A c-section is a surgery that involves making a cut in the lower belly and uterus, cutting through seven layers of tissue. C-section recovery usually takes longer than a vaginal delivery. Usually mothers can expect to go home in 2 or 3 days after the procedure.
Some tips for a fast C-section recovery are:
1. Rest as much as possible. There is something called: 5-5-5 rule. 5 days in bed, 5 days on the bed and 5 days near the bed.
2. Accept help. Line up help from family members, friends, doulas, babysitter, etc, so you can rest, as you shouldn’t be doing any house work or lifting anything heavy for a few weeks.
3. Take your meds exactly as directed. Don’t try to be a hero and skip them.
4. Get moving. Go for walks as soon as you can. This helps kick start healing and it might feel uncomfortable at first, but it will help in the long run.
5. Eat enough protein. Don’t overlook your nutrition. Get plenty of protein, hydrate and don’t forget to take your vitamins.
6. Use a belly binder. This will help with pain and with healing.
7. Take a stool softener before and/or a few days the procedure. After surgery you might experience constipation and it is usually painful to go to the bathroom for the first time.