How easy it is to get up after a caesarean section. Cesarean section: how to recover quickly after surgery? Cohabitation with a child after cesarean

Statistics show that with the help of this type of surgical intervention, more than 30% of newborns are born. Due to special contraindications or for health reasons, the mother cannot give birth to a child in a natural way. Sometimes a caesarean section comes already at the eighth month of pregnancy in order to protect the child and mother from any complications.

Indications for a caesarean section may include:

1. Narrow pelvic bones.
2. Tumors and pathologies of the genital organs.
3. Early detachment of the placenta.
4. Hypoxia or strangulation of the fetus.
5. Malposition of the fetus.
6. The size of the fetus is not suitable for the uterus.
7. Maternal infections (HIV).
8. Age category over 38 years old.

There are a lot of indications for caesarean section, some of them are considered absolute, others are relative. For an obstetrician, the first priority is always to save the life of the mother and child. If this operation is indicated for a pregnant woman, then you should check with the doctor in advance how it goes and how to quickly recover from a cesarean. Usually, a planned cesarean is prescribed, when a woman is hospitalized and observed for several days before the operation itself, carrying out the necessary procedures. In the case of emergency hospitalization, every fraction of a second can count, so they do general anesthesia and proceed with the operation. Such an operation lasts about an hour, with the subsequent transfer of the woman in labor to the intensive care unit. She spends the first day there, when the medical staff of the maternity hospital takes care of the baby. The discharge is carried out 5-7 days after birth. And then a new life and maternal chores begin. In parallel with caring for a baby, a woman begins the process of restoring her body after a caesarean section. Such a process is very laborious and requires quite a lot of time, effort and energy. Life after surgery has its limitations. The doctor necessarily tells about these restrictions and writes out recommendations that must be followed.

The day after the operation, the newly-made mother spends in the intensive care unit, while the child, if he was born without pathologies, is in the children's department, where he is closely monitored and all the necessary postpartum procedures are performed. It is forbidden to get out of bed and make sudden movements for another day. There are also restrictions on lifting weights. Most often, the load goes to the intestines, in the first days nausea and headaches may occur. The mother does not bring a newborn during this period. In total, the child and his mother spend about a week in the maternity hospital. Before discharge, the doctor will definitely advise how to recover after a cesarean and establish a new rhythm in the body. After a caesarean section, the body's rehabilitation takes almost 6 months. Not only the internal organs of the girl are being rebuilt, but also the hormonal background. A fairly long period is accompanied by proper nutrition and limited physical activity.

seam care

In the postoperative period after a caesarean section, a seam remains on the girl’s body, in the abdomen, and a bandage is necessarily applied over the seam. At a time when the patient is in the hospital, all the necessary manipulations with the wound are performed by the nurse. The suture is processed with the help of antiseptics and the replacement of the bandage. The sutures are removed on the 7th day, after which it is already allowed to wet the wound. In the period after the caesarean section, suppuration on the scar may occur. For quick healing, special quick-healing creams should be applied to the wound. In such cases, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Using a bandage

To maintain the tone of the muscles of the abdomen and abdominal cavity, it is always advised to wear a bandage. The postoperative period after caesarean section is almost halved with the help of bandages. The period of wearing it is at least one month, in extreme cases, the more, the faster the rehabilitation after caesarean section. The bandage not only protects the seam, but also facilitates the process of caring for the child. Many doctors advise you to start using the bandage after the sixth month of pregnancy. But such an object also has a number of contraindications:

1. Problems with the gastrointestinal tract.
2. Suppuration of the seam after caesarean.
3. Possible swelling of the kidneys.

Discomfort in the first case is based on the fact that the bandage compresses the organs of the digestive system, which can cause serious problems. Suppuration of the seam brings pain.

You should take breaks when wearing a bandage, you can not be in it around the clock. The abdominal muscles relax over time, so breaks should be taken every 3-4 hours. The doctor will help you choose a bandage individually.

Restoration of the menstrual cycle

In this case, there are no special differences after childbirth in a natural way and by caesarean section - the menstrual cycle is restored in the same way. Lochia is postpartum discharge of red color, similar to menstruation, with its own specific smell. They come out about 2-3 months, especially abundant in the first few days after childbirth. Gradually they lose color and disappear completely. How much the body recovers after a cesarean section and the menstrual cycle is a purely individual process. After childbirth, the uterus comes to the right tone and creates a new mucous membrane. Recovery takes about 3 months. When menstruation comes, the first few cycles are very heavy. With each cycle, the amount of discharge normalizes and completely ends after 5 months. It is from this time that menstruation, as before, comes at the right time and once a month.

