Pic courtesy David Castillo at freedigitalphotos.net
Like every pregnant woman, I wanted to give birth to my baby naturally. And, like everything in life, C-section happened. Scavenging through article for c-section recovery tips will just be like a vicious circle. These c-section recovery this that you can’t afford to ignore are serious tips! I have used them myself and would definitely want to pay it forward.
Coming back to my truth, after hours of tolerating excruciating labor pain, I had to go under the knife. Why I had to undergo a C-Section is a different story altogether that I will tell you in a different post. One thing I loved the most about the C-Section was that it is so quick! I was feeding my very healthy baby boy colostrum, which is rich in antibodies and nutrients just after ten minutes of entering the operation theater. But, my joy was short lived. When I woke up the next day, I was having a lot of pain near the stitches. After all I went through a major surgery!
Sure, C-Section is not a very desirable way of giving birth to your child, but at times it becomes mandatory to do it for the safety of yourself and your child. As with any other surgery, good after-care is very important. After I delivered my boy through C-Section, my doctor gave me a few tips that helped me recover faster. The tips were really helpful and I recovered from the operation without any complications. After two and a half years, I just have a scar near the bikini line, which is slowly fading away.
Start walking a little on the second day
By walking I don’t mean wearing your tracks and going to the nearby park. Lol! You will just need to take a round or two of your room. The antibiotics administered for healing the stitches can cause a lot of uneasiness, which can lead to additional abdominal pain. Who would ever want that! When you start walking, you will be able to get those muscles working and it will be oh so relieving! I am talking from my personal experience here. Taking a walk will also decrease the risk of blood clots and it will get your digestive functioning normally again.
Take care of the stitches
In the hospital everything is taken care of by the nurses. But, once you are back home, you will have to always keep an eye on the stitches. My doctor had told me to pat dry the stitches after taking bath and apply Betadine lotion over it for 10 days after the delivery. The antibiotic in Betadine helps prevent any infection in the wound. If you find redness around the stitches or worse any fluid leaking from them, contact your gynecologist immediately. I was recommended Betadine, be sure to check with your doctor (I am sure you will be told which lotion to invest in).
Avoid lifting anything heavy
One of the most common advice of not lifting anything heavy during pregnancy applies after the C-Section too. On a general basis avoid lifting anything heavier than your infant. It is advisable not to lift anything heavy for three months. I followed the advice very strictly and you should too. Lifting heavy objects can cause a lot of pain in the stitches. If the impact is more, it could also reopen your stitches. You don’t want that – believe me
Limited Physical activity
Until your wound is completely healed which will be after 3 months of operation, you should not engage in any strenuous activity. It is also not advisable to indulge in any sexual encounters. After your wound has healed, you can ask your doctor or a trainer to give you some light exercises.
Read this article
So, this tip mentioned here about correcting the gap created due to birthing can really help you get back into shape real fast. Diastasis recti is something very common among women and I really want every new mom to read more and more about it.
C-section is a huge operation. Don’t go by the amount of hours spent in the OT, but by the sheer patience and skill that a doctor needs to invest in getting a precious baby out of the womb. Cutting through seven layers of skin is not an easy feat and definitely not an easy one for us mothers.
These tips are just helpers to get you up and running with your kids earlier. Remember that like everything in life, this painful c-section recovery too shall pass
