It is major abdominal surgery and it will take you a while to heal. “Pain following a C-section is typically the strongest the first few days and subsides as you continue to heal over the course of a few weeks,” says Blindt.
C-section pain typically spikes 18 hours after delivery.
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.
Your Recovery
You may have some pain in your lower belly and need pain medicine for 1 to 2 weeks. You can expect some vaginal bleeding for several weeks. You will probably need about 6 weeks to fully recover. It's important to take it easy while the incision heals.
Post Cesarean: Days 3-5
During this time, you should gradually regain your mobility and your pain will begin to subside, but you still need to take certain precautions. Strenuous movements, for example, can place undue strain on your incision site.
1 week later: You'll probably be feeling better physically, but it's important not to overdo it. Remember not to lift anything heavier than your baby. And that the old adage about sleeping when the baby sleeps is worth following—getting enough rest is essential to healing.
You might feel contractions, sometimes called afterpains, during the first few days after the C-section. These contractions — which often resemble menstrual cramps — help prevent excessive bleeding by compressing the blood vessels in the uterus.
In general, yes. It is major abdominal surgery and it will take you a while to heal. “Pain following a C-section is typically the strongest the first few days and subsides as you continue to heal over the course of a few weeks,” says Blindt.
You'll probably feel some soreness in the incision, and you may have bleeding or discharge for up to 6 weeks after the C-section. That's expected. However, the following symptoms warrant a call to your doctor, because they could signal an infection: redness, swelling, or pus oozing from the incision site.
The classic back sleeping position
While back sleeping isn't recommended once you're more than 20 weeks pregnant, this position is recommended for those recovering from surgery. It places the least amount of strain and pressure on your incision site and ensures that your body is aligned in a neutral position.
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.
It's important for mothers to care for themselves after a a cesarean delivery. After any delivery, a mother needs to allow her body to rest and heal. Ideally, this means little to no housework, and no running after other little ones.
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.
Signs and symptoms to look out for include: abnormal swelling, redness, and pain around the wound. clear or discolored fluid coming from the wound. abnormal vaginal bleeding.
3 weeks post-cesarean delivery
After you've been home from the hospital for 3 weeks or so, you might be walking for up to 15 minutes, gradually building up the time if it feels good. Keep up your daily pelvic floor exercises too.
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.
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.
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.
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.
You'll be instructed not to lift anything heavier than your baby for up to eight weeks after your C-section, and bending over will likely still be difficult. Don't push yourself, and don't try to do more than you're physically able to do once you're home.
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.
If you're sleeping on your back, it is very important not to sit up directly from this position. First rolling to your side and using your arms to help you sit up will protect your recovering abdominal muscles. University of Washington Medical Center recommends the “logroll” method to get yourself out of bed.
Since you'll receive two incisions — one in your abdomen and one in your uterus — your surgeon will close both incisions.