Diet and proper nutrition

Rehabilitation after a caesarean section largely depends on what the new mother eats. In the first days of rehabilitation after a caesarean section, a woman is shown a cleansing enema to restore the intestines. Doctors recommend not to overload the gastrointestinal tract and limit food intake, which is why appropriate droppers with the right substances are prescribed (usually glucose is injected). You can enter the diet on the second or third day. The maternity hospital has everything to restore the body of women in labor. After three days, many foods are already allowed to be taken into the diet, it is desirable that they be steamed and vegetable oil. Fried and spicy foods should definitely be excluded from the diet, especially when breastfeeding.

Features of nutrition after discharge:

1. Dairy and sour-milk products (milk, kefir, curdled milk, cottage cheese, natural yoghurts).
2. Vegetables raw and cooked. It is recommended to cook vegetables for a couple, so they retain more useful vitamins.
3. Meat. It should also be steamed or eaten boiled. Meat contains protein in large quantities, the body needs it for building material.
4. Fruit. Raw apples, pears, bananas, grapes and oranges. Especially citruses, with a high saturation of vitamin C.
5. Butter and vegetable oil. Contains a large amount of fat-soluble vitamins.
6. Water. The more water, the better, to tone the skin and look healthy.

Limit consumption:

1. Meat products (sausages, sausages).
2. Smoked products (fish, meat).
3. Tomato sauce, ketchup.
4. Sweets.
5. Garlic and onion.
6. Marinated products.
7. Fast food.
8. Carbonated drinks and alcohol.

If a girl decides to go on a diet, then this must be discussed with the doctor. Adhering to a certain diet is possible if there are no complications after the operation. And it is worth remembering first of all about the baby, because when breastfeeding, everything that the mother eats is reflected in him. The diet should be followed for a long time, approximately about 2 months.

• First day. Breakfast - oatmeal, tea and butter sandwich. Lunch - Vegetable stew, chicken broth, boiled breast, tea. Dinner juice with muesli. In between meals, you can eat fruit and nuts.
• Second day. Breakfast - boiled egg, cereal with milk, tea. Lunch - boiled pasta, without oil, steamed fish, vegetable salad seasoned with olive oil. Dinner - stewed cabbage, steamed cutlet, tea.
• Third day. Breakfast - buckwheat porridge, tea, natural yogurt. Lunch - vermicelli soup, a piece of steamed meat, compote without sugar. Dinner - cottage cheese with fruits and yogurt, tea, crackers with butter.
• Fourth day. Breakfast - oatmeal with butter, tea, an apple. Dinner - vegetable salad, chicken breast with buckwheat, light soup, tea. Dinner - a vegetable side dish with boiled fish, a drink without sugar.
• Fifth day. Breakfast - kefir and cereal, an egg. Lunch - fish soup, potatoes boiled without oil and a piece of steamed meat. Dinner - boiled vegetables with chicken cutlet.
• Weekends - drinking regimen, more than 2 liters of water, raw vegetables and fruits.

Such food can be combined every week and add something new, useful.

Having sex and sex life

How much the body recovers after a cesarean and when you can start a sexual life is difficult. These processes are individual. The gynecologist must prescribe contraception to the girl, even if menstruation has not yet begun. Permission to live sexually is possible after consultation with a doctor, only after examination and conclusion that the uterus has come into the desired shape. This usually happens after two months. What is contraception for? The process of caesarean section harms the body of life, the genitals and hormonal levels are restored anew. After cesarean, the next pregnancy is possible only after two to three years, when the body is completely back to normal.

Repeated births

Second and subsequent births after caesarean section are possible after two to three years. Until that time, the process of sexual life should be accompanied by the use of contraceptives. If the couple decides to have another child, you need to consult a doctor. There are cases when pregnancy after cesarean is impossible. For many girls, doctors give a favorable prognosis for the next pregnancy - you can give birth naturally and there are no barriers to this.

Sports and recovery

How long the body recovers after a cesarean and when you can start playing sports depends on the general condition of the woman. As soon as the mother decides to start playing sports, a consultation with a gynecologist is required. He evaluates the condition of the genital organs and the healing process of the suture. If everything is in good shape, he gives approval for physical activity. It is very common that after a girl starts playing sports, milk disappears. Is it possible? Yes, it's possible. In the sports process, you must know the measure and not overload the unprepared body. Increase the approaches and the number of exercises is required gradually. For example, Kegel exercises will help restore uterine tone.

