- Withdrawal time after cesarean
- Time in hospital
- 10 care for recovery at home
- 1. Have extra help
- 2. Wear a brace
- 3. Placing ice to reduce pain and swelling
- 4. Doing exercises
- 5. Avoid taking weight and driving
- 6. Use healing ointment
- 7. Eat well
- 8. Sleep on your side or on your back
- 9. Contraceptive method
- 10. Take diuretic teas to reduce swelling
- How to care for a cesarean scar
To speed up the recovery of cesarean section, it is recommended that the woman use the postpartum brace to avoid the accumulation of fluid in the scar area, which is called seroma, and drink about 2 to 3 liters of water or other fluids per day. In addition, it is also important to eat foods rich in protein so that healing heals faster, in addition to avoid making a lot of efforts.
The total recovery time of the cesarean varies from woman to woman, while some are able to stand hours after surgery, others need more time to recover, especially if there is any type of complication during childbirth. Post-cesarean recovery is not easy, as it is a major surgery and the body will need an average of 6 months to fully recover.
It is normal that during the recovery period the woman needs the help of a nurse or a close person to be able to lie down and get out of bed, in addition to delivering the baby when she cries or wants to breastfeed.
Withdrawal time after cesarean
After delivery, it is necessary to wait about 30 to 40 days to return to sexual intercourse to ensure that the injured tissues heal correctly before intimate contact. In addition, it is recommended that sexual intercourse does not happen before the medical check-up, as it is possible for the doctor to assess how the healing process is and indicate ways to reduce the risk of vaginal infections and other complications.
Time in hospital
After cesarean section, the woman is usually hospitalized for about 3 days, and after that period, if she and the baby are well, they can go home, but in some cases it may be necessary for the woman or baby to stay in the hospital to recover from a situation.
10 care for recovery at home
After hospital discharge, the woman should recover at home and, therefore, it is recommended
1. Have extra help
In the first days at home, women should avoid efforts, dedicating themselves only to their well-being, breastfeeding and baby care. So it is important that you have help at home not only with household chores, but also to help take care of the baby while resting.
2. Wear a brace
It is advisable to use a postpartum brace to provide more comfort, decrease the feeling that the organs are loose inside the abdomen and to reduce the risk of seroma in the scar. It is also necessary to use a night absorbent, as it is normal for there to be bleeding similar to a heavy menstruation and that can last up to 45 days.
3. Placing ice to reduce pain and swelling
It may be useful to place ice packs on the scar of the cesarean, as long as it does not get wet. For this, it is recommended that the ice be wrapped in a plastic bag and napkin sheets before being placed on the scar and that it be left in place for about 15 minutes, every 4 hours to relieve pain and discomfort.
4. Doing exercises
About 20 days after cesarean, it is already possible to do light physical activity such as walking or jogging , as long as it is released by the doctor. Abdominal plank exercises and hypopressive gymnastics can also help strengthen abdominal muscles faster, decreasing the belly flab that is common in the postpartum period. See how to do hypopressive gymnastics.
5. Avoid taking weight and driving
Before 20 days it is not recommended to make great physical efforts, nor to take weights, just as it is not recommended to drive before 3 months after cesarean section, as they can increase the pain and discomfort at the scar site of the cesarean.
6. Use healing ointment
After removing the bandage and stitches, the doctor may recommend the use of a healing cream, gel or ointment to help detach the scar from the cesarean section, making it smaller and more discreet. When applying the cream daily, massage over the scar with circular movements.
In the following video you can see how to put the ointment correctly to prevent scarring:
7. Eat well
It is important to give preference to healing foods such as eggs, chicken and boiled fish, rice and beans, vegetables and fruits that release the intestine like papaya, to maintain health and the production of high quality breast milk. Check out our complete breastfeeding guide for beginners.
8. Sleep on your side or on your back
The most recommended postpartum position is on your back, with a pillow under your knees to better accommodate your back. However, if the woman prefers to sleep on her side, she should put a pillow between her legs.
9. Contraceptive method
It is recommended to take the pill again 15 days after delivery, but if you prefer another method, you should talk to the doctor to find out what is best, to avoid a new pregnancy before 1 year, because in that case there would be more risks of uterine rupture, which can be very serious.
10. Take diuretic teas to reduce swelling
After cesarean, it is normal to get swollen and to reduce this disorder the woman can take chamomile and mint teas throughout the day, since these types of tea have no contraindications and do not interfere with milk production.
It is normal to have a change in sensitivity around the scar of the cesarean section, which can be numb or burning. This strange sensation can take from 6 months to 1 year to decrease in intensity, but it is common for some women not to recover completely, even after 6 years of cesarean section.
How to care for a cesarean scar
As for the scar, the stitches should only be removed 8 days after the cesarean section and it can be washed normally during the bath. If the woman is in a lot of pain, she can take the pain reliever prescribed by the doctor.
During the bath it is recommended not to wet the dressing, but when the doctor puts on an impermeable dressing, you can bathe normally, without risk of wetting. It should be noted that the dressing is always clean, and if there is a lot of discharge, you should go back to the doctor to clean the area and put on a new dressing.
See also how to prevent the cesarean scar from becoming deep, glued or hard.
