Need some help from c-section ladies

[Bethis26fan]

We are planning for a trip Sept 24-28 my cousin is due to have a c-section on July 3, but she is wanting to come with us on our trip. We are taking her little boy (4) and if she goes of course the new baby will come too. So I'm wondering is she going to feel up to walking about the parks. We are only going to 3 parks 1 each day. So we will be trying to cram as much into those days as possible, plus we are doing MNSSHP one night as well. We know that day we will go back to the room to let Logan rest, the other days probably not (He doesn't take naps).
I just feel a little un easy about her going with us and I don't know if we should just dump the whole plan and not go at all or go and risk waiting around on her, or even if this will be a problem. I've never had children much less a c-section so I have no clue. Any advice from anyone would be great. Thanks.

[MicMouse]

She'll be fine!
I had twins via c-section and was walking around two days after. She will be absolutely numb in the area of her incision for months, but as for being able to visit WDW, she should be OK. Its amazing how fast the body can heal after that.

Now, as for having the energy to visit the parks may be a completely different story. It all depends on how much sleep her little one is letting her have at night.

Good luck and I hope you are able to make your trip!:mickey:

[Strmchsr]

2 1/2 months later she'll absolutely be fine. It takes some time to heal, sure, but that's plenty of time. Though the sleep issue, as noted above, could be a draining factor.

My bigger concern with this would be the 2 1/2 month old baby. September, even the end, can still be pretty warm, so be sure the baby gets LOTS of liquids and use LOTS of sunscreen. Also, you have no idea what temperament this child will be. With my oldest this kind of trip at 2 1/2 months old would have been a nightmare. He didn't travel well at all. But with my youngest it would have been absolutely no problem. To me, that's a much bigger factor and uncertainty than the c-section issue.

[BigRedDad]

She should be doing mild walking 3-4 days after, moderate walking, 1-2 weeks after, and feeling fine after that. My DW had a c-section. The doctors wanted her moving around and back to normal as quickly as possible.

[crazypoohbear]

:mickey:I had a C Section with my youngest and was up walking the next day. Walking is the best thing for a c section. After 2 and 1/2 months she should be just fine. I was chasing after a 5 year old.
Again the biggest thing is to make sure the baby stays hydrated and shaded from the sun. You CAN use sunscreen on babies. The Doctors say not to because they are afraid that you will get people who go and sit at the beach all day :confused:
We took a 7 week old in August and he did just fine with the sunscren. Make sure your cousin talks with a pediatrician. She will be talking breaks with the baby anyway so she will be fine.
Have a great trip

[Kidsmom]

Ditto!

The concern won't be the Mom. Just take good care of the the newborn.

My second (out of four) was a c-section. Sleep is the issue for her, but with all of the help of others you are traveling with, she can go later or leave early if she is feeling sleep devervation! Going from 1 to 2 kids is hard.

Sun and hydration is the big concern for a newborn, but as seasoned parents they should be able to handle this.

Have fun!

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

:party: I had a C-Section and although it is considered major surgery, that would be a good 2 to 2 1/2 months afterward so she should be okay with the walking. The baby might slow her down a bit though.....

[ginger19]

She'll be ok but I'm not so sure about how much sunscreen she can use on the baby. i was told not to use sunscreen until my children were 6 months old as both were summer babies so she should check with her pedi.

[DisneyDog]

Actually, the biggest question will be are you flying or driving? She should talk to her children's pediatrician and make sure it would be okay to fly that young. My DS did fly at 2 months, but the pediatrician wasn't happy about it (germs, etc...)

[crazeedizneefinatic]

I think by that time she would be fine. Word of advice though. I had a C-Section, it was not emergency, my son just was to large and after a few hours of labor we decided to have it done. Tell her to listen to her doctor!!! Sure they want you up and moving a day after but don't over do it. I felt okay about a week after and started doing things normally. including steps, picking up, cooking things like that. Well, I developed adhesions and suffered for over a year with stabbing pain in my incision. It would bring me to my knees. Tell her don't overdo anything even if she is feeling up for it. Everyone and every birth experience is different, I just wanted to put a word of caution out there, so she can enjoy her vacation. I think the biggest hurdle for her is adjusting to lack of sleep. The vacation will probably do her a world of good. Have fun!

[irish1967]

I think it really depends on a lot of factors.

A lot will have to do with general level of fitness going into the c-section. If she is in good shape her recovery will probably be easier than if she isn't in good shape.

I walked 2-3 miles per day during both of my pregnancies and probably could have handled 'modified Disney" 10 weeks after both my c-sections.

It is important to remember that even though you are planning to go on vacation together, your entire party does not need to be joined at the hip. Your cousin can join in with the group when she and the baby are up to it and relax at the resort or in the park when not.

On a side note - you probably should reconsider taking a break in the middle of the day yourselves. Even though the 4 year old doesn't nap anymore there is a lot of sensory stimulation going on in the parks and a break is often needed in order for full enjoyment!

