C-Section Recovery

• Are you worried about how bad is a c-section recovery?
• How long will it take recovery in order to pay all attention to my baby, without pain of surgery?

Taking care of your baby and having a surgery recovery is not like a walking 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.

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

• You have to focus on your breathing because after surgery there may be some complications that you are more likely to experience, like blood clots and breathing difficulties. Breathing deeply can help you to prevent these.
• It is imperative that you begin walking soon as you are able to. Your intestines will be sluggish after surgery, and walking will help increase the movement of your intestines, peristalsis (a series of organized muscle contractions that occur throughout the digestive tract), as well as decrease the time of your recovery. Walking also helps avoid some complications of postpartum.
• 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.
• After a cesarean birth, you will also want to limit how much weight you lift or carry. A good rule during c-section recovery is to carry nothing heavier than your baby for a few weeks.
• 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.
• Your iron stores and energy in general are likely to be low after surgery. A proper diet and good nutritional intake are key to healing. Ask you doctor for a certain diet or vitamins to help speed this area of healing. Eating dark leafy greens, red meats, and proteins can help you fight off low iron or anemia. This can also help you feel like you have more strength.
• 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.

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 is an International Cesarean Awareness Network that is a network designed to help women during c-section recovery. It can provide you with physical, mental, and emotional support after a surgical birth.

Remember that a cesarean section is a major abdominal surgery so it is important to rest and not to strain your stitches.