Recovering from a C-section

Most women close to their delivery date assume that they will have a natural birth, i.e. a vaginal birth. That’s not surprising, as that is the assumption of the doctor as well. No one really knows, even with past birth experiences, how the most recent will go. There are many reasons that a woman will have a C-section that have not been considered by the mother. There are plenty of baby books about what to expect, but many simply gloss over the things that “don’t apply to them”. Complications at birth, such as a long labor or the child being in distress or turned the wrong way, can lead to a decision from the doctor in favor of a C-section.

A C-section’s (cesarean section) recovery time is much longer than a traditional birth. It is a major abdominal surgery – they cut through the skin, muscles and uterus – and the full recovery time can be five to six weeks. Women who have a C-section will have a longer hospital stay and have difficulty moving and bending (NOT recommended!). Many who didn’t expect a C-section are surprised at how difficult it is to do simple things like getting out of bed, picking up her newborn or changing a diaper. When you move, you don’t realize how many muscles you are stretching in your abdomen.

While in the hospital, morphine may be administered for the pain. Leaving the hospital, every bump in the road on the drive home is going to be very painful until you can fill your prescription for pain killers. Sneezing and coughing exert pressure on the abdominal area and cause additional pain. Be sure to use your hands or a pillow to support your incision if you cough. It’s quite painful and a violent sneeze or cough might even rupture your stitches. Each day you will feel a little better and the pain will be less. You may feel numbness and soreness at the incision site, and the scar will be slightly raised, puffy, and darker than your natural skin tone. Most women will always have numbness on their incision.

Expect and demand help once you get home. You are going to need help washing yourself and cleaning the incision, getting up from a chair. You will have been prescribed pain killers (such as Darvocet or Vicodin) and should not drive. Make sure to keep an eye on your scar for changes in color that might indicate an infection. In a few days to a week, you will need to go back to your doctor to have your staples (or stitches, if applicable) removed. Having the staples removed is painful in theory, but in reality feels like a little pinch.

Move around as much as you feel comfortable doing to promote healing, but don’t try to do “Super Mom” after a C-section. It is major surgery and major trauma on the body. Let yourself heal. Focus on your wonderful new baby and not on the fact that you cannot bend over to change his or her diaper. Most of the pain is in the first two weeks. After that, there will be plenty of diapers to change and rocking to do. A C-section was done in favor of the child’s health, and although that Lamaze class seems “wasted”, do not let yourself feel that you are less of a mother for not having a natural birth. Focus on keeping your incision clean, taking any prescribed medication and resting when you need to. Although it’s easy to be impatient during these weeks of recovery, you will have a lot to distract you from it.