Care After a Caesarean Section

A caesarean wound can take four weeks or more to heal, and it is normal to have occasional pain around the stitches during the first year after a caesarean. To recover sooner after a caesarean, it is best to follow these points:

1. Rest whenever you feel tired. Getting enough sleep will help your recovery.
2. Go for walks, and try to walk a little more each day than the day before. Walking helps prevent constipation and blood clots.
3. Avoid lifting heavy objects.
4. Avoid heavy and strenuous work at home for 6 weeks.
5. Avoid bending up and down too much or doing things that put strain on your abdominal muscles.
6. Never use tampons. Use simple, large sanitary pads without absorbent powder (gel) or a mesh top layer, and change them every 2 to 4 hours.
7. Wait 6 to 8 weeks before starting sexual intercourse.
8. One week after the birth, you need to go to the hospital or your doctor's surgery for your first postnatal check.

Diet after a caesarean section

1. In the first days after surgery, it is best to eat soft and runny foods.
2. To avoid stomach upset, it is best to eat light, low-fat foods.
3. Eat food groups rich in vitamins and protein to help the wound heal sooner.
4. Avoid foods that cause wind, such as milk and pulses, in the first days after surgery.
5. Constipation puts pressure on the operation site, so after surgery it is best to drink more fluids and be active enough, unless your doctor has told you not to (if you become constipated, avoid straining on the toilet and ask your doctor about taking a laxative). Caring for the caesarean wound:

1. Keep the wound clean and dry.
2. The hospital usually uses a waterproof dressing, so after going home you can shower with the same dressing on. If the dressing comes off in the shower, there is no need to put on a new dressing.
3. Try to shower every day.

4. Do not put any cream, ointment or lotion on your wound without your doctor's advice.

• If you take levothyroxine tablets, after the operation reduce your dose by half, take the medicine for 40 days, and on the 40th day have a thyroid test and see your doctor.
• If you have diabetes, consult your doctor about your medicines and blood sugar control after the operation.
• Take the medicines prescribed after the operation as instructed, and take antibiotics regularly until the course is finished.

See your doctor in the following cases

1. Sudden chest pain or shortness of breath
2. Severe pain in the abdomen or a feeling of hardness in the abdomen
3. The surgical cut opening, the stitches coming loose, or pus coming out of the cut
4. Difficulty passing urine or stools
5. If your vaginal bleeding becomes heavier, or you notice a clot larger than usual for your previous periods
6. Increasing pain, swelling, warmth or redness at the surgical cut
7. Pain on one side with swelling and warmth in any part of the leg: calf, back of the knee, thigh or groin
8. Foul-smelling vaginal discharge

Note: when you walk for the first time after surgery, there is a risk of falling. To prevent this, have sweet drinks; first sit in place for a few minutes, then let your legs hang down from the bed for 20 minutes, and then stand for a few minutes. If you feel dizzy or your vision goes dark, do not walk; repeat the first steps again a few minutes later, and walk with the help of your companion. You can sit down on a chair several times along the way.

Prepared and compiled by: Homa Yektapour – Education Unit
Source: Williams Obstetrics
Document code: NO-BR-20