[vamaggie]

If this is her only chance to go to WDW then I say have her come along. If not, encourage her to pass this time. Again the flying is not the greatest for an infant (who has not had all her shots yet.), the sun/heat is another concern and not knowing how this baby will be temperment wise I would rather not chance it. Especially if you are all going to be sharing a room. Tell her you are going to give her a "vacation at home" with the new baby while you take the 4 yr old for some special big kid time (something he may need once the new sib arrives). The c-section would not concern me (I had 2-incl a complication with the 2nd and was back to full exercising about 7 weeks later) but all the other factors would.

[bshaw96]

She'll definitely be fine. I've had 2 csections. After my 1st, about 2 months after she was delivered, dh and I went to an amusement park here near home. Not only was there walking, but lots of roller coasters. Not a problem at all. She'll be walking the next day, with pain of course. But she should be feeling pretty back to normal (pain wise, hormones are a different story :)) within a couple of weeks. Have fun! The interesting part will be a 4 year old and 2 month old :mickey:

[tinkerbell98]

Everyone is different but I can say from my c-section experience that I was up and around after just a few days. But 2 1/2 months should be plenty of time.:cloud9:

[GrandFlo]

I was fine 2 - 2/12 months after my section and I had a really bad time. I won't go into details but there were many complications. Even still, after 2 months I was back to "normal".

As far as the baby goes, I would ask the MD for any tips/advice. I always asked DSs MD before we traveled and she always had good tips specific to my son.

Have a great time. :mickey:

[Sean Riley Taylor's Mom]

Three time c/s Mom here :thumbsup:

I totally agree with everyone else, Mom will be fine

The baby being that young would be my concern

I have gone to WDW in September many times and it is very hot and humid

If it were me, I would sit this trip out and stay home with the baby, that would be a vacation in itself!! ;)

What ever she decides, I hope she has a happy and healthy new addition! :cloud9:

[PinKy]

I agree with everyone! She'll be fine for walking around the parks - she should be back to normal by then and nearly completely healed up even. C-sections really do heal very quickly. Also - we took our 5 month old to WDW his first year and he was fine - the nice thing about the tiny little ones is that you can put them in a sling or some type of Baby Bjorn carrier and they will just sleep when they need to sleep and the rest of the time they will be able to gaze up at mom! Plus, the little one will very likely sleep through many rides/attractions. We were just amazed at how many rides we could take my son on.... and at how much of the environment he really enjoyed! (the lights/colors/people/music)

Have fun! Your friend will have a lovely time! (Don't forget to tell her about the baby care centers in all of the parks for nursing/feeding/resting/recooperating/diaper changes etc....)

[Disney Doll]

I agree- mom will be fine by then, but taking a newborn to Disney is another story. We just had a baby in October and decided to forgo our annual Feb trip. If she does go I imagine she'll be taking lots of breaks to let the baby rest. Our son gets cranky when overstimulated and needs his quiet time. Each park has a baby station. I've never used them, but have heard they can provide a nice quiet place for feeding an infant or for just taking a break.

[CleveRocks]

:You CAN use sunscreen on babies. The Doctors say not to because they are afraid that you will get people who go and sit at the beach all day :confused:I live at the beach, and my son was born at the end of the winter a few years back. So I have some experience with this.

That, and my wife is a board certified pediatrician (she has those cool "FAAP" leters after the M.D.:cool: ). Living in a beach resort town, she knows a thing or two about sunscreen and babies.

She tells her patients to TOTALLY AVOID sunscreen in babies younger than 6 months old. I asked her about this just a few minutes ago. She explained that in a baby that young, their skin is thinner than when older, and thus their skin absorbs more of what is put on it. There are major safety concerns about young babies absorbing more of the chemicals in sunscreen than older kids and adults absorb.

To her (and to the American Academy of Pediatrics), it has nothing to do with keeping young babies off the beach all day. As a matter of fact, we used to keep our young infant son at the beach all day! But we had him covered from head to toe AND inside a kid-sized dome tent made just for that purpose.

He didn't have any sunscreen on him until the following summer, when he was well over 1 year old.

I don't listen to a lot of what my wife has to say :funny: ... but I ALWAYS listen to Dr. Mom.

[playdead88]

im a member of the c-section club and im a nurse but i don't claim to be an expert at either so with that being said: as far as the c-section i agree she will be fine - tired related to being a new mom but fine - as far as the sunblock thing i have to agree with dr. mom you're not supposed to put sunblock on a baby less than 6 months old because of whats in it - we tell parents to stick to the before 10 am and after 4 pm rule when it comes to taking infants less than 6 months old out in the sun - but what would be the best idea would be to check with her pedi doc and see what they think :mickey:

[Dakota Rose]

Another c-section mom here. I also think she'll be fine unless she has some sort of complications from the surgery. They're rare but still happen. I say make the plans to go, just buy travel insurance at least for her portion of the trip so if she can't go you won't lose your hat, so to speak.