was born by c-section and had no problems.

With my second c-section I was carrying my 21 month old, and very heavy toddler, on the 3rd day after my daughter was born. On the 3rd day I was off the painkillers and almost back to normal.

So I would say it all depends on how well and fast you recover from the c-section.
 
Thanks ladies for the feedback. I tend to try to do too much, so its good to hear that Im not the only one.

Cara - Ill have my husband with me, so hopefully we can manage. I always hated those people in B-class who brought their infants on flights, but I guess Im going to turn into one of them!

Sarah
 
i WISH i was one of the lucky ones in business class, child or not! it can't possibly be worse than stuck in cattle class...oops, i mean economy with kids!

it's funny when i was in the line to check in on that trip, my husband was quite chuffed to see all of the people looking at our wonderful/beautiful children, until i expained to him, they weren't admiring our kids, they were thinking< PLEASE GOD, DON'T LET THEM SIT BY ME!>
 
I took a flight alone with my son when he was only a few months old- when I sat down in my seat the man next to me started complaining under his breath about being sat next to a baby for the next 12 hrs! It was awful....thankfully the plane wasn't full and the air hostess moved me.

I have heard that if you aren't polite to the check in staff they will put you next to a baby if they can!
 
on the other hand, i've had people come over and offer to hold and play with the baby to give me a break. of course, they bring the baby back as soon as they so much as whimper.

but i have always taken people up on this offer.
 
Dear Salevizos,

I needed to travel shortly after giving birth and thank fully I had a natural delivery, an my obs gave me the okay to travel after 2 weeks. However, I did research the ability to travel after a C-Section, and the opinion from several obs was that it was generally advised that you stay near by for 5-6 weeks after the surgery, and definitely no lifting before 6 weeks. Certainly you can lift before then, but the scar is definitely an area of weakness and in the rare instance where you develop a hernia, it is truly hell for the patient. So I'm glad hubby will be there to help you. Also the other thing to ask your obs about are strategies to reduce blood clots in the legs as post delivery (partum) leg blood clots (DVTs) is a risk. Good Luck with it all!
 
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