What Precautions to take after C-Section

Having a baby with C-section is little tuff, as there’s a lot to take care of your body later on. Both the delivery be it Vaginal or C-section, the moment you see and touch your baby is priceless and the same in the case. Every woman opts for vaginal delivery until there are some complications in the delivery and they have to switch to C-section. What precautions to take after C-section?

C-section or a Caesarean delivery is performed in following cases-

• If the baby’s head is too large.
• The baby is in a head-down position.
• The water broke.
• If the mother is having a health complication.
• Mother is unable to go into labour.

What is C-section

C-section is another type of delivery in which an incision is made in the mother’s belly and uterus, to deliver the child. Mother is given the Epidural injection and in many cases, she is awake during the operation.

Some mothers, who didn’t plan for C-section gets upset when they are unable to deliver the child normally. A caesarean operation affects the physical and mental state of the mother. She feels nauseated after the surgery and it lasts for up to 48 hours. The hospital stay becomes longer in C-section.

C-section Recovery

Rest assured, you will be given a lot of postoperative care after the C-section. It is very important to take care of the mother after C-section, as she goes through a lot both physically and mentally.

• Your doctors will watch you closely for 24 hours to look for any signs of discomfort.

• You will be given a lot of medications, to recover from the surgery and it is best if you take them. Medicines will not affect your breastmilk.

• Doctors will ask you to take a little walk after 24 hours, in order to relieve you from the gas that is built up in the abdomen.

• In 6-8 days, you will be able to start drinking fluids followed by light diet.

• Doctors will remove your stitches on 7^th or 8^th day, and that procedure won’t be painful.

• You will be told to go to bathroom in first 24 hours of your delivery as it helps in healing.

• After you have delivered, your uterus will start shrinking to its pre-pregnancy size. This will cause heavy bleeding, which is called lochia and it can continue till 6 weeks.

• Avoid all the household work, you are just supposed to rest for few weeks.

• If you feel any fever or signs of infection, call the doctor immediately.

• The new mother would need an extra care emotionally. Many women tend to go into postpartum depression and this should not be taken lightly. They get upset due to many reasons, one of them is not able to deliver the baby normally. If the mood swings persist for few weeks, it is best to consult a doctor.

• Your body can take upto 6 weeks to heal from the C-section, then only you will be able to get up from bed and move around freely but with utmost care.

• A mother is advised to take fibrous food, to keep the bowel movement proper.

Can you take Bath after C-section?

It is better not to fully submerge yourself until three weeks while taking bath. Keeping the incision area dry is very necessary, as it prevents the water from entering the vagina. But you can take shower, just make sure not to scrub your incision area. Also, if there is any bandage or wound around the incision, check that it should remain dry to avoid any infections.

How Soon can I Breastfeed after C-section

Whether it is C-section or Normal delivery, a mom can breastfeed their child. To understand how soon you can breastfeed the child, you need to consult the doctor, as they know better whether your body is ready or not for nursing.

When the placenta separates from the uterus, there is a hormonal shift. This is the signal to your body that the milk has been produced, and you can feed your baby. This signalling is done in both normal as well as caesarean delivery. That means as soon as your baby is born, you can feed him. Just in the case of a C-section, you may find it a little difficult to nurse the baby as the incision may hurt.

Therefore, it is best to take advise from nurse about the nursing position. She can help you with side-lying or football position, to avoid pressure on the incision.

Do’s and Don’ts after C- section

Do’s

1. Take time to sit and with your baby.
2. Have plenty of rest.
3. Shower normally.
4. Try to take slow and short walk, it will help in constipation.
5. Whenever you need to cough or laugh, hold a pillow on your incision.
6. If you find trouble in Breastfeeding, talk to your doctor.

Don’ts

1. Lift anything heavier.
2. Use tampoons, until you have consulted your doctor.
3. Soak in hot tubs.
4. Climb the stairs repeatedly.
5. Have sex, until you have consulted your doctor.
6. Take bath until your stitches are healed and postpartum bleeding has stopped.
7. Exercise rigorously.

So, above are some of the precautions you should take after c-section. Just remember that you have given birth to one of the most amazing child, you need to rest and also be patient for your body to recover properly. Enjoy your this time with baby and have ample of rest.

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