How long to heal?

[ShelbyMay]

How long does it take to heal after giving birth? I assume that a C-section takes longer, so let's just assume I'd be going with that. If we conceived this cycle, we'd be due May 10, 2006. I have a client inquiring about a wedding gig on June 17, 2006. There would be a lot of walking, squatting, standing on chairs, carrying equipment, etc (I'd be the photographer). I really want to take the job, but want to be sure that I'll be up to it.

[Sazoo]

I really can't answer your question from personal experience since I haven't had any children yet, but I thought I'd mention that my photographer at my wedding last August had a baby about 2 months before our wedding. She took the last couple of months before her due date off from work, & then I think it was at least a month afterwards before she started booking weddings & photo sessions again. By the time our wedding rolled around her baby was almost 2 months old, & she seemed to be feeling just fine & was able to do her work as normal.

However, those dates you're talking about are only about one month apart, which is much shorter. So...I dunno! Hopefully some of the mommies around here will pop in & give you some better advice based on their experiences. :p

Good luck!

[marchfamily]

I had a c-section. I felt 90% 1 week later. 95% 2 weeks later. I had lingering pain when I sneezed, coughed, laughed hard or did lots of bending at the waist for a couple of weeks after that.

If you aren't pg yet, I would take the job - but the client know asap if you become pg. I couldn't do much the last month of pg. Plus, I had my DD late.

[karlatta]

I would take the job. But this is coming from someone who has been TTC quite a while. If I had lived my life based on possible due dates every cycle, I would have missed out on a lot of good stuff. Vacations, jobs, family reunions, etc.

If you do take the job and have to cancel it because of when you would be having a baby, what kind of a problem would that be? (Say, if you don't get pregnant this cycle, but get pregnant in a couple of months.)

[jennylou]

I too would take the job.

However, I would not have been good enough after my c/s to be doing a lot of heavy lifting...so just make sure that in that case you have an assistant who is in charge of lifting. :)

[Daniel's Kitty]

I didn't have a c-section, but I would take the job. If you don't have a c-section you would be okay. I had my DS a week ago and I feel pretty much fine. If you don't get pg you would miss out. I wouldn't plan your life around ttc.

[katnbug]

I did have a c-section and was then put on bed-rest after the baby was born due to high blood pressure.

I think normally a month would be a fine amount of time recover, but there are always those "unknowns" that could happen.

Do you work with another photographer where you could have a backup if necessary?

[ShelbyMay]

No, I wouldn't have a backup photographer, but maybe I could put something in the contract about liability in case of medical necessity?

[kimthebride]

There's other things to take into consideration, like:
- late delivery
- breastfeeding
- sleep deprivation
- childcare

I had an easy pregnancy, a very easy delivery and considered my recovery pretty quick. However, I can't say I would have been too pleased about working a long day on my feet 1 month after delivering. You're still sleep-deprived and not exactly on any sort of schedule. I'd say it's pulling it pretty close, since it is an "active" job.

[Ericka_Jarett]

Take the job, than if you are pregnant you can think about if you want to stay on for the wedding or drop it. You may take several months to get pregnant or it can happen right away. No real way of knowing until you are pregnant just how you will feel about it.

[rancherswife]

I have to agre 100% w/ Kimthebride! All of those she mentioned are MAJOR issues one month pp. I too had a great pregnancy and an easy delivery, but wouldn't have wanted to a) leave the baby to work all day b) be on my feet all day and c) what if you DON'T get pg this cycle and do next cycle then you'd be due around the time of that wedding? Yes, you'll be feeling fine by 4 weeks pp, but you'll also be caring for a newborn that takes A LOT out of you! GOOD LUCK! :)

[SAMIKE32700]

I had a C-section and felt awesome 2 weeks later. Thats when I stopped taking any meds. I am now at 6 weeks and feel wonderful. Having a C/S is not as bad as people may think.

[shortcake]

No, I wouldn't have a backup photographer, but maybe I could put something in the contract about liability in case of medical necessity?

I think that you should take the job, since you are not currently pg. However, if you are going to be 8-9 months pg or just have delivered a month prior, I would not feel comfortable continuing with the contract without a solid backup. That just doesn't seem fair to the bride! I know this is an important gig for you, but remember how crazy-seriously brides take the photography! It can be the most critical vendor in the wedding for some. You don't want to leave her in the lurch.

Either way, you definitely need to put something in the contract about getting out of the contract in case of medical necessity.

If you are 8-9 months pregnant (say it takes a few months of TTC) there's a decent chance you won't be up for all the maneuvering required. You might even be on bedrest. Even not on bedrest, you might be required to limit activities, which would preclude the stuff you'd need to do for the wedding.

A month after the baby is born, I finally felt physically ok to do the things you describe, but the exhaustion was crazy. Also I was not very focused. I would not have been a good photographer at that point. And will you be BFing? If so, don't forget you'll need to have a break to pump or something if it's a longer wedding including the reception and stuff, and I'm not sure most wedding photographers do take a break that long.

[Sarah]

Well, even if you are due May 10, you could go 2 weeks late, so figure that in- your baby could just be about 2 weeks old.

I haven't had a section, but I feel great physically at 3 weeks PP. But in your shoes I would wait to TTC a month or two, since I could not personally leave my baby all day to shoot a wedding. You'd have to be away for a number of hours, right? I couldn't do that at this point, especially with nursing.

[BTB]

I had a medically complicated pregnancy and complicated and difficult (but vaginal) delivery. Still, I found I'd overestimated how I'd feel BEFORE giving birth (draggin' my big ol' self the last few weeks of pregnancy) and underestimated how I'd feel AFTER (just fine within a day or two, even with nursing and little sleep - though sitting comfortably took longer.) Now, childcare is the biggest issue. As a SAHM, if there's anything I need to do that isn't evenings or weekends, I have to take DD with me (thankfully that's usually just fine to do) or find someone to care for her.