If there are no doctor's contraindications, then you can start gymnastics already in the ward, with the help of breathing.

Exercises:

1. Deep inhale, quick exhale. 2 sets of 10 times.
2. Stroking the abdomen clockwise with a deep breath and a deep exhalation.
3. Massaging the abdomen from top to bottom.

Doctors advise doing yoga after a caesarean. You can sign up for individual classes or find a course of exercises for home workouts.

After 2 months, sports can be done more actively. The emphasis should be on the muscles of the abdomen and buttocks.

Exercises for the abs:

1. Alternate leg raises. 3 sets of 20 reps.
2. Body lifting. 5 sets of 15 reps.
3. Raising the head in the supine position. While tensing the abdominal muscles. 3 sets of 15 reps.

Exercises for the buttocks:

1. Squats. 3 sets of 30 reps.
2. Squats with weights (2-3 kg). 3 sets of 20 reps.
3. I.p - lying on your side. Raising the legs along the body. 3 sets of 20 reps. Same with the other leg.

Sleep and rest

After surgery, you should definitely have a good rest and establish a sleep and rest regimen. In a dream, the body is restored and comes into shape. With a small child, this is of course problematic, but you can always find a way out.

walks

With the advent of the baby, walks should be part of the daily routine. Fresh air and oxygen will help the baby get used to the lifestyle outside the womb, and the mother will saturate the body with oxygen. Without oxygen, the restoration of the body is impossible. It saturates tissues and organs and helps the healing of incisions and scars.

Hygiene

Showering and hot baths are only allowed after the stitches have been removed. Up to this point, you should wash yourself with warm water and soap and wipe the body with napkins in order to avoid the occurrence of infections.

Tone of the skin of the abdomen

Armed with oils, you can start the fight against stretch marks, if any, of course. Oils actively smooth the skin and nourish it. The main thing in this business is regularity. Daily - morning and evening, apply oil on the stomach and buttocks. For the best effect, massage will not hurt.

How to recover quickly after a caesarean section - video

The first days after cesarean are both difficult and happy. © Shutterstock

If the baby is to be born by cesarean section, then the young mother will have to face some difficulties in the first days after the operation. It is better to know what is ahead for the woman in this case, so that the recovery process goes faster.

First day after caesarean

On the first day after the caesarean section, the mother is in the intensive care unit (reanimation), where her condition is monitored around the clock. An ice pack is placed on the woman's stomach to contract the uterus and stop bleeding, and painkillers and drugs that help reduce the uterus are prescribed.

Sometimes antibiotics are prescribed, and saline is injected into the blood to replace blood loss. Early attachment of the baby to the breast is especially important for better contraction of the uterus and stimulation of lactation.

Also, the medical staff will measure blood pressure, pulse, temperature during the day, assess the degree of uterine contraction and the intensity of vaginal discharge, and urination. The nurse will change the dressings in the area of ​​the postoperative suture.

After the application of epidural or spinal anesthesia, the woman should be in bed for 3 to 12 hours. You need to get up gradually, slowly, without sudden movements, and always in the presence of one of the medical staff or relatives.

Dizziness is common after surgery, so you need to move slowly.

After the operation, it is allowed to drink mineral water without gas, you can add lemon juice to it. Considering that droppers are usually placed after the operation, on the first day after cesarean, the mother will receive all the nutrients intravenously.

Second day after caesarean

On the second day after caesarean, the woman is transferred from the intensive care unit to the postpartum ward. Usually, anesthesia is required for 2-3 days after cesarean, in the future it is gradually abandoned.

The diet after a caesarean section is similar to the diet after any abdominal surgery. Solid food is excluded. At this time, you need to spare the organs of the digestive tract as much as possible. The doctor may also prescribe drugs to restore the function of the gastrointestinal tract.

© Shutterstock It is better to take care of purchasing a special postoperative bandage in advance, which will greatly facilitate the movement in the first few days after a caesarean section.

Sitting is usually allowed on the 2-3rd day after cesarean.

Third day after caesarean

On the third day after surgery, you need to expand the diet, while remembering the diet for a nursing mother.

• , read on website.

When you can go home, the attending physician decides. Usually, on the 5th day after caesarean, an ultrasound examination of the uterus is performed, and on the 6th day, staples or sutures are removed. Recovery after a caesarean usually takes about 4-6 weeks.

