Recovery After a Caesarean Section
You have just had a major surgical procedure. It is similar to a hysterectomy only the six- week ‘sick certificate’ is never appearing, and you are expected to look after a newborn baby! So, what can you expect and will you survive?
Post Caesarean Section Recovery
The actual caesarean section (C/S) operation does not involve cutting muscles, so it should be a breeze to recover from, right? Think again. The abdominal muscles – your ‘six pack’ are gently pulled apart – right from left – just before the obstetrician cuts into the uterus to deliver the baby. This fibrous band that once joined the muscles like a zip in the middle has now been ‘unzipped’ and it takes time to heal. Heavy lifting after in the first 6 weeks after C/S can result in a hernia if the healing process is not yet firmly completed.
You will have vaginal bleeding because, although you’ve had an abdominal birth, the uterus is shrinking down, and blood is pushed from the cavity into the vagina. It sounds obvious, but some women are quite alarmed when they see bleeding after C/S, so don’t be that person!
The same amazing, enormous physiological changes associated with vaginal birth will happen in a mum after a C/S. There is a push of blood from the uterine wall into mum’s circulation as the uterus contracts down within minutes of giving birth. The fluid retention as a result goes a long way to explaining the swollen ankles which can be worse than they were pre- delivery. Bring big shoes to the hospital for going home in!
Latching takes time
Breast feeding will be a learning curve for first-time mums, but also for subsequent deliveries because each newborn is an individual with unique needs and quirks. Sadly, there is no blueprint that you can bring out from first time around. Latching takes time. Fortunately, the initial breast milk is low volume and highly concentrated – colostrum – which means that there is less chance of engorgement at this stage and it gives a bit of ‘breathing space’ to allow for techniques of feeding to be mastered. FrezyDerm Nipple Emollient is available to help prepare the nipples for those initial days of latching, otherwise there can be a lot of sensitivity and even painful cracked nipples in some women. FrezyDerm Nipple Aid Ointment will help cracked nipples to recover.
If (when!) engorgement does occur, don’t panic because it is simply a mismatch of supply and demand. You can always express extra milk or soothe the breasts with ultrasound or cabbage leaves. Yes, cabbage leaves. Cabbage has been studied and found to have properties which aid in soothing engorged breasts and promoting milk let-down. A good tip is to chill the cabbage first and to cut a hole in the leaf to allow the nipple to drain freely as the milk is released. And, no, coleslaw is not an alternative!
Your wound will have stitches – usually under the skin – that dissolve over a period of about 10 days. There may be paper strip stitches across the wound to pull the edges together. You will only see these paper strips when you first take off your dressing after about 5 or 6 days. By day 3 the skin cells have sealed the wound. By day 6 the wound is gently healed but should not be rubbed for at least a week or more after this. So, you can shower with your dressing on and after 5 or 6 days, you can remove your dressing and pat your wound dry. By week 3 you will be so busy with your baby that you will be drying yourself and forgetting that you even have a wound!
Key Takeaways
- A C/S is a major abdominal operation
- A newborn needs you, so you need to balance healing with mothering
- Your wound will be healed in a week, and the dressing can be removed
- You need to avoid heavy lifting for 6 weeks after C/S
- You should avoid sex for 6 weeks after C/S
- ASK FOR HELP. Mothersaid can offer you support and answer your questions
Have a look at our product FrezyDerm Prevenstria for the prevention of stretch marks and FrezyDerm Reconstria for correcting and reducing stretch marks. The Reconstria can also aid in the healing of your scar.
