Pregnancy is one of the most vital and exciting phases of your life. Everyone, including you, will agree with this. It gets even more exhilarating & overwhelming at the last stage of your pregnancy, i.e. childbirth. You finally meet the child growing inside you for the last 9 months. However emotional and captivating that may be, childbirth can cause heavy toil on your body. The pain & trouble gets more extreme, especially after you’ve had a cesarean section.
What makes the matter worse is that recovering from a C-section takes longer than your doctor says. You may continue to experience muscle or incision pain for several months after a C-section. All in all, you’ll need more time & patience to attain complete recovery from a C-section procedure than a routine vaginal delivery. So, to save you from a hectic and troublesome experience, we’re here with the top six c-section recovery tips to help you have a speedy and smooth recovery.
So, let’s not waste more time and get right to it.
Challenges You May Face After a C-section?
Before we dive deep into c-section recovery tips, let’s list some additional challenges you may encounter after a c-section procedure.
1) Blood clots
Blood clots in any part of your body are never a good sign. The same is true for c-sections. Developing a blood clot in the legs is one of the conditions after a c-section. It is more prominent in the case of obese and inactive people. And as c-section recovery takes time, it also leads to a lot of inactivity from you. Thus to keep the blood flowing & coursing through the organs, unique cuffs are placed on women’s legs. Or ambulation after surgery, i.e. 18-24 hours after the c-section patient is made to stand up and walk.
2) Pain & Cramps
In the first few hours of a c-section, it is normal to feel pain at the place of incision. After the birth, your uterus starts to shrink, leading to post-birth cramps. These cramps are more painful and messy than menstrual cramps.
3) Infections
Soon after the c-section, a nurse or a doctor will carefully examine the cesarean incision to check for any infections. After a C-section, the uterus sheds off the pregnancy's leftovers, resulting in Vaginal bleeding. This bleeding usually lasts about 4 to 6 weeks after the birth and is heaviest during the first days. In some cases, due to haemorrhage, the bleeding can be too dangerous and painful.
Post-C-section infection leads to fever and should be properly healed. Infection can be a urinary infection or caesarean incision infection, or infection inside the abdomen or uterus, which are the most dangerous.
Top 6 C-section Recovery Tips for Faster Recovery
To save you some trouble and allow hassle-free bonding time with your newborn, we’re here with six c-section recovery tips and suggestions to help speed up your recovery.
C-section Recovery Tips #1 - Take Adequate Rest
Resting & healing go hand-in-hand. Let’s show you how they complement each other. During sleep or resting, cells in our body generate proteins. These proteins are the building blocks for forming new cells needed during healing. Thus, a good night’s sleep or rest can work wonders for you in case of a c-section, which takes about 6 to 8 weeks to heal.
Rest or a night of sleep becomes too much of an ask in the case of your newborn, which may sleep for only 1 or 2 hours at a time. You need to adjust your sleep cycle as per your baby’s napping hours. Moreover, it’s only in times like these that you need all hands on deck. It is undoubtedly an excellent time to ask for help from your loved ones, relatives, and in-laws.
C-section Recovery Tips #2 - Avoid Over-Stressing Your Body
Putting too much strain on your body in the early days of C-section can negatively impact healing. Some of the things that you must keep in mind are:
Refrain from going up & down the stairs at all costs. The Increased movement can also tear away the stitches and leads to internal bleeding. So to prevent yourself from doing that, keep things like food and supplies for changing diapers nearby.
Avoid lifting anything heavier than your baby. Even water-filled buckets & laundry buckets must be out of your reach.
Avoid rigorous exercise; instead, take gentle walks as much as possible. This will heal your body and prevent constipation and blood clots. You can put your baby in the stroller and stroll in the fresh & warm air.
Also, whenever you sneeze or cough, hold your abdomen to protect the incision area after the c-section.
C-section Recovery Tips #3 - Support Your Incision
Keeping your incision site/area clean & dry than your whole body. It is exceptionally delicate during the initial days, as even a tiny shove or force can lead to severe infections or internal bleeding. That’s why care of your incision prevents infections and stimulates healing.
To keep the incision area clean and dry, follow your doctor's suggestions & advice on dressing the wound. You can also support your incision with a belly binder or a soft abdominal band to provide gentle compression and support for your healing muscles.
C-section Recovery Tips #4 -Focus on Good Nutrition
A good diet was, is, and will always be one of the most important aspects contributing to a healthy you & your little one. So, you must fill yourself with healthy protein sources, fruit, vegetables, fibre-rich carbs, and fats like avocados, nuts, and seeds.
Several studies claim that eating fruits and vegetables during breastfeeding leads to passing flavours into breast milk that enhance your baby’s enjoyment and consumption of those foods as they grow.
Also, try to drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Extra fluids assist in increasing milk production and avoiding constipation.
C-section Recovery Tips #5 - Manage the Pain
Pain & discomfort are pretty standard & normal after c-section. So, you shouldn’t feel like something is wrong with your body. It’s better to keep such thoughts at bay and concentrate on the next step you can take to curtail pain.
In that regard, you should ask your doctor what pain medications you can take, especially if you are breastfeeding, as it becomes an even more sensitive issue. Your doctor might prescribe a pain reliever such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen. Applying a heating pad, compressor, or ice pack to the incision site will also offer relief.
C-section Recovery Tips #6 - Ask for Support
C-sections can lead to an increased risk of breastfeeding abnormalities. Calling for a lactation expert/midwife can help you successfully breastfeed. The expert can also encourage the baby to latch on to your breasts.
Furthermore, sitting in a relaxing, supportive chair and using a breastfeeding cushion or a reclining position can make breastfeeding easier. Moreover, you can also reach out to your loved ones & your friends for emotional support. You can join a support group or speak with a counsellor or therapist about your toiling experiences.
C-section Recovery Tips #7 -Manage Post-Partum Changes
Your body is bound to undergo quick & sometimes painful changes long after the baby is born. For example:
breast engorgement, or swelling,
lochia, a type of vaginal discharge mostly made of blood
vaginal dryness
Divarication of recti, or the separation of your abdominal muscles
hair loss
skin changes, like loose skin or acne
night sweats
headache
While conditions like lochia and afterpain will go away independently, you may still need some remedial treatment to treat other conditions. You can use vaginal lubricants or cream for excessive vaginal drying, supplements and topical treatments for hair loss, lightweight pyjamas for night sweats, and pain medications for headaches.
When to Call or Visit Your Doctor?
You’re expected to experience some soreness in the incision area and may have bleeding or discharge for up to 6 weeks after the C-section. However, if you experience the following symptoms, immediately reach out to your doctor:
redness, swelling, or pus coming from the incision site
pain around the incision area/site
Fever
foul-smelling discharge from the vagina
incessant vaginal bleeding
redness or swelling in your leg or pain in your legs
difficulty with breathing
Soreness of breast & throbbing pain
You must reach out to your doctor even when you’re feeling low and a bit depressed. You can also discuss the progress of your baby and its health. Prioritizing your health in these fragile times is of absolute importance, as the healthier you are, the healthier your baby will become.
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