At home after a caesarean section, follow these recommendations

Try not to be nervous. Find time to rest.

Do not lift things heavier than the weight of a newborn baby.

Support your stomach during sudden movements such as coughing, blowing your nose, or laughing. You can use a special pillow to support the abdomen during breastfeeding.

Drink plenty of water, tea or compote. The fluid will help to restore the water balance after surgery and during breastfeeding.

© Shutterstock - Better wait 6 weeks before resuming sexual relations.

Keep a food and medication diary as prescribed by your doctor.

You can take baths, swim only a month and a half after a cesarean, so limit yourself to a shower.

In case of any suspicion of an infection, with severe pain in the abdomen, redness in the suture area, contact your doctor immediately.

Feel free to ask the doctors questions! It is better to make sure once again to make you calmer.

Read our expert's blog.

According to statistics, today every 3-4 pregnancy ends with an operation. The newly-made mother will have to face not only the postpartum period, but also the condition after the operation.

And this is doubly difficult. No one canceled the duties of caring for a baby. No one but you can put the baby to the breast. It is not for nothing that women are interested in how to quickly return themselves to their previous shape.

How to recover after a caesarean section?

The change in your body begins immediately after the removal of the child, still on the operating table. The uterus reacts to a decrease in volume and shrinks sharply. Thus helping to stop bleeding.

From now on, it will decrease in volume every day. It will be completely reduced somewhere by 2 months. After the operation, an ice pack is placed on your stomach - this is also a means for improved contraction of the uterus and stop bleeding. Be sure to prescribe uterine contraction injections.

Postoperative scars on the uterus, anterior abdominal wall and skin will make themselves felt almost immediately. Especially severe pain in the first 3 days. Pain contributes to the release of stress hormones: adrenaline and norepinephrine, which negatively affects the state of the body, as well as the healing of scars and pelvic organs.

In addition, the tone of the muscles of the anterior abdominal wall decreases in order to save the cut stomach. This can lead to the formation of hernias in the future. You must be prescribed painkillers.

The suture after cesarean will be processed daily. Will be removed for 7-8 days.

Doctors will tell and show, and only you can help yourself.

14 ways to recover faster after a caesarean

1.​After the operation, do not lie down! After the operation, 10-12 hours, and if you had spinal anesthesia, then a day, you will have to keep bed rest. The first time you need to climb in the presence of doctors. The earlier you get up, the better for you.

2.Physical activity. Almost immediately after the operation, it is necessary to move, turn in bed. The seam is tightly sutured with threads, it will not disperse. 3-4 hours after cesarean, you need to perform the first exercises. Bend and unbend the legs at the ankle and knee joints, hands.

3. Do breathing exercises.

• Lying on your back, take your hand to the side - inhale, return to ip. - exhale.
• Lying on your back, with outstretched legs and arms along the body. Raise your straight arms up - inhale through your nose, lower your hands down - exhale through your mouth.
• Lying on the left side, the left hand is under the head, the right hand is along the body, the legs are straight. Raise your right hand up, touch the pillow - inhale, lower - exhale. Repeat 1-2 times. Repeat on the right side too.
• Lying on your back, legs extended, right hand on the stomach, left hand on the chest. Inhale through the nose - inflate the stomach, exhale through the mouth - blow it off.

After you can rise, on the 2nd day, start doing the exercises sitting on the edge of the bed, legs lowered.

• Flexion, extension of the legs in the knee joints.
• Inhale - pull your knees to your chest, helping with your hands, exhale - return to SP.
• Inhale - spread your arms to the sides, exhale - draw in your stomach and return to SP.

From 3-4 days:

• Lying on your back, bend your knees, arms along the body. We raise the pelvis and turn it to the right - to the left, lower it.
• Lie on your back, knees bent, arms outstretched. We lower our knees to the right, outstretched arms to the left, we lower our knees to the left, outstretched arms to the right.
• We lie on our back, legs and arms are extended, raise one leg and begin to draw numbers from 1 to 6. Then do the same with the other leg. Every day we add 1 digit and we reach 20.
• To restore the tone of the muscles of the perineum, there is a set of Kegel exercises.

If you do gymnastics, then recovery after a cesarean will go much faster. There will be no adhesions, with time the former elasticity of the tummy will return, the uterus will shrink in a short time. But first, you should consult with your doctor.

Against the background of temperature, if during the operation there was a large blood loss, if you have thrombophlebitis, exercises are contraindicated. Do not perform gymnastics through force. Stop exercising if pain occurs.

