Delivering via c-section comes with its challenges. For instance, it will take a while before your scar heals, you may experience soreness on the incision site, and you may feel pain. It may take up to six weeks for your body to heal fully in addition to the three to four days that you stay in the hospital after delivery. However, you don’t have to remain that way for long if you follow these tips.

1. Eat foods that aid healing

Foods rich in protein such as eggs, beans, lean meat, legumes, nuts and low-fat dairy products are recommended. You should also eat foods rich in vitamin A such as carrots, mangoes, and sweet potatoes; foods rich in Vitamin C such as red peppers, strawberries and citrus fruits and foods such as whole grains, meats, and seafood that contain nutrients that include zinc.

2. Take pain medication

One consequence of c-section is abdominal, would and back pain. You need to take pain medication as recommended by the doctor. Do not wait until you are in too much pain for you to take the medication. If you are pain-free, you can rest more and do simple exercises such as walking, which will help you to recover quickly, speed bowel recovery and prevent blood clots.

3. Get enough rest

It is true that the baby needs a lot of attention, but you need to rest so that you can recover considering that c-section is a major surgery.  You can rest every time the baby sleeps. Request help from family and friends with housework so that you can rest whenever possible.

4. Take good care of your body and acknowledge your emotional health

Your body will need approximately six to eight weeks to heal. However, the way you treat your body can mean longer or shorter healing time, so you need to take extra care of it.

Avoid a lot of movement especially up and down the stairs. For instance, you can keep the items you need such as food and diapers within reach to avoid getting up often. Avoid lifting heavy objects.

Enquire from the doctor the right time to go back to work, drive, exercise, use tampons and have sex. Only take gentle walks in the first few days after c-section.

Hold your abdomen with a pillow or your hands when you need to cough, laugh, or sneeze to protect your incision site.

Your emotional health is as important as physical health. Don’t ignore feelings of exhaustion, disappointment, and sadness. Talk to someone about these feelings such as your doctor, your partner, or a friend.

In the first few weeks, women who have c-sections experience higher incidences of postnatal depression, the more reason you should be attentive to your emotional health.

5. Adopt the right sleeping position

After c-section, you need to be careful of the sleeping position you take so that you do not interfere with the healing of the wound. Some of the recommended sleeping positions include sleeping on your back and on your side so that you do not put pressure on the wound. You should not sleep on your stomach.

Published: 2018-03-10 20:14:24