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.
Do: Keeping the area dry and clean. Use warm, soapy water to wash your incision daily (usually when you shower). Pat the area dry after cleaning.
You'll also want to wait for at least four to six weeks to take a bath if you delivered via c-section – immersing your c-section scar in water could lead to an infection at the incision site.
You may shower, bathe or wash your hair at anytime after the birth of your baby. During your first six weeks, avoid strenuous work. You may choose to limit visits with family and friends during the first two weeks, as it may cause undue fatigue for you and could also be detrimental to your baby's health.
Don't even think of tackling laundry, putting away dishes or climbing stairs (except as necessary) for at least a week after you get home. You may feel a burst of energy, but it's likely to disappear as quickly as it came on--so save your strength for cuddling your baby and other wonderful things, like showers.
Resume light exercise and household chores
Just remember to take it slow and avoid trying new things right now. Similarly, you should be able to resume day-to-day tasks around the house without much trouble around two weeks after delivery.
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.
You may remove your wound dressing and take showers if stitches, staples, or glue were used to close your skin. Do not soak in a bathtub or hot tub, or go swimming, until your provider tells you it is OK. In most cases, this is not until 3 weeks after surgery.
You also can shower within a day of your surgery, and doing so helps reduce the risk of infection. Don't scrub your incision, but let the soapy water run over it. (Your bandages will be removed about 24 hours after surgery and replaced with small sticky bandages called Steri-Strips; it's fine if these get wet.)
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.
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.
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.
“It's recommended that you get up and walk around,” says Dr. Higgins. “We don't want someone lying in bed for two weeks.”
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.
It takes about six weeks for your uterus to return to its pre-pregnancy weight and size.
Recovering from a C-section requires that you give yourself space and time needed to heal properly. This also means that some activities and behaviors may need to be avoided or adjusted until you're at least 6 weeks postpartum, you're fully healed, or your doctor has confirmed it's OK to do so. Avoid: stomach sleeping.
Try not to do too much housework or other activities for the first couple of weeks. Check with your doctor before returning to any of these activities, but in general you will have to wait: 4-6 weeks before doing heavy exercises that involve your belly or lifting anything larger than your infant.
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.
In general, most people can take a bath about 3–4 weeks after a C-section — although you may be able to take a bath sooner, depending on your circumstances. Heather Irobunda, MD, OB/GYN, says some people may be able to take a bath around 2 weeks after delivery.
Walking after c-section is encouraged and should be your go to for the first few weeks. You'll start to notice day to day movement getting easier and less discomfort lifting baby or moving around.
Why you need to wait. The concern regarding having a C-section and driving too soon centers around your physical capabilities and the risks associated with being under the influence of pain medication. A C-section is a major surgery, which means it comes with serious risks and aftereffects during the recovery period.
There's usually no limit to the number of caesarean sections you can have. But the more caesareans you have, the longer each operation will take and the higher your risk of serious complications becomes. You will have scar tissue where your wounds have healed after each operation.
Ideally, your doctor will cut through the same scar so that you don't have multiple scars on your abdomen and uterus. Sometimes scar tissue can be difficult to cut through but your doctor should be able to cut through it.