After Pregnancy

Recovery Tips for C-Section

There are several different reasons that a C-section may have to be done and around 20% percent of all births in the United States are C-sections. This does not necessarily mean that you will have to have a C-section to delivery your baby; however, you should be prepared in case of an emergency to allow doctors to perform one.

You may have many questions centered around what happens after a C-section and these worries are usually the reason that many women are afraid of delivering their baby this way. Be prepared and gaining as much knowledge as is possible is the best way to rid yourself of all the stress and worries.

Sometimes, a C-section does not require you to be totally asleep while the surgery is being performed. Many times a local anesthetic can be used and you will still be able to be awake and enjoy the birth of your baby. However, you will be covered so you will not actually see the procedure, but you will in fact, be able to hold your baby shortly after delivery, during the time they are giving you stitches.

After the C-section, you will be sent back to your room and the baby will be placed either in the nursery or in the room with you. With a C-section, you will not be allowed up out of bed immediately, so the baby may have to be in the nursery until you are up and moving about. However, you will be able to breast feed at any time. You will be on pain medication, so you may wish to talk with your doctor or nurse about the risks that are involved if you are planning on breastfeeding.

Your hospital stay will be a bit longer with a C-section, usually a few days. After around 6 hours the nurse will assist you in getting up, the catheter will be removed, and you will be allowed to take a shower. You will need to pay close attention to the incision; you do not want any soap getting on the incision. Your vaginal bleeding will be exactly the same as a vaginal birth.

With a C-section, you may still need to take pain medication for a few days since this is major abdominal surgery. You will also have to rest and not doing anything that may pull or strain your stitches.

You will want to drink plenty of water and remember that your body needs time to heal. Some of the most common complaints of most women include nausea, sore shoulders, itching around the incision, phlegm and sore throat.