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Be Honest, Are C-Sections Painful AF?

by Olivia Youngs

Each woman's birth story is as unique as she is, and whether or not you've done it before, it's hard to know what to expect when you go into the delivery room. However, one of the positives of a planned C-section is that you can at least have a guide of what will happen during the procedure and a good idea of how the recovery will go. If it's your first C-section though, you might be frantically asking your OB "how bad does a C-section hurt?" in hopes that it's easier to cope with than a vaginal delivery. The truth is, that even though you'll be numbed during the process, delivering via C-section has it's own unique set of feelings, pain, and recovery that is worth reading up on before your own surgery date.

According to Very Well, you should never feel any pain during your C-section. You'll be numbed with regional anesthesia, so you won't feel pain from the procedure, but believe it or not, many women report feeling tugging, movement, and numbness. Your doctor will likely check in with you often to make sure the anesthesia is doing it's job and you're truly not in pain. Whether you have an emergency or a planned C-section, the anesthesia they use will be the same, so you'll be able to let your doctors what you can/can't feel.

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The recovery of your C-section, however, isn't numbed, so you're going to experience some pain then. You'll need to take it easy for a while after your surgery and once you get home. According to the Bump, things like walking, coughing, sneezing, and going to the restroom will more than likely be pretty uncomfortable. Ask your doctor about pain relievers and comfort measures you can take to ensure that you're able to focus on what matters (that brand new baby of yours) and not any discomfort or pain you may feel.