The Do’s and Don’ts After a C-section
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Dos and Don’ts After A C-Section
You’re either reading this because you’re about to have a scheduled c-section or you just had one and you’re wondering about all the dos and don’ts after your c-section.
A cesarean section is major abdominal surgery and can take some time to heal just like any other major surgery. It is very different from vaginal birth.
The problem with a c-section surgery is that a mother doesn’t have a lot of time to rest!
Oh no, the doctors will tell you to rest but we all know that’s not exactly all that easy to do, ESPECIALLY if you have other little ones at home!
However, as a new mom, you need to take some time to care for yourself no matter how difficult the situation is. If you have family members that are able to help you, use them!
Remember, if mom isn’t happy, no one will be!
After your caesarean section, you may have a ton of questions about when to exercise, what type of exercise is okay to do, when to drive, how to take care of your toddlers, what foods to eat, how to breastfeed comfortably, and so much more!
Here is everything you need to know about the dos and don’ts after a c-section!
Dos
Watch what you eat
When you are able to finally eat and drink, your doctor will advise you to go at a slow pace and eat light meals. Your first meal your medical team may offer you might only be soup or jello and some tea or juice.
This is important because your bowels aren’t moving as great as they were prior to your cesarean delivery. You want to eat foods that encourage easy bowel movement without straining your stomach too much.
If you are breastfeeding your baby, you’ll want to be sure to eat foods that are high in protein and slowly get back to a regular diet.
Remember to give yourself a few days to heal and get things moving!
Walk
This is soooo important! I can’t stress this one enough!
It may be the hardest thing to do right after your c-section, but trust me, taking slow, gentle walks are the best thing for your body!
Once you are in the recovery room, the nurses will have you get up and walk after a few hours of rest.
The more you walk, the more your body will relieve trapped gas bubbles that may be causing any discomfort. It will also help prevent blood clots, get your digestive tract moving so you can go home quicker!
Not to mention, overall you’ll get stronger with each walk and go farther and farther every time.
Honestly, it’s like you’re starting to learn how to walk all over again. It’s not that your legs don’t work, it’s more of teaching your abdomen muscles to get the strength to pick yourself up and start moving again.
If this is your first cesarean, this will be harder to do than your second or third c-section.
Even once you get home, take short walks with your baby if it’s nice out. Put them in a baby carrier or use that new stroller and go get some fresh air, even if it’s for just a minute or two.
Your body will thank you later!
Drink plenty of fluids!
Make sure you are drinking a lot of water! Fluids are so important after a c-section!
Drinking 8-10 glasses of water a day will help flush out any unwanted toxins from your body. You just had major abdominal surgery and will need to flush out any fluids you were given during your c-section.
Swollen feet after c-section– About two days after my first cesarean, my feet swelled up like Freddy Flinstones! I’m not even kidding here! I never knew that women could get swelling AFTER they had their baby!
Postpartum swelling is a big deal apparently! I called my doctor immediately and she told me it was common and was from all the IV fluids they gave me. She told me I wasn’t drinking enough fluids and to drink a lot of water and it should go away. I drank so much water that night, that by the morning, my feet were almost back to their original size!
If you get sick of drinking water and would rather have something with some flavor, drinking coconut water, and postpartum herbal teas are other wonderful drinks that can aid in digestion and flushing out toxins.
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Not only will drinking a lot of fluids flush out toxins, but it will also keep you hydrated and smoothen bowels movements!
Stay on top of your pain medicine!
The first day you are home, you might think the pain isn’t that bad and ignore it when you’re due for another ibuprofen. Yes, I did this as well. Let me tell you, I learned the hard way!
Once my Motrin wore off, the pain hit me like a ton of bricks!
I realized I had to stay on top of my pain meds, especially the first few days after surgery or I wasn’t able to take care of my baby as well as I wanted to.
