Rehabilitation after caesarean section

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.

Recovery process

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 rehabilitation of the body 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 after a 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 overloading the gastrointestinal tract and limiting 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. Fruits. 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.

Diet:

• 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.
• The 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 caesarean, the next pregnancy is possible only after two to three years, when the body is completely back to normal.

Repeated births

The 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 in a clockwise direction 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 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