Caesarean section is not compatible with intense physical activity. You can not lift weights, pump the press, exercise on simulators, run, squat for the first 2-3 months.

Important! It should also be remembered that excessive physical activity will not contribute to the production of milk. Therefore, it is contraindicated for nursing mothers.

3.​ Lactation. Breastfeed your baby. What will it give? During nipple sucking, the body produces oxytocin. It stimulates the production of milk in the mammary glands and the contraction of smooth muscles, i.e. uterus.

In addition, it is a hormone of love that helps the formation of maternal instincts. And a lot is said about the beneficial properties of breast milk for a child, and everyone knows that there is nothing better.

4.​Anemia. The need for iron during pregnancy and lactation is always increased. With a caesarean section, blood loss is several times higher than after a natural birth.

You may become anemic after surgery. This disrupts the healing of tissues, contraction of the uterus and does not affect well-being in the best way. If the doctor says that you have low hemoglobin, then you need to take iron supplements.

5.​ Lie on your stomach. Already on the second day after cesarean, you can lie on your stomach. This will speed up the contraction of the uterus.

The first day after the operation, you will have to endure a urinary catheter. This is not pleasant and makes it difficult to move. It is placed before surgery to control the amount and color of urine, as well as to prevent injury to the bladder during surgery.

After the operation, they also consider how much urine was released per day. This is important to assess if there has been damage to the bladder or ureters. An empty bladder is an important condition for proper uterine contraction, and you will not be able to get on the ship on your own for the first 12-24 hours.

After the operation, you may experience constipation. This is due to reduced intestinal tone, hormonal stress and, of course, an inactive lifestyle. If there is no stool by the third or fourth day, you will be given an enema.

Drink more water, move more. At home, it is worth eating more vegetables and fruits, dairy products, soups and cereals with buckwheat and pearl barley, vegetable oils.

7.​ Food. The body needs strength to return to normal after surgery, as well as to feed the child. Therefore, eat more meat, protein is a building material, and you have scars that need to heal.

More fiber: vegetables and fruits, but avoid overseas fruits. Remember that you will be breastfeeding your baby. Therefore, your menu should not harm the baby. You can not eat food with preservatives, spices, hot sauces, smoked meats, grilled chicken, hot dogs, pizza, fatty and fried foods. Food should be stewed, boiled and steamed.

8.​ Massage and self-massage will help to restore. It improves skin tone, improves blood circulation and metabolism. Muscle tone also increases.

Interesting! In addition, massage has a positive effect on the nervous system. Normalizes sleep, reduces pain sensitivity. You can perform self-massage.

In technique, there are 4 techniques: stroking, rubbing, kneading and vibration.

Already from the first hours, you can stroke your stomach with your palm in a circle, from top to bottom and from bottom to top.

You can use a tennis ball. Write them out in a circular motion clockwise starting from the navel.

Perform a massage with a contrast shower.

9.​ Wear a bandage. It will relieve pain, support weakened abdominal muscles. The bandage is especially indispensable in the first days and weeks. In the prone position, the bandage is not needed, only when moving. Do not wear the bandage for more than 3 hours. From 4-6 weeks, the bandage is not needed, and its prolonged wearing can lead to the opposite effect, i.e. weakening the press.

10.​ Hygiene. Unfortunately, if you had a caesarean section, then you will be allowed to take a shower only after the suture is removed and then on condition that it has healed well. This will happen in about a week.

Before this, it is necessary to wash in parts so as not to wet the seam. Be sure to observe intimate hygiene: it is necessary to wash yourself with soap after each visit to the toilet.

11.​ Watch for secretions.

• In the first 3 days they are bright red and very plentiful.
• From 4 to 10 days pink-brown e or brown. Every day their number decreases, and the color becomes lighter.
• By day 10 yellowish or white spotting.
• By 3 weeks they contain streaks of mucus.
• The discharge will completely stop by 6-8 weeks.

If they are very plentiful, dirty in color and with an unpleasant odor, while you are worried about pain in the lower abdomen or a fever, you should consult a doctor. Perhaps complications have arisen that will slow down the recovery of the body after childbirth and the healing of the scar on the uterus.

12.​Dream. The body must be well rested. Sleep during the day with your baby.

13.​ Properly care for the scar on the skin. The stitches will be removed on the 6-7th day. If there are no complications, take a shower every day at home, but do not rub the incision area with a washcloth. After a shower, treat it with brilliant green, unless the doctor prescribes anything else upon discharge.

