I've had 3 caesars, all unwanted and the recovery is pretty tough, especially looking after a newborn. I can't compare to the recovery of a natural delivery, however, the last caesar was classed as 'elect' b/c we had 24 hrs notice after finding out I had pre-eclampsia. This meant that they booked me in and i could have a midwife assigned to me who stayed in recovery with me after the birth. I found this made a huge difference to the experience, as both my first two were taken away from me, while I lay in recovery on my own. It also delayed that first breastfeed. What's really difficult is getting into and out of bed in the first couple of days to feed the baby and get back into bed, holding a baby with one arm and trying to get comfortable etc. The night staff are pretty busy and I didn't have DH stay overnight in hospy with the first two births. Third time we had a double room and he was able to help me with the night feeds.
I'm 9 weeks post natal now and feeling back to normal-ish, but the first 6 weeks were pretty sore, plus no driving or heavy lifting etc. I couldn't sit on a low couch cos it hurt too much. Some people bounce back really quickly, but I'm not one of them. It's so hard to find unbiased advice - I tried for VBAC's and got given all of the handouts on the dangers etc and no information on the dangers of c/s or repeat c/s. If you plan a c/s, you'll probably get the opposite! Just ask for as much information from your care providers on the pro's and con's so you can make a really informed decision. Everybody heals differently and you may have a much better recovery than others.