I personally did not take anything stronger than Motrin but every mama’s pain is different, so take what works best for you. I was also breastfeeding so I didn’t even like taking Motrin.
If you’re looking for an all-natural pain relief medication and don’t want to take ibuprofen, then try taking Arnicare. This is safe to use and works great!
Click the photos below for more information:
Keep your scar dry and clean
Be sure to use mild soap when you take a shower. Soap up your stomach/chest area and let the soap rinse down on your scar.
Do not scrub your scar with soap or a washcloth, just let the soap drip down on your incision so it gently cleans the area.
If you have small incision strips (bandaids) on your scar, don’t remove them! They will naturally fall off themselves after a few weeks.
Most new moms have dissolvable stitches so there’s no need to worry about them getting removed.
Yes, your scar may look a bit intimidating at first but trust me, every day it will look better than the day before! After two weeks, you won’t mind it as much.
Getting through those first two weeks is the hardest part of a cesarean. Hang in there, mama!
Once you get out of the shower, pat your scar dry. Be sure to let it dry completely before putting any clothes on. This is a mistake many moms make.
You don’t want any extra moisture trapped in there before you put your underwear or girdle on, so make sure the area is dry! Keeping your scar dry will help prevent any risk of infection as well.
These strips help protect and heal your scar and are made with soft silicone fabric.
Do stock up on stool softeners!
Stool softeners will be your best friend!
Trust me, you want to buy these before you have the baby to make sure you have them on hand after!
Your digestive tract won’t be as active as it was prior to your delivery and the last thing you need after having a baby is trouble in the bathroom!
Yes, another thing I learned the hard way that thankfully my BFF told me was normal and what I needed to do to fix it!
So, stock up on these, don’t even ask questions because you’ll thank me later!
Also, be sure to take a good probiotic daily, this will naturally help move things along and keep your gut healthy!
Get yourself a Postpartum Girdle!
I can’t stress this one enough! This helped me tremendously!
If there are two things you need to stock up on after a c-section that is most important, I’d say stool softeners and a postpartum girdle!
A postpartum girdle helped me feel comfortable, gave both my stomach and back the support I needed, protected my incision from certain clothing I was wearing and protected my incision from my toddlers sitting on my lap!
Honestly, it helped me so much and I even give credit to it for getting my stomach muscles back into shape! The compression of the postpartum wrap or girdle can help the uterus return to its normal size faster.
I even used my postpartum wrap during pregnancy to help with back problems and then postpartum. They make a 3 in 1 wrap that helps you at all stages of pregnancy/postpartum!
Here are the ones I tried, SWEAR by, and loved below:
Get yourself a C-Panty!
Those days you can’t wear a postpartum girdle all the time, a C-Panty is a godsend and it also protects your incision so you can wear normal pants and jeans over it. Click the photo below to learn more:
Buy a Support Pillow
After my first c-section, I had the hardest time getting in and out of bed. Not only was getting in and out of bed difficult but sitting up to breastfeed wasn’t exactly a piece of cake either.
My husband had to go back to work and he worked many nights so he wasn’t there to help me sit up and lift the baby to my breast me to nurse her.
I told him I needed some type of support pillow and he went out and got me this pillow below.
This helped me sleep better, sit up easier, and get out of bed quicker.
So, invest in one of these pillows! It makes getting in and out of bed easier since your stomach muscles aren’t working yet and you don’t have the luxury of a hospital bed to automatically help you sit up.
This helped me sleep better, sit up easier, and get out of bed quicker.
Here is a wedge type pillow that also works great as well:
Do Get Help With Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding after a c-section is much different than nursing your baby after a vaginal delivery.
Your baby may not be ready to nurse yet due to any medication that you were given or the anesthesia. Not to mention, your milk will take a bit longer to come in after a c-section.
It will be harder for you to sit up and breastfeed your baby and the entire process will be a learning experience.
Don’t give up and reach out for help when you need it! It’s not easy but there are lactation consultants that will help you.