I think my body is broken

[amyk]

Okay, so the baby is a little shy of 4 months old now, and I was hoping to be feeling well enough to start running again a month or so ago. Instead, it feels like my body is just breaking down, bit by bit. I know some of it is age (35), and I had a somewhat rough recovery, but all my joints ache nonstop, and my right arm hurts so badly sometimes that I can't sleep. My fingertips have a 'pins and needles' sensation almost all day long. EVERY time I get up from a sitting position my knees hurt and I kind of limp around for a few seconds. I almost can't squat down at all. I have about 5 or so more pounds to lose, and I'm hoping that will ease the stress on my joints.
Sorry, I'm not looking for a diagnosis, I just feel like I need to vent. I'm always so healthy, this just drives me insane. Is this happening to anyone else? I don't remember it taking so long to get back to normal with my first.

Amy

Chloe (8/6/01) 35 weeks, p/e, hellp
Tristan (9/3/03), 32 weeks, p/e and hellp AGAIN

[catherine]

Amy, I am so with you. I hobble around in the morning for a good 3 or 4 minutes before I can bear to put my feet flat on the ground. I've been going to ballet class since Chloe was about 2 months old but I cannot stretch worth a d**m. I was never one to be doing the splits but now I can hardly get my legs into something approaching apart and to try and stretch forward.... I'm afraid that I'll snap! I'm not as good as you, I still have 10 lbs to go before reaching my prepregnancy weight but because I'm still exclusively breastfeeding a baby with zero interest in solids I'm a little wary of burning it off. My joints are begging me to I think. It has to be age... I'll be 38 next birthday. I'm in class with women 10 years old than I and they just put me to shame. I'm afraid that all that relaxin that went to my joints when I was pregnant, especially with two babies in quick succession overstretched everything and now I've seized up entirely!!!

Catherine (37)
DH, Dave (40)
Finn (6)
Lucy (2)
Chloe (7/2/03)

[paljane8]

Uggghhh! It takes so long to build back up. Not to mention the whole coordinating the kids so you can work out thing. Glad you shared Amy. I know there are many who feel similar.

Nancy-35
dh-34
ds-8yrs
dd-7yrs
Scott-born 05-14-99 @38 weeks-PE
Janie-born 05-12-03 @37 weeks-PIH, small for gestational age (oligo and low blood flow)
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/4/4lbs/

[5thtymachrm]

I agree with everyone here, I am only 4 weeks pp and recovering from csection and I am wondering when all this achiness will go away. I had 34 weeks of bedrest and my muscles have a long way to go. I just want to feel better so I can workout and switch all this fat into muscle again. I am already below my prepregnancy weight..only due to all the weight loss during the pg, but none of my clothes fit really and neither do the pg clothes.

anyone have a csec that knows how long till the aching goes away over the incision? thanks[:)]

Elizabeth
11/20/03 Indigo E. (born with no PE @ 37 weeks, 5lbs 13oz) (Pg Issues:hypertension(atenolol),hyperemesis, hypothyroidism, cancer remission, asthma, 8cm blood clot @3wks)
11/17/95 m/c @14wks
1/97 m/c @3wks
2/98 m/c @5wks
8/02 m/c @3wks

[julie f]

Elizabeth,

It took me about 6 weeks before I felt comfortable again after my C-section. Although, the area is still tender [xx(]. If something presses or scrapes around my incision area, it still makes me wince. As far as working out though, it no longer bothers me at all - I think the 1st time I went to the gym was about 8 weeks after delivery and other than being out of shape [:I] it was fine. I'm still swollen above my incision and wonder if it will ever go back to normal?

Julie
Zachary James, 7/22/03-7/27/03, born at 26 weeks due to severe pe

[5thtymachrm]

Thanks Julie for the info....my OB told me that the swelling above the incision, kinda like a shelf may never go away or it just may take a few years, great huh? the only way to fix it is with tummy tuck I've heard. I"ll never be that thin that I will care so not too worried about it.

the incision site feels very strange though, it still is painful too touch but at the same time feels numb? very strange. It has gotten much more painful in the last week but I think that is because I am doing alot of stuff. My OB never told me how long that lifting restriction thing was for so I stopped at about 2 weeks and have been lifting many heavy items. at least the stuff I can, my muscles are so weakened from all the bedrest i can't lift that much.

gosh, 8 weeks sounds like a long time to feel good enough to work out. I just want it all to go away, don't mean to whine or anything, I'm just so ready to get a move on with my life and get in shape and wear something besides sweats, yuck[xx(] nothing fits and its really annoying. I hate feeling like a slob, it is not helping my moods.

Elizabeth
11/20/03 Indigo E. (born with no PE @ 37 weeks, 5lbs 13oz) (Pg Issues:hypertension(atenolol),hyperemesis, hypothyroidism, cancer remission, asthma, 8cm blood clot @3wks)
11/17/95 m/c @14wks
1/97 m/c @3wks
2/98 m/c @5wks
8/02 m/c @3wks

[taras mom]

I'm not sure that the numbness ever goes away entirely; after a year, my incision still feels odd, though not painful. I found it helpful to wear snug briefs for a feeling of extra support.

Carol (38)
DH Bill (40)
Tara Mairichi
12/7-12/9, 2002
The Mightiest Little Angel

[julie f]

Elizabeth,

I should clarify my "8 weeks before gym" statement... It was 8 weeks before I could actually get my buns motivated to set foot in the place... [:D] I think though that around 4 or 5 weeks pp my doctor said I was fine to start working out, she also said that it was fine to resume sex but, I told her I was never doing either again...[;)]

So, a tummy tuck may be the only fix for this "shelf" huh? More good news...[:D]

Take care, I hope you're out of sweats soon!!!

Julie
Zachary James, 7/22/03-7/27/03, born at 26 weeks due to severe pe

[sarab]

I am 6 months PP, and although I have slimmed down (almost all the way!), my pouchy shelf thing is still there, just hanging out above the incision. I keep hoping it will disapear, but I think I'm doomed to carry it for eternity. [:(]

Sara, 23
DH, Scott, 25
Maggie Lylas, 6/9/03, 29 weeks, severe pre-e
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/m/maggielylas/

[annegarrett]

We should have a shelf club t-shirt. [:D]

Anne Garrett
Executive Director
Preeclampsia Foundation