Recovering From a C-Section
If you gave birth via cesarean section, first of all, congratulations! We're sorry to say it, but you can expect to experience a few extra discomforts during the postpartum period: extreme fatigue, tenderness around your incision, and gas buildup in your upper chest and shoulders. Here are a few tips on coping with these common post-cesarean complaints:
Go into couch-potato mode for a while!
Grab the remote control and some snacks, and hunker down on the couch. You need lots of rest in order to heal properly, so make caring for your baby and caring for yourself your top priorities for the first few weeks.
Learn how to minimize pain around your incision site.
Hold a pillow against your incision when you cough, sneeze, or laugh; it will provide some gentle support to your mid-section. Remember to avoid heavy lifting and limit the number of times you trek up and down the stairs in a day. And keep your incision clean and dry, and expose it to air as often as possible.
Don't freak out if you have pressure and slightly uncomfortable urination for a week or two after your surgery.
This feeling will disappear as your body heals.
Expect to have a few problems with (ouch) gas pains.
Mother Nature's reaction to any abdominal surgery is to stop all intestinal activity. It's totally normal for women who've had a cesarean section to experience uncomfortable gas pains for about three days after surgery. Try taking short walks, changing your sitting position frequently, and rocking in a chair. These techniques will help to get rid of any trapped gas and relieve the gas pains that are causing you so much grief.
Your incision will heal within six months of delivery, but don't be surprised if you experience some numbness in the area until the nerves regenerate (something that typically happens about six to nine months after the birth).
Realize that your scar may maintain its bright red hue for up to a year. It will fade in time, but sometimes the fading process takes longer than we'd like.
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