Just When You Think You Are Back To Normal Think Again
Most women begin to feel somewhat normal around 5 to 7 days after a c-section and they begin increasing their activity. If your doctor used internal dis-solvable stitches, these will begin to dissolve around 7 to 10 days post surgery. It is important during this time, to remember to continue to take things slowly and don’t over do it. By this point, you probably haven’t needed your pain medication nearly as often as you did when you first came home from the hospital. However, as your stitches begin dissolving, you may need to use your pain medication again especially at night when your body is fatigued.
Signs and Symptoms of a Possible Infection Following a C-Section
Let your doctor know if you experience any of the following symptoms:
- increased pain around incision
- fever greater than 100.4
- redness around your incision site
- swollen incision
- discharge or pus oozing from the incision site
- excessive itching around incision
Many Mom’s Who Have a C-Section Find Pillows to be Extremely Helpful
Use pillows to help prop you up in bed so that you can easily sit up. If you need to cough, yawn, or sneeze, many mom’s find it helpful to grab a pillow and place it on your stomach. Doing this will help minimize your pain and support your stomach muscles. I remember that it hurt to cough or sneeze. In fact, I always tried to cough as lightly as possible, which sometimes is hard to do.
Climbing Stairs Can be Challenging While Recovering from a C-Section
I was lucky that I didn’t have to worry about climbing any stairs, but some new moms aren’t as lucky. If your home has stairs, if possible find a comfortable spot in the house in the lower level for the first few days so that you can avoid climbing the stairs. Climbing stairs can cause increased pain because it uses your stomach muscles. Having a c-section weakened the muscles in your abdomen, when your doctor had to cut your lower abdomen muscles to get your baby out. I found a great tip to help mom’s who have no choice to use stairs during their recovery. Hilary Morris said, “if you have to climb stairs it is best to walk up them going backwards to avoid excessive use of your stomach muscles”. (see reference below)
Products That I Recommend to Make Recovering from A C-Section Easier
Pack and Play Travel System
Pack and Play Systems are great because you don’t have to bend down to pick up your baby when changing or putting them down to sleep.
Infant Swings
A swing allows mom to put baby in a safe spot while they are sleeping or when mom has to take care of her personal needs.
Bouncy Seats
Bouncer Seats are another great option for mom’s who want to put baby down in a safe spot while they are napping or when mom needs to take care of herself. Bouncy seats are also portable so they can even be used when your baby is awake.
Reference:
C-Section Recovery Tips by Sarah W Caron.
How did you cope with your c-section pain and a newborn?