Top 9 Tips to Recover After a C-section Delivery

While pregnancy and motherhood are always precious, childbirth can be a complex and tedious process. Particularly, if you are giving birth through a cesarean delivery or a C-section, you might need extra care to recover faster. It usually takes women longer to recover from such a delivery than normal.

Do you wish to get a speedy recovery after a C-section delivery? Keep reading this article to get some of our hand-picked tips.

If you need to recover faster, here are some tips for recovery from a C-section delivery.

1. Get Plenty of Rest

Cesarean delivery is major surgery. You are expected to stay in the hospital for 2-4 days after your delivery, but it might increase if there are complications in your pregnancy. You need at least 6-8 weeks to heal completely. Getting complete bed rest cannot be easy, as you have a newborn child to look after.

You can take help from your surroundings for the initial weeks. They can help with household chores and simple diaper changes to help you get more rest. Moreover, you can use the age-old advice of sleeping when your baby sleeps to avoid sleep deprivation.

2. Pamper Your Body

It is advisable to pamper your body for a few weeks to get a speedy recovery after cesarean delivery. You should avoid climbing stairs and walking around as much as possible. Keep your food and supplies in the surroundings. Avoid lifting heavy materials, and try to get help for challenging household chores.

Apart from that, be careful of your incision site while sneezing, coughing or moving. Hold it gently to avoid putting any pressure. You should avoid strenuous activities and exercises while recovering from this condition. Doctors suggest returning to a usual routine after 8 weeks of the delivery.

3. Get Pain Reliever

Pain and cramps are common after a C-section. Consult your doctor to find the right pain medications and relievers. You will need these to avoid the pain and discomfort. Particularly, if you are breastfeeding, these medicines will benefit you. They are likely to suggest over-the-counter drugs like ibuprofen or acetaminophen.

Taking pain relief medications is not going to have any negative effect on breastfeeding mothers. Apart from medicines, you can also use other methods, such as heating pads around the surgery site, to reduce the pain and cramps.

4. Consider a Healthy Diet

You need to include nutritious food items in your daily diet if you want a fast recovery after a C-section delivery. Good nutrition helps to keep both you and your baby healthy. As your baby initially only feeds on breast milk, your diet will determine his/her only source of nutrition.

A 2017 study shows that fruits and vegetables in the daily diet can make you and the baby stronger.

You should include more fibre-rich food items in your diet. Fruits like apples, strawberries, pears, etc., are fibre-rich. You can also include vegetables like beans and broccoli. Additionally, you can try fibre supplements if you are experiencing constipation.

5. Drink Fluids

Apart from food items, you also need to be cautious of the fluids you drink during this period. Firstly, you must drink plenty of water. Your body loses a massive amount of water while delivering a baby. You need to compensate by taking in as much water as possible. You also lose water while nursing and feeding the baby.

Drinking fluids like milk and water help you avoid dehydration during this period. It also helps boost your breast milk supply to the baby and avoid constipation because of all the medicines and diet.

6. Consider Nursing Positions

As you undergo major surgery with the C-section, finding a comfortable position with your baby might be challenging. To avoid this issue, you can put a pillow over your stomach before holding the baby.

Moreover, there is a position called football hold. With this, you cradle the baby’s neck in your palm while resting their back on your forearm. Keep the feet and legs tucked under your arm as you lift the baby to your breasts. There is also the side-lying position, where you lie down facing your baby while feeding him/her.

7. Manage Postpartum Changes

As you undergo a recovery after caesarean delivery, your body might experience some postpartum changes. These changes include afterpains, cramps, breast swelling, lochia or vaginal discharge, vaginal dryness, separation of abdominal muscles, etc. Moreover, you can face hair loss, skin acne and night sweats during this time. 

In most cases, women unaware of these changes can panic and get frustrated because of their discomfort after delivery. However, the best thing to do is to stay calm and think about ways to reduce the discomfort. The following activities can help you here.

