Tips And Tricks For Recovering From A Caesarean Section Birth
A Caesarean Section Birth
Although they are quite common, a c-section is still seen as major abdominal surgery, whereby several layers of tissue are cut to allow your baby to be born. It is normal to experience some pain during the first few weeks when recovering and each woman’s experience will be different. With good movement and rest, recovery can be a little easier. Ensure you listen to your body and take breaks when needed. Here are some simple tips to help your recovery:
How to sit up in bed:
It is important that in those first couple of weeks, you try not to use your abdominal muscles to sit up or get out of bed. When you’re in hospital, you will be able to adjust the bed to sit up but when you get home, the best way to do this is to follow the following steps:
Log roll onto your side
Hold on to the side of the bed with your hands
Use your arms to push yourself up
2. How to get out of bed in hospital:
Put the back of the bed up as high as possible.
Roll to your side.
Place your top leg over the bottom leg.
Hold onto the side of the bed with your arms.
Use your arms to push you the rest of the way up as you slide your legs over the bed.
Sit on the edge of the bed, feet on the floor.
Lean forward and use your arms to help you stand.
3. Get moving the next day.
By the following day, you should be able to stand and have a shower. It is great to go for short walks in the hospital ward, and by short we mean up and down the corridor or around your room. Ensure you listen to your body, be guided by your pain and listen to your doctor and midwives. As time goes on and you feel more comfortable you can extend your walks. Try to avoid wearing your baby in the carrier for the first four weeks as it might rub on your scar, use a light pram instead.
4. Brace your abdominals with a pillow or your hands when you have to cough or sneeze.
Sneezing and coughing are painful after abdominal surgery because of the increased pressure it places on the surgical site. Place a pillow over your tummy and apply gentle pressure to support your wound and abdominals during this moment.
5. Avoid lifting heavy things for the first 6 weeks.
This means being careful when doing laundry, lifting older children or heavy prams. When doing laundry, you might need to take a couple of trips to the line to break up a load. You might need to encourage older children to come and sit on your lap for a cuddle instead of picking them up. For specific guidance, please see your women’s health physio.
6. Recovery shorts
SRC recovery shorts can be really helpful for any postnatal mum and particularly those who have had c-sections as they provide additional abdominal support around the surgical site.
(No we don’t get a commission for recommending these, we just think they are really, really good from both personal and professional experience!)
7. Gentle deep core activation exercises
A women’s health physiotherapist will be able to help you correctly activate your deep abdominal muscle known as your transverse abdominis which provides core support for movement throughout your day. Try to gently activate the muscle and hold this activation for around 10s (while breathing) before releasing. You could do this around 10 times. After a few days, you might like to incorporate some movement such as lifting a leg while maintaining this TA activation or performing a bridge.
8. Scar massage
Scar massage can be performed to improve the appearance, healing and sensation of your scar from around six weeks. It is important to wait for the scar to heal. A woman’s physiotherapist can help show you how to perform this correctly.
To Continue Your C-Section Recovery…
Our Women’s Health Physiotherapist recommends all women have a check-up 6 weeks after the birth of their baby. In this we will cover:
Abdominal separation & core rehabilitation
Scar Massage
Bladder health assessment
Pelvic Floor Assessment (via realtime ultrasound or internal vaginal examination if indicated)
Pelvis/ musculoskeletal assessment
Return to exercise guidance
Every woman’s experience is unique and therefore, an individualised approach is essential for optimal recovery. If you were to have surgery on a knee or hip, you would expect to have weeks of intensive rehabilitation. As mothers, it is just as important that we have the best possible care to look after ourselves and our babies.
