Recovering from a cesarean birth is similar to recovering from any other major surgery, with a few major differences.
Cesarean birth recovery: an overview
- The come-down: There will be pain once the anesthesia wears off, though medications will be given to help with pain control. Those who had an epidural or spinal anesthesia during the operation may also feel a kind of full-body itch as the anesthesia leaves their systems, while women who were unconscious under general anesthesia are more likely to feel groggy.
- The stay: Women who have had cesarean births can stay in the hospital from 2 to 4 days after surgery, depending on complications.
- Relief: Many will switch to oral pain relievers as soon as they are able. The second or third day after surgery is also about the time when pain around the incision point may start to lessen, but it’s totally normal for pain to last for weeks afterward (though it should become progressively less painful every day).
- Up and at ‘em: Nurses often encourage movement shortly after the operation. This is because, as a general rule, those who start moving around earlier also heal earlier, although it’s important to stick to gentle movements like short, slow walks. Moving around early and on a fairly regular basis can also help protect against blood clots, help get bowels moving again, and relieve gas pain. Once at home, any exercise that results in heavy breathing is probably too much, and any sit-ups should be put on hold for a while.
- Waiting on some gas: Although a bowel movement is not necessary, many women are not released from the hospital until they have passed gas. Women who have had cesarean births often have a significant amount of gas trapped in their abdomens after surgery. Women are often given medication to help soften stool and pass gas before leaving the hospital.
- Support: During recovery, it’s important to support the stomach and abdominal muscles, which means good posture when standing or sitting upright, and using a pillow against the abdomen for support when sneezing, coughing, or laughing. You may also be given an abdominal binder to provide extra support to the abdominal area.
- Undercover: It’s important to keep the incision site covered until a healthcare provider says it’s safe to stop. While it’s important to keep the wound clean by letting warm water and mild soap run over the incision, it’s not a good idea to rub or soak the area, whether in a bathtub, hot tub, or while swimming, until a healthcare provider gives the okay. At discharge from the hospital, the incision will mostly be covered by steri-strips or wound closure strip bandages, which will stay on for approximately 2 weeks.
- Heavy lifting: During recovery from a cesarean birth, the baby should be the heaviest thing a new mom lifts.
- Eat and drink up: Drinking lots of fluids is important for a healthy recovery, since it’s important to replace the fluids lost during birth (and breastfeeding, for those who are nursing or pumping). Fluids can also help prevent constipation, which can be a particular problem after delivery, since pain medications prescribed after a cesarean birth can cause constipation. Women who have had cesarean births are also encouraged to start eating whenever they feel ready.
Possible complications
- Infection: Infections show up either in the skin incision or beneath the skin, in the uterus. Signs of infection include a fever higher than 100.4° F (38° C), redness, tenderness, or pain around the incision site, or if the incision is swollen or leaking discharge. Infections are generally treated by antibiotics once they’re reported.
- Discharge: Some vaginal discharge is normal, but discharge that suddenly gets heavier or starts to smell bad could be a sign of a problem, and should be reported to your provider. This includes heavy bleeding – some light bleeding, called lochia, is normal after a cesarean birth, but heavy bleeding (bleeding that fills up more than one pad an hour, for example) can be a sign of a problem.
- Swelling, redness: Swelling or redness either in one leg or in an area on one breast can be a sign of a problem, and should be checked out.
If you notice signs of any of these complications, it’s important to get these signs checked out by a doctor or healthcare provider to give your body the chance for a healthy, smooth recovery.
Pain relief
Pain relief during recovery from a cesarean birth is likely necessary for at least a few days. It’s a good idea to try to stay ahead of the pain by staggering how you take pain relievers: take a new one before the old one wears off to avoid a span of time after one wears off, before the next kicks in.
Those recovering from cesarean births generally go home with two types of pain relief medication: a narcotic and an anti-inflammatory. Over the first few days at home, it’s a good idea to follow your healthcare provider’s dosing instructions carefully. After that, it’s okay to start reducing the medications based on how you’re feeling. One danger of pain relievers, though, is that just because a woman isn’t feeling pain, doesn’t mean her body doesn’t need the rest that pain would require. Women on pain medications after cesarean births still need to take it easy, even if they’re feeling basically fine – their bodies need the time to catch up.
You might be wondering if it’s safe to be taking certain pain relievers while breastfeeding after a cesarean birth. An official statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics says that while certain pain medications are unsafe, there are many that don’t show up in breastmilk in clinically significant amounts and thus are safe for a mom to take while she is breastfeeding. Since there are some that aren’t safe, though, it’s up to the physician to determine which ones a breastfeeding mother should take while she recovers from a cesarean birth.
You should talk to your healthcare provider if you have any questions about pain relief after cesarean birth.
Breastfeeding after a cesarean birth
In general, there’s no reason that people who have had cesarean births and want to breastfeed should have to wait to get started. Health issues with either mom or baby can create a delay, but after uncomplicated cesarean births, new moms can start breastfeeding soon after, and can get a head-start with skin-to-skin contact with the baby while they’re still in the operating room.
That said, moms who have just had cesarean births will need to try holding their babies in positions specifically designed for cesarean birth recovery. The two main ones are the football hold (where the baby lies along mom’s forearm, head resting in her hand) or lying beside her in bed. Lactation consultants in the hospital can be great resources to help find the right position.
Pregnancy recovery
Women recovering from cesarean births aren’t just recovering from surgery, they’re also recovering from months of pregnancy. Some of the changes to the body after pregnancy that are perfectly normal and healthy, but can feel worrying without a little warning, include:
- Vaginal discharge: For up to 6 to 8 weeks, starting as bleeding then turning pinkish, yellowish, or whitish. This is called lochia, and you should only use pads— no tampons.
- Contractions: They can feel a bit like menstrual pains, but just mean that the uterus is contracting to limit bleeding.
- Sore breasts or breast engorgement: People who have given birth will likely experience engorgement a few days after the birth. Breastfeeding moms will experience engorgement if they’re producing more than their babies need. Cold compresses can help, and breastfeeding moms can also pump for relief.
- Hair and skin changes: Pregnancy hormones can cause changes to hair and skin, and the sudden lack of those hormones can do the same thing. This is perfectly natural, though it can feel a little scary when “perfectly normal” means losing a lot of hair, as the unusually thick, rich hair that sometimes grows in during pregnancy disappears.
- Baby blues: New moms can feel an unexpected drop in mood, which is a perfectly normal response to the physical, hormonal, and emotional upheavals in their lives. If the “baby blues” is more intense or lasts longer than 2 weeks, it could be a case of postpartum depression. A healthcare provider can help tell the difference between postpartum depression and baby blues, and can help new moms settle on a course of treatment if one is needed. If you end up feeling a drop in mood that’s unexpectedly intense, it can be a good idea to check in with a healthcare provider about it, even if you don’t think it could be postpartum depression, just to make sure.
People who have just given birth generally see their healthcare provider again for a checkup around 2 and 6 weeks. In the meantime, if you have questions about recovery, you can reach out to your healthcare provider.
Reviewed by the Ovia Health Clinical Team
Sources
- Mayo Clinic Staff. “C-section recovery: What to expect.” Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic, March 20 2015. Web.
- “Going home after a C-section.” MedlinePlus. U.S. National Library of Medicine, November 19 2014. Web.
- “Cesarean Section: Recovering After Surgery.” March of Dimes. March of Dimes. Web.