In order to avoid a rough scar, after a month you can use special ointments (kontroktubeks, solcoseryl, klirvin), if you wish, you can contact a beauty salon.

Important! If there is pain, swelling and pus in the area of ​​​​the suture, you should consult a doctor.

14.​ Walks in the fresh air. Rapid wound healing and tissue nutrition is impossible without oxygen. In addition, it will be useful for your baby.

After 6-12 months, scars will heal, muscle and skin tone will return.

Putting your body in order after childbirth and caesarean is not so easy, but the joy of the birth of your crumbs will overshadow all the difficulties.

After a cesarean section, as after any operation, you need to move. It is better to wear a postpartum bandage - it is easier to walk with it, it will help to quickly restore the previous tone of the abdominal muscles, fix the postoperative suture correctly, and relieve the load from the spine. However, it is undesirable to wear it for a long time, since the muscles still have to work on their own.

The mother spends the first hours after a caesarean in the intensive care unit or intensive care unit under the close supervision of doctors. After six hours, with the permission of the doctor, she can already get up, on the second day she can walk and feed the baby.

So that the postoperative suture does not become inflamed, you can lubricate it 1-2 times a day with lavender or tea tree oil, after dissolving them with vegetable oil in a ratio of 1:10. Suitable and pharmacy ointment from calendula.

Exercises you can do the day after surgery

Starting position sitting with support on the back. Perform slowly with repetition up to 10 times.

• Pull the socks towards you, then away from you at an average pace.
• Rotation of the feet inward, then outward.
• Press your knees together, then release.
• Tighten the gluteal muscles, then relax.
• Bend one leg and stretch forward, lower, then the other.

Repeat all exercises up to 10 times, then rest.

Also helpful exercise for the muscles of the perineum and pelvic floor.

Kegel Exercises: Squeeze your perineal muscles as if you were trying to hold back a stream of urine. Hold tight for a few seconds, then relax. Do 10-20 repetitions at a fast pace 3-4 times a day. Increase the voltage time by 1 second each time, gradually reaching 20 seconds or more.

Regular performance of this exercise helps to avoid problems with urinary incontinence.

Once you have been allowed to walk, you should use it to improve your condition. Spend as little time in bed as possible, walking helps you recover from surgery and prevent constipation.

Important! Until the stitches have completely healed, try to get out of bed correctly! You can not raise your head and rise while lying on your back, this strains the abdominal muscles and can cause the seams to diverge.

To get out of bed, you need to turn on your side, lower your legs and slowly sit down, pushing with your hands, without straining your abdominal muscles.

After suture removal with the permission of the doctor, you can start light exercises for the abdominal muscles:

• Retraction of the abdomen. Sitting position with back slightly bent. Inhale, then exhale and as you exhale draw in your stomach. Hold this position for 1 second, then relax your stomach and inhale. Perform 10-15 repetitions several times a day.
• Lifting the pelvis. Lying on your back on a hard surface, legs bent at the knees. Raise the pelvis up, without lifting the lower back, lower it. Perform 15 - 20 repetitions several times a day.

Intense physical activity and swimming should be started no earlier than a month and a half later. The same is with sexual life, but here the recommendations of doctors differ: from 2 weeks to 2 months, depending on individual characteristics.

In this, a cesarean section has one of the few advantages over natural childbirth: the vagina does not stretch, there are no tears and stitches on the perineum, so there are no problems with sexual activity.

Sometimes after childbirth, some women become depressed. In the case of a caesarean section, this can be exacerbated by the disappointment of a missed delivery. It must be understood that all these sensations are normal and characteristic of many women, and in case of a difficult emotional state, they will seek help from a psychologist.

In modern obstetrics, caesarean section is the most frequently performed delivery operation. It is done under general or regional anesthesia (spinal or epidural anesthesia - with these types of anesthesia, the anesthetic is injected into the spinal canal at the level of the lower back). During such anesthesia, only the lower part of the body is anesthetized. The expectant mother is conscious during the operation, can hear and see her child immediately after his birth. After the baby is removed, the woman is often given medication to keep her asleep for the rest of the operation. In this case, surgery is easier to tolerate. Awakening takes place on the operating table. At the same time, as a rule, a woman feels good, does not feel a sense of weakness and faintness. And when using general anesthesia, a woman comes to her senses within 30-60 minutes after the operation.

Doesn't hurt at all
Before the operation, a catheter is inserted into the woman's bladder, as well as a catheter (thin tube) into the vein of the arm. The bladder catheter is usually removed at the end of the first day, this procedure is completely painless. The catheter in the vein of the elbow is as long as there is a need for intravenous administration of drugs.

