We all know how happy you would be to finally see your little one by your side. But besides this happiness is your body that needs to be taken extra care of, especially when you have had a caesarean delivery (C-section). As compared to vaginal delivery, your body will take comparatively more time to recover. But you are likely to recover in timely manner if your body is given proper care and you have got the support from your family, friends and your doctor. Given below are seven ways to speed up your recovery after you have had a C-section. Read below:

7 Tips for Faster Recovery After a Cesarean Delivery

Good nutrition

It is immensely important for you to focus on good nutrition after your delivery. Good food will keep you and your baby healthy and stronger as you are the only source of nutrition for your baby. Also, you need to increase your fluid intake, considerably water. This will minimize any chances of constipation and also boost your milk supply.

Read More: 7 Foods that Help your Body Heal after giving Birth

Care for your body

It is vital for you to take immense care of your body while you heal. It’s not just about your mental health but also your emotional health as well. Avoid lifting anything that is heavier than your baby. Keep your body at rest and avoid going up and down the staircase. Keep the required things near to your bed and do not hesitate to ask for help. Also, hold your abdomen when you sneeze or cough to protect the incision site.

Relieve the pain

Discuss with your doctor about the medicines you can take in order to relieve the pain. Your doctor may prescribe you a pain reliever or an over-the-counter pill depending on the level of discomfort you are suffering from.

Rest! Rest! and Rest!

Your body will take some time to heal after the C-section and it is completely fine. Thus, it is always best for you to rest whenever your baby naps as this will majorly contribute in the healing process. You may find it hard at times but ask your family or relatives for help so that you can have some time to rest and lie down on the bed.

Read More: 11 Side Effects Of C-section No One Told You About

Support the abdomen

This will help to reduce the pain and the risk of the wound re-opening. You can use a pillow and hold it over the incision when you sneeze, cough or take deep breaths. Also, it is usually not recommended to use abdominal compression garments as they are not proven to be effective. It is thus always best to consult your doctor before you decide to compress the incision.

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Wear pads

Whether you had a vaginal delivery or not, you will experience some red vaginal bleeding in the first month after childbirth. This is called as lochia. You should not use a tampon or douche in such cases as this may increase the chances of infection. You should consult your doctor in case you develop a fever or experience heavy bleeding.

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Clean the incision

Wash the incision with warm and soapy water on a regular basis. In case, the incision is covered with strips of tape, let it fall off on its own and then, you may cover the same with a bandage which will need to be changed daily. Also, pat the incision dry when you are done with the shower and avoid taking baths or swim.

Is it okay to have sex after C-section?

Well, it is usually recommended to abstain from sex after a C-section. Your body may take some time; probably four to six weeks before you can engage in an intercourse when it is a C-section. Then your body may take even longer because the incision needs to completely healed and recovered before you engage in any form of sexual activity. Thereby, you should consult your doctor and wait till the time he/she confirms that your body is ready to engage in sex.

Read More: 7 Ways to Manage Lochia: The Postpartum Bleeding

You need to take extra care of your body after the C-section. Of course, it can get tiring at times to lie down on the bed the entire day but this is what your body needs at this point of time. Apart from this, abstain from wearing tight or fitted clothes and wear loose and soft clothes as this will have lesser chances of your clothes rubbing against the incision. In addition to this, you must your call your doctor in case you suffer from excessive pain, redness, heavy bleeding, chest pain or a fever.

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