Recovering from a C-section is almost always guaranteed to be difficult and painful, whether or not your surgery was planned. While you will have to take care of your new baby, you will also have to rest and recuperate from the major surgery you just had!
How long does it take to recover?
You will have to bear in mind that your C-section is a major surgery. Because of this, you will not be able to fully recover in as quickly as a few days. Rather, you will have to endure discomfort while doing everyday activities such as getting out of bed and putting on clothes for a couple of months. Nevertheless, your recovery will come in time, and having a positive outlook and a few tricks will help make the process more tolerable for you.
Women who have just given birth are usually cleared to return to their normal routines on, or after their sixth week. These include activities such as working out, driving, doing household chores, and having sexual intercourse.
Here’s how you can speed up your recovery
1. Set reasonable expectations
Do not expect to get well immediately after your baby is born. It will take a month to six weeks for you to completely recuperate from the many discomforts you will encounter. These include exhaustion, sleep deprivation, bloody discharge, uterus contraction, soreness at your incision site, and breast engorgement.
Get as much family support as you can. Seek help with taking care of baby and house chores.
2. Take a break when needed
Although you may feel the need to prioritize your baby’s needs before your own, bear in mind that your full recovery will allow you to attend to him more quickly. Have your partner look after your baby, especially when he wakes up in the middle of the night. Besides, don’t burden yourself with household chores and other tasks that will only exhaust you further. Instead, try looking for clever ways to make your jobs easier. Order in or eat ready-made foods, send your laundry to the dry-cleaner, and hire housekeeping. You will need all the rest you can get!
3. Eat well
Always be ready with a drink of water and healthy foods for snacking to sustain your energy while you recover. Opt for items such as yoghurt, nuts, carrots with some kind of fresh and dried fruits that are rich in fiber. However, be sure to stay away from foods that are known to cause constipation such as bananas. Your pregnancy will have affected your bowel movement, and it is best that you do not interfere with it by eating the wrong foods.
4. Take good care of that wound
Although you should not be alarmed if your incision scar feels sore or numb even a month or so after your surgery, you can still take some measures to help ease the pain. To prevent your sensitive skin from getting irritated, you can try dressing it and wearing loose clothing so that it doesn’t scratch against it. If you start to feel excessive pain in your incision area, or start to see redness and oozing fluids, you might have an infection. Be sure to contact your doctor immediately.
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