The first day after caesarean section - intensive care unit

After the operation, the woman is transferred to the intensive care unit, where she is under the supervision of medical personnel. The ward is equipped with equipment that makes it possible to constantly monitor the condition of a young mother, and, most importantly, her well-being is monitored by an obstetrician-gynecologist and an anesthesiologist-resuscitator.

After the end of the operation, an ice pack is applied to the lower abdomen for 1.5–2 hours in order to prevent bleeding and the formation of postoperative hematomas (hemorrhages), improve uterine contraction, and relieve postoperative tissue edema.

2-3 hours after the operation, a woman needs to start moving her arms and legs, turning in bed. It is allowed to sit down and walk around the ward within 5-6 hours after the operation.

After a cesarean section, a woman is given a number of medications:

• carry out intravenous infusion of fluids to make up for blood loss and restore fluid and electrolyte balance. After the operation, as a rule, an intravenous catheter (a tube inserted into the cubital vein) remains. Through this catheter, with the help of a dropper, fluid enters. If the caesarean section went without complications, then the dropper remains for 2-3 hours;
• narcotic analgesics are prescribed, since the pain in the suture area can be quite strong. These drugs are administered 1-2 times a day for the first 2-3 days, and then gradually canceled. They provide the necessary degree of pain relief;
• uterine contracting agents (oxytocin) are administered intravenously in a dropper or intramuscularly 2 times a day;
• prevention of infectious postoperative complications after caesarean section with the help of antibacterial drugs. The first dose of the antibiotic is administered intravenously immediately after the ligation of the umbilical cord and again after 6-12 hours during the first day after the operation. If a woman belongs to a high-risk group for the development of infectious and inflammatory complications after cesarean (for example, if urinary tract infections were detected during pregnancy, more than 12 hours have passed since the outflow of water before surgery, etc.), administration of antibacterial drugs continue for 5-7 days. If the operation was planned, went without complications, then a single administration of antibiotics during the operation is possible. In any case, the use of antibiotics during and after surgery, as a rule, does not affect the possibility of breastfeeding. If it is necessary to use antibacterial drugs that are incompatible with breastfeeding, the doctor will definitely tell the young mother about this and explain how to behave in order to maintain the possibility of breastfeeding the baby after the end of treatment.

On the first day after cesarean, therapy is carried out aimed at restoring bowel function. For this, stimulants of the contractile activity of the intestine (potassium preparations, etc.) must be added to the injected solutions. At the end of the first - the beginning of the second day after the operation, a cleansing enema is prescribed to activate the work of the intestines.

On the day after the caesarean section, you can only drink, you can not eat. This restriction is necessary in order to minimize the load on the gastrointestinal tract. You can drink water with lemon juice or mineral water without gas.

In the early postoperative period, prevention of blood clots in the vessels of the lower extremities is carried out: drugs are introduced that prevent the formation of blood clots, it is recommended to bandage the legs before surgery or use special compression stockings - this measure improves venous outflow from the legs, helping to move blood through the veins. It is advisable to wear elastic bandages or stockings for at least seven days after childbirth.

If the operation went well, the mother and baby do not have any complications, then for the first time the child can be brought to the intensive care unit for feeding, however, this is not accepted in most maternity hospitals, and more often the baby is brought to the mother already in the postpartum department.

After caesarean section: postpartum ward

At the end of the first - on the second day after the caesarean section, the woman is transferred to the regular ward of the postpartum department. She is allowed to sit and walk around the room. Also on the 2nd day, the introduction of infusion solutions continues. In the case of the use of drugs that can have a negative effect on the newborn, it is recommended to start breastfeeding later, after the end of their action.

Within 6–7 days, the attending physician examines the postoperative suture, and the nurse bandages it once a day and treats it with antiseptic solutions. The sutures are removed, as a rule, on the 5-7th day after the operation.

To assess the condition of a young mother, various blood tests are prescribed. On the 5-6th day after the operation, an ultrasound examination of the pelvic organs is performed, which allows you to judge the size of the uterus, the condition of the postoperative sutures, the presence of hematomas, blood clots, the size and contents of the uterine cavity.

After childbirth, the uterus is an extensive wound. The healing process is accompanied by the presence of secretions from the genital tract - lochia. After a caesarean section, as well as after a natural birth, the lochia first comes out bloody, then sanious (brownish-pink) and they will stand out within 6-8 weeks after birth. A woman is recommended to use the toilet of the external genital organs after each urination, defecation, change the sanitary pad every 2-4 hours.