• Use lubricants or vaginal creams made of estrogen for vaginal dryness
• Take supplements and go for other topical treatments to avoid hair fall
• Wear simple and lightweight pyjamas for night sweats
• Take birth control pills and oral isotretinoin (Absorbica, Amnesteen, Claravis) to treat acne
• Consider exercising for loose skin
• Take OTC pain medicines to avoid headaches and cramps

8. Consider Regular Postpartum Checkups

The 4th trimester or 12 weeks after delivery, is always crucial for both mother and baby. It would help if you considered seeing your OB-GYN for regular postpartum checkups during this time. The first assessment usually takes place after 3 weeks postpartum, and a comprehensive final visit takes place after 12 weeks. 

During these checkup sessions, your doctor will discuss the following areas. 

• Your physical health and recovery
• Mental health conditions
• Baby’s health and feeding schedule
• Your energy levels and sleep routine
• Birth control
• Chronic conditions
• Pregnancy-related complications and their management

9. Return to Physical Activities

While bed rest is important after a C-section surgery, it is also essential to walk after 24 hours to avoid blood clots and gas pains. Moreover, it can help to have a more natural and comfortable bowel movement. The following activities can be beneficial for you after such a surgery.

• Deep breathing: Try to take deep breaths every half hour. About 2-3 slow and deep breaths can be helpful to prevent lung congestion. This usually occurs for continuous bed rest.
• Gentle stretching: Simple stretching can also be helpful. Stand against a wall and raise your arm above your head as you feel a stretch in the belly muscles. Hold it for about 5-10 seconds, and then relax. You can repeat it about 10 times a day.
• Shoulder circles: For this simple exercise, start with sitting upright. Roll your shoulders about 20 times in both close-wise and anti-clock directions. Repeat it every hour to avoid stiffness of the shoulder muscles.

If you recently gave birth through a C-section, you might expect the following problems and discomfort.

• Pain and Cramps: Experiencing pains and cramps can be common after cesarean delivery. You can face pain that feels like menstrual camp for quite a few days after delivery. It can narrow the blood vessels in your uterus, preventing your body from bleeding excessively.
• Vaginal Discharge: You might experience vaginal bleeding for weeks after cesarean delivery. It is a way your body uses to eliminate the extra tissues and blood in your uterus. There can be bright red blood initially slowly turning lighter before stopping completely.
• Breast Swelling: For a few days after the surgery, your breasts are likely to create colostrum, a nutrient-rich substance boosting your baby’s immunity. However, this causes your breasts to swell, as they contain milk. It can also make them sore.
• Changes in Hair and Skin: For the first few months after the delivery, you might experience thinning of hair and hair fall. You might also find red or purple stretch marks on the skin of your breasts and stomach. These are caused because of hormonal changes, which slowly disappear after some time.  
• Mood Swings: You might experience mood swings even after childbirth. It will cause a roller coaster of emotions, making you feel worried, anxious, tired or sentimental for the first few weeks. You might also undergo postpartum depression.

If you are recovering from a C-section delivery, here are the things you must avoid.

• Do not lift things that are heavier than your weight. Ask for help in such cases.
• Avoid taking baths as long as your incision takes to heal. Moreover, bathing during postpartum bleeding can also be unhealthy.
• Climbing stairs can be dangerous during this period. Try to avoid it as much as possible.
• Avoid entering public pools or hot tubs while recovering.
• Regarding diet, avoid food items like carbonated drinks, tea and coffee, citrus juices, and fried food. You should avoid spicy and fermented food as these cause bloating, gas and heartburn.

You will likely experience pain and other postpartum changes, which are completely normal after a C-section. However, you might have to call a doctor if you face the following symptoms.

• Swelling and redness in the incision area
• Pain around this site
• Smelly vaginal discharge
• Body temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or more
• Selling or redness in the legs and arms
• Heavy vaginal bleeding
• Difficulty breathing
• Chest pain and coughing
• Breast pain and cramps
• Bad and chronic headache 

These conditions can be dangerous, as these are likely to develop an infection, blood clot, or other complications. It is best to consult a doctor to avoid such issues.

Therefore, as you can see, recovery after a C-section delivery can be tricky. However, following the tips discussed in this article, you can recover faster than usual. You can easily get rid of the postpartum changes and discomfort with the help of simple steps and measures.