Are you worried about how bad a C-section recovery is? Or how long will it take to recover in order to pay all of your attention to your baby, without the pain of surgery?
Taking care of your baby and having a surgery recovery is not like a walk on the park. It takes time and you have to know what to expect in the healing process. So take it easy, you have gone through a major surgery. The surgery does not allow you to get up and try to walk around the same day. The time for recovery is higher than a vaginal birth.
Normally a C-section happens because the baby is in the wrong position or because of an emergency in the last minute. Rare situations happen because moms decide to have a cesarean section.
Regardless of how your child came into this world, the most important thing is that your baby is with you and there is too much love to share with your child. The C-section recovery has to happen smoothly while you are attending your baby.
Speaking from my own experience, during the first day after cesarean I was not really on pain because of the epidural block and the doctor gave me pain meds. However getting up and lying down in bed was all a show, I felt that the injury was going to open.
It is worth the effort
At that time I had a two floor house, and then the doctor recommended me up the stairs backwards in order to prevent to open the scar. She also advised me not lifting objects heavier than my baby.
During the first month after leaving the hospital, the scar became infected. I didn’t know why but the doctor advised me to use only an antiseptic to prevent infection. I was very scared because the injury was red like blood and it did not seem to close. Fortunately the antiseptic worked, and the wound was closed.
Today, after a year and a half I still feel pain in the scar when I’m having sex with my husband, he on top of me. I don’t like it because the pain should’ve have disappeared a long time ago.
Definitely a cesarean section requires more recovering time than a vaginal birth. However my baby was worth the effort, pain or any scar on my body. So do not be afraid, at the end of a c-section your baby is waiting for you.
Tips for C-Section Recovery
Here you have some recommendations in order to be prepared for a smooth recovery:
- You need to breathe deeply because after surgery you may have difficulty to breath, and occasionally you may experience blood clots.
- Start walking as soon as you can. This type of exercise is excellent to recover from surgery, obviously an smooth walking. Basically walking can help you to:
- Recover the normal movement of your intestines
- Avoid some postpartum complications
- Have a faster surgery recovery
- Getting up for the first time after a cesarean surgery is not fun. Find a pillow or other soft object to clutch to your abdomen. You may feel like you are going to burst or that your organs will fall out. This is normal and will pass quickly, particularly the more you get up and get moving.
- It is very important that you do not lift or transport heavy things. Lifting heavy things is very dangerous after a cesarean delivery. In order to have an smooth c-section recovery, just focus on holding your baby, and nothing else.
- You will also want to minimize the amount of stair climbing you do. Set up a makeshift nursery downstairs. This prevents you from being isolated in your room and also from climbing upstairs forty steps for diapers.
- Usually after surgery, your energy is likely to be low, as well as some nutrients such as iron. If you had a balanced diet during pregnancy, you should continue your diet during postpartum. Plant foods are rich in iron, such as legumes and cereals. Your doctor may recommend you some healing nutrients like vitamin B, C and K and zinc.
- The scar will start to itch in the first week, a good sign of healing. Don’t scratch the scar or pick at it. The itch is a sign of health but the scar must be left alone to heal.
Final Thoughts
My appreciation and recommendation for you after having a c-section is:
You must be so proud of yourself for having sustained that magnificent life in your body for nine months and given birth.
There exists an International Cesarean Awareness Network that can help women during c-section recovery. They help with emotional, mental, and physical support after a cesarean birth.
Remember that a cesarean section is a major abdominal surgery so it is important to rest and not to strain your stitches.
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