Features of nutrition after cesarean

The load on the gastrointestinal tract in the postoperative period should be increased gradually. On the second day, you can eat boiled meat, cereals, low-fat broth, drink sweet tea. Starting from the third day, the mother can already afford a more complete diet, taking into account breastfeeding.

Support for the abdomen after cesarean

Immediately after transfer to the postpartum unit, you can start wearing a postoperative bandage. It is worn over an aseptic dressing. The postoperative bandage fixes the sutures, abdominal muscles, reduces pain in the suture area, and the likelihood of hernias. It is necessary to wear a bandage for 2 months after the operation.

Breastfeeding after caesarean section

Breastfeeding is allowed depending on the traditions of the institution, the condition of the mother and child on the 1-3rd day after the operation. The development of lactation after a caesarean section is almost the same as in women who have given birth naturally. If the operation was planned (carried out before the development of spontaneous labor), then milk may come not on the 3-4th, but on the 4-5th day, but colostrum begins to be released immediately after the operation.

It is most convenient in the first days after a cesarean section to feed the baby lying on its side. In this position, the postoperative suture will be least affected. In the future, it is possible to feed the baby in a sitting or standing position.

In the normal course of the postoperative period, the mother is discharged from the maternity hospital on the 6-7th day.

After returning home

10-12 days after discharge from the hospital, it is advisable to visit an obstetrician-gynecologist in the antenatal clinic to make sure that the recovery after the operation is normal.

Final recovery after caesarean section

The final healing of the postoperative wound on the uterus and the formation of the scar occur within 8 weeks after birth. During these periods, it is recommended to visit the obstetrician-gynecologist again. In this case, it is imperative to do a control ultrasound examination of the pelvic organs in order to check the condition of the uterine cavity and the postoperative scar.

Menstruation after a caesarean section is restored in the same way as after natural childbirth. If a woman is breastfeeding, then menstruation returns 6-12 months after birth, in cases where the baby is bottle-fed - usually 8 weeks after birth.

When resuming sexual relations, it is necessary to use contraceptives, which the doctor will help you choose. An abortion performed within 1-2 years after surgery significantly worsens the prognosis of subsequent pregnancies. It is believed that the optimal state of the scar (complete restoration of the muscle layer) on the uterus reaches 2-3 years after the operation. It is through this period of time that it is recommended to plan a subsequent pregnancy.

1. After a caesarean section, sexual rest is recommended for 2 months after the operation.
2. Within 2 months after the operation, it is undesirable to lift weights of more than 3-4 kg (child's weight).
3. Be sure to follow the rules of personal hygiene: it is advisable to take a shower at least 2 times a day, while the seam area should not be rubbed with a washcloth. After a shower, once a day, it is recommended to treat the area of ​​the postoperative scar with antiseptic solutions (brilliant green, 70% ethanol solution). After treatment, a disposable antiseptic dressing is applied to the suture area to prevent rubbing of the suture against clothing. After the complete disappearance of the crusts (on average, 10-14 days after the operation) in the area of ​​​​the postoperative suture, the bandage can no longer be applied.
4. The menu of a woman who has undergone a cesarean section and is breastfeeding should have a sufficient amount of proteins, since they are the main building material for the synthesis of immunity factors and hemoglobin. Also, proteins in large quantities are part of breast milk. A lot of protein is found in meat, fish, cottage cheese, milk, cheese. At the same time, meat and fish should be lean, boiled or steamed. Cheese should be chosen mild.
5. Within 2 months after the operation, you can not pump the abdominal muscles, as there is a possibility of suture divergence. But after 1 month, you can start light physical exercises aimed at restoring the overall tone of the body. To begin with, you can practice for 15-20 minutes, then increase the time of classes up to 40 minutes a day.

Breathing exercises

Already 2 hours after the operation, it is possible to carry out breathing exercises, aimed primarily at the prevention of congestive processes and inflammatory complications in the lungs, which may occur due to the fact that the woman has been lying down for a relatively long period. These exercises are especially relevant during general anesthesia, when a tube is inserted into the airways, it irritates the airways, they form an increased amount of mucus, which is a breeding ground for pathogenic microbes. Breathing exercises are performed by a nurse. It consists in combining the phases of breathing (inhalation and exhalation) with a certain frequency. You can also use balloon inflation for this purpose.