Most women will leave hospital within 24 to 48 hours for a vaginal birth and 48 to 72 hours for a caesarean birth. This will vary on clinical condition of both you and your baby. You can also choose to go home after 6 hours if there are no clinical issues .
The average hospital stay after a C-section is 2 to 4 days, and keep in mind recovery often takes longer than it would from a vaginal birth. Walking after the C-section is important to speed recovery and pain medication may be supplied too as recovery takes place.
When can I go home after a c-section? 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.
We recommend that you stay in hospital for at least 24 hours unless you are going home under the care of the community midwifery team (DOMINO and ETH). If you are breastfeeding for the first time and are not living within the community midwives' area, we recommend that you stay in hospital for 48 hours.
You should expect to go home as planned by your midwife and doctor; usually from 48 hours after your surgery. However, some women choose to go home at 24 hours after their caesarean birth under the Home Recovery Care program.
The average stay in hospital after a caesarean is around 4 days. You may be able to go home sooner than this if both you and your baby are well. While in hospital: you'll be given painkillers to reduce any discomfort.
For most moms, it will take four to six weeks to make a full recovery. The day right after your surgery, you'll be encouraged to walk around within the first 12 hours after delivery to help relieve gas buildup in the abdomen, and to eat something light as soon as you feel able.
Returning to Physical Activities After a C-Section
It's important to get out of bed and walk around within 24 hours after surgery.
After C-Section: The First 24-48 Hours
Again, you've just had major surgery, so fatigue and pain are to be expected. Many women also report experiencing nausea for the first few hours. Depending on the composition of your epidural, you may have some itching.
Try to avoid constipation and straining with bowel movements. You may want to take a fibre every day. If you have not had a bowel movement after a couple of days, ask your doctor about taking a mild laxative.
Urinating after a cesarean section
If you're having difficulties urinating, then you might like to try some ways of triggering the urge – such as turning on a tap, hopping in a warm shower, or pouring a small amount of warm water over the area. If the difficulty persists, then the catheter might need to be reinserted.
C-section Recovery Time
Unlike vaginal delivery, C-section recovery takes time. You need to give your body at least 6 weeks for the incision to heal, and for the abdomen to recover from the trauma. The doctor will advise bed rest on day 1 but after that, they will ask you to start moving.
It takes about six weeks to recover from a C-section, but each person's timeline will be different. An incision — typically a horizontal cut made in your lower abdomen — can take weeks to heal. During that time, it's recommended that you avoid lifting anything heavier than your baby.
It usually takes about 6 weeks to recover from your c-section but this will depend on your individual situation. If you had any problems during or after your c-section, or if you're looking after other children at home, you may feel you need more time to recover.
Breastfeeding classes are offered through the hospital. Shower and bath: The incision is water-tight within 24 hours after surgery. The bandage should be removed one day after surgery, and the incision should remain uncovered. Your first shower can be 24 hours after surgery.
The first day after a C-section is often the hardest, and moving around may hurt. Take any prescribed pain medication on schedule, and time your trips to the bathroom or around the room to coincide with when the pain medicine kicks in, suggests Dr. Woeber.
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.
On the day of your C-section
Most women will go into the hospital on the morning of their elective caesarean section, where the doctor or midwife will show you and your birth partner to your bed space/room in the postnatal ward. Once settled, you will be: Given an estimated time for your caesarean delivery.
After a C-section, she recommends women take eight weeks off and to avoid heavy activity to prevent complications. “A lot of women still have significant pain at two weeks after,” she said.
What is the best thing to wear after a C-section? Wear comfortable clothes that won't put too much pressure on your incision site, such as loose-fitting sweats, loose dresses, and oversized pajamas.
Once the baby is delivered the uterus is closed with a double layer of stitching. Four of the five remaining layers are stitched with a single layer of stitching, but one layer is not restitched as it heals better – with no buckling and reduced chance of scar tissue developing, without restitiching.
The whole operation normally takes about 40 to 50 minutes. Occasionally, a general anaesthetic (where you're asleep) may be used, particularly if the baby needs to be delivered more quickly.