How To Recover From A C-Section

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For a lot of women, having a c-section maybe the direct consequence of an underlying medical reason which necessitates a surgical birth.

At times it may be purely elective. In case of a surgical delivery of the baby, recovery is akin to any other surgery. However the trauma associated with delivery is short lived as women experience untold joy at the sight of their new born babies. Women who undergo a c-section also have the added bonus of not having to go through the pain and discomfort of an episiotomy that is associated with a normal delivery.

Despite this a c-section still remains a surgical procedure and the care and restraint that needs to be exercised post surgery, cannot be undermined. There are a few tips to be kept in mind in order to have a speedy recovery from a c-section.

Coping With The Pain

After the effect of the anesthesia wears off, there will be pain around the incision. How much depends upon each woman’s pain threshold. Since the pain is likely to continue for around a month you can consider the possibility of a pain killer in case the pain gets excruciating. Allow the stitches to heal completely and avoid lifting heavy weights till about six weeks post delivery.

Nausea Medication

A lot of women complain of nausea and vomiting immediately after the c-section. This perhaps is an after effect of the spinal anesthesia. This too should pass within two to three hours after the operation. Women who continue to suffer from nausea can resort to anti-nausea medication after getting the green signal from the doctor.

Fighting Exhaustion

Like any delivery, a c-section will leave you spent and a tad groggy partly due to the blood loss and partly because of the effect of the anesthesia. In between feeding the baby, do catch up on some quality sleep and rest. Rest will be needed for a quick recovery.

Monitor Your Condition

Have the medical assistant or the nurse regularly monitor your weight, blood pressure and other vital signs to see how you are faring after the operation. The shrinking of the uterus is an important parameter in assessing your gynecological health after the birth of the baby.

Bladder Control

The bladder literally takes a beating after surgery and many women experience pain and discomfort while urinating. For this you can ask the doctor to have the catheter removed as soon as possible. Take in as many fluids as you can and try to urinate very 6-8 hours. You can try washing your perineum with some warm water to relieve any burning or discomfort.

Exercise

While you may not be able to get up for at least 24 hours after the surgery, you will be encouraged to wiggle your toes and flex your calves to bring back lost circulation.

Walking

Women are asked to start walking 24-48 hours after the c-section. This enhances blood flow to the incision area and promotes quicker healing. However take small steps and don’t over do it. If you get tired easily, take rest.

Diet

A lot many women are forbidden to eat solids for at least 24-48 hours after the surgery because of the effects of the anesthetics. However if you are feeling up to it, you can ask your doctor to start letting you eat normal food. The sooner you start, the faster you will recover and will also be discharged a day sooner.

Dealing With Constipation

You can ask your doctor to give you a mild suppository for constipationor any kind of abdominal discomfort associated with it.

Stitches

You can put warm compresses on your stitches to give relief. Most of them are self absorbing and should naturally heal on their own.  Apart from the above steps, you will still need to rest andexercise caution for at least 6-8 weeks after delivery.