Once you are home from the hospital, you may like to wait until about 10 days post-delivery to try out a short walk around the block. If you had an emergency C-section then you may need to wait a few extra days before you start walking outdoors.
Walking within the first 24 hours of your procedure. While uncomfortable at first, walking is a great way to lower the risk of post-op complications such as blood clots and jump start normal bodily functions (like getting the bowels moving).
Women should walk for about 20 minutes at a moderate pace to increase circulation and speed up healing. Fit mothers recover quickly and can be back on their feet in a matter of weeks. Walking after a cesarean delivery is regarded as an important part of recovery exercise.
Side sleeping position
For some people, right after back sleeping, side sleeping is the second most comfortable position. For people recovering from abdominal surgery, it's a great option since it doesn't put additional pressure on your incision, and makes getting in and out of bed easier.
Just make sure not to push yourself too much, as overexertion after C-section delivery can have serious consequences, including wound infection or injury.
10 days post-cesarean delivery
Once you are home from the hospital, you may like to wait until about 10 days post-delivery to try out a short walk around the block. If you had an emergency C-section then you may need to wait a few extra days before you start walking outdoors.
If you had an uncomplicated pregnancy and vaginal delivery, it's generally safe to begin exercising a few days after giving birth or as soon as you feel ready.
Gentle exercise, such as walking, will help you recover from your c-section. But avoid anything more active until you have no pain and you feel ready. For example, avoid driving, carrying anything heavy, having sex or doing heavy housework, such as vacuuming, until you feel able to.
“It's recommended that you get up and walk around,” says Dr. Higgins. “We don't want someone lying in bed for two weeks.”
The diet chart after C-section recovery should also eliminate anything that takes a longer time to digest. Items like carbonated drinks, citrus juices, coffee, tea, and spicy food should be avoided as they increase bloating and gas. Fermented and fried food can cause heartburn and indigestion.
After a C-section it is important to allow core and pelvic floor recovery: Avoid lifting anything heavier than your baby, and get help wherever possible. Roll on to your side when lying down before sitting up. Rest horizontally as much as possible.
Increased bleeding after your lochia starts to decrease can be a sign you're overdoing it and need more rest. Seeing ongoing clots could mean your uterus is having trouble getting back to its pre-pregnancy size. In either case, it's always best to call.
About six to eight weeks after baby's birth, your c-section incision should be completely healed, and you'll be able to gradually resume most of your normal activities, including exercising, driving and lifting items heavier than baby.
While six weeks has long been the traditional timeline for rest and recuperation after a birth, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends ongoing postpartum care from birth to 12 weeks. Six weeks is also the standard recovery time allotted for childbirth-related short-term disability leave.
You might have some bleeding for up to 6 weeks. Check with your doctor, nurse or midwife if the bleeding gets heavier rather than lighter, you have a sudden heavy blood loss or large clots after the first few days, the blood smells bad, your uterus feels tender or sore, or you're still bleeding after 6 weeks.
Always sit well back on a supportive chair, your feet should be able to touch the floor in order to support your posture. Use pillows to support your back and to rest your baby on your lap to bring them into a comfortable feeding position. You can then use pillows to support your own arms.
At first, your cut (incision) will be raised slightly and pinker than the rest of your skin. It will likely appear somewhat puffy. Any pain should decrease after 2 or 3 days, but your cut will remain tender for up to 3 weeks or more. Most women need pain medicine for the first few days to 2 weeks.
Many guides suggest that full recovery from a C-section takes 4 to 6 weeks. Yet every person is different, and much research suggests a significantly longer recovery time. Some studies , for example, have found that 60 percent of women have some pain in the incision 24 weeks after delivery.
Lifting more than your baby, stretching, straining and deep bending are not recommended until about 4-6 weeks post-delivery OR until you are able to do these movements with no pain or strain and your incision feels like it has healed.
It is recommended to avoid using tampons, exercising intensely, taking stairs, or having sex until you have your doctor's permission. Moreover, you should shower normally instead of baths until your postpartum bleeding and incision have healed.
Coughing and Sneezing Will Hurt
Eskridge, who underwent two c-sections of her own, experienced the same thing—and offers some useful advice: “Splinting (holding a pillow against the abdomen over the incision) is very helpful in preventing pain with coughs, sneezes and laughing,” she says.
What is a 'gentle C-section'? A “gentle C-section” brings elements of a vaginal delivery into the operating room – such as letting the mother watch the birth and hold her newborn right away. A C-section is major surgery. We can't forget that. But we may be able to take a more patient-centered approach.
At the beginning of a caesarean section, six separate layers of the abdominal wall and uterus are opened individually. Once the baby is delivered the uterus is closed with a double layer of stitching.
Remember, that first 6 weeks you are still dealing with uterus and fluid. For up to 12 weeks, muscles are naturally accommodating and shortening. C-moms can also have mild swelling up to 12 weeks.
You will usually stay in hospital for 2-4 days after your c-section. If you and your baby are well, and you have someone to help you at home, you may be able to go home after 24 hours.