The Night Before Your C-section Try to get a good night's sleep. You may brush your teeth in the morning. Check with your doctor if you are taking any medication. Take a shower before coming to the hospital.
The Day Before Your C-Section
Eat a healthy dinner the night before, but please remember, do not eat or drink anything after midnight prior to surgery, including mints or gum.
To help with gas and bloating, eat lightly prior to your elective C-section. Soup, clear liquids, juices, and smoothies are best choices. Avoid meats and dairy, as these tend to cause bloating and heaviness. You may be hospitalized up to four days after your elective C-section.
Starting 2 hours before your C-section, do not take anything by mouth. Ask your doctor to review all the medicines you are taking. You may need to stop taking some of them for a few days or longer before your C- section. Ask your doctor what time your surgery is scheduled.
Many women recommend packing yoga pants to wear in the hospital, but if you have a c-section you will want to opt for nightgowns or very loose drawstring pants that can sit above your incisions. You will not want anything rubbing painfully on your incision, so tight pants with elastic aren't the best idea.
Cesarean deliveries with no trial of labor were much more concentrated during the day, especially around 8 a.m. "This makes sense, as C-sections are usually scheduled during the daytime hours and wouldn't be scheduled overnight or into the early hours of the morning," says Jennifer Wu, MD, obstetrician/gynecologist at ...
Side sleeping is a great choice when you're recovering from a C-section. Research shows that sleeping on your left side can help increase blood flow to vital organs, aiding healing. It's also the most common sleeping position – you're bound to find this one relaxing.
After a c-section, you should sleep on your back or side. This shouldn't put too much strain on your c-section wound. You can also try sleeping on your back with your head elevated. Use pillows to keep your spine aligned and take pressure off your joints.
Restrict solid foods for eight hours before the C-section
However, we recognize that that's a long time to go without food or drink, particularly for something as physically and emotionally taxing as childbirth and recovery. Patients today can drink clear liquids, including juice and sports drinks, prior to surgery.
Your first shower can be 24 hours after surgery. You can take a bath, too, but it may be too difficult getting in and out of the tub for the first 2-3 weeks. It is OK for the vagina AND/OR the incision to go underwater, including the pool. Pain Management: Ibuprofen and Tylenol are typically enough.
It is important that your stomach is empty. You may brush your teeth, but do not swallow any toothpaste. Your operation will be cancelled and re-scheduled if you eat food or drink fluids other than those listed.
At first you may be asked to only eat ice chips or take sips of water, at least until your provider is certain you are not likely to have very heavy bleeding. Most likely, you will be able to eat a light diet 8 hours after your C-section.
For a planned C-section, you may have a choice of anesthetic, although you should be aware that a spinal block or epidural are generally considered the safest options for both you and your baby. In an emergency or when bleeding occurs, general anesthesia may be necessary.
Sleeping On Your Back After C-Section
According to the Specialty Surgery Center, the best sleeping position after C-section (and most surgeries in general!) is on your back. In most cases, sleeping on your back may be the best option to relieve any pressure on your incision.
“With a vaginal delivery, it may not be very delayed,” she says. “You may poop in that first day or two after delivery.” Pooping after a C-section, however, can be a different story. “Sometimes, after a C-section, the bowels can take some time to wake up since you've just gone through a major surgery,” explains Dr.
C-section pain typically spikes 18 hours after delivery. "That's when the pain medication you were given with your spinal anesthesia wears off," says San Diego perinatologist Sean Daneshmand, MD.
Things to Avoid:
Public pools and hot tubs. Lifting anything heavier than your baby. Repeatedly using stairs. Exercise, at least until your health care provider gives you the go-ahead.
Walking after c-section is encouraged and should be your go to for the first few weeks.
Women who have general anesthesia will not be awake during the cesarean birth. Regional anesthesia is generally preferred because it allows the mother to remain awake during the procedure, enjoy support from staff and her partner, experience the birth, and have immediate contact with the baby.
Most C-sections are done under regional anesthesia, which numbs only the lower part of your body. This allows you to be awake during the procedure. Common choices include a spinal block and an epidural block. Some C-sections might require general anesthesia.
You won't feel any pain during the C-section, although you may feel sensations like pulling and pressure. Most women are awake and simply numbed from the waist down using regional anesthesia (an epidural and/or a spinal block) during a C-section. That way, they are awake to see and hear their baby being born.
Preparing for a caesarean section
You will need to fast. That means no food or drink, including water, for up to 6 hours before a planned caesarean. In some cases, you can drink clear fluids up until 2 hours before your admission.
How long does a C-section surgery take? The typical C-section takes about 45 minutes from start to finish. After your provider delivers your baby, they'll stitch your uterus and close the incision in your abdomen. Different types of emergencies can arise during a delivery.