Caesarean, or C-section delivery – is when a baby is born after incisions have been made in seven layers of tissue including the uterus and abdominal wall.
A C-section is considered major abdominal surgery and is absolutely not a ‘walk in the park’ or ‘the easy way out’ as is sometimes thought.
Having a baby, regardless of the mode of delivery, is an incredibly powerful experience and I hope that the following blog based on my experience of recovering from two emergency Caesareans can help bust some myths and lay some little-discussed truths bare.
Firstly, let’s talk about the body shakes after the birth. Your body may go into shock which may look like: teeth chattering, a feeling of not being able to get warm or generally just feeling weak and shaky. These sensations will soon pass and this is a very common experience. My tip is to ask for a blanket!
Secondly, when the spinal anaesthetic wears off, the pain can be pretty intense. Don’t be afraid to ask for pain relief! If you feel the analgesia (painkillers) charted on file are not adequate and you are struggling, you can always ask your care team for this to be reviewed. Adequate pain relief is important to enable movement as well as ensure bladder and bowel function is as normal.
After a C-Section if you need to cough or sneeze, try to gently brace or hold a pillow against your lower abdomen. You can also apply this gentle pressure to your abdomen when rolling in bed. If help is on hand, ask someone to pass you your baby and try to keep movement to only what is necessary in the early few days after birth.
If you’ve every heard that you should try and get up and out of bed early, I would 100% recommend this! (If your blood pressure is stable and you’ve got someone to assist). Once it is medically safe and your catheter has been removed, it is an amazing feeling to have a shower and feel freshened up.
Some people are surprised to hear that you will still experience vaginal bleeding, even after you’ve had a Caesarean. This just may not last as long as what is expected post-vaginal birth, but make sure you still pack some maternity pads.
The ‘after-birth’ pains or uterine contractions can be really painful! Another common discomfort is trapped wind pain! When all of the layers of skin, muscle, fascia and the uterus have been opened and your organs have been rearranged to get your baby out, there is understandably some air that will have been introduced into the abdomen and can become trapped temporarily.
Colonic transit (bowel processing) is also paused and/or slowed by the anaesthetic and birth. Stool softeners or osmotic agents (like Movicol) may be helpful in reducing the stress of that first post-birth poo!
Don’t be afraid to ask your medical team and pelvic health physio about what is the most appropriate option to help with opening your bowels.
I’m sorry to report that it’s not all like what you see in the movies! After you’ve had your baby, you will still likely look about six months pregnant! This is due to the uterus still being enlarged. It takes time, often WEEKS, for the uterus to contract back down to its non-pregnant size.
M y advice to you is be kind to yourself and try to embrace the new you, even if you’re not quite sure who she is yet! Let me tell you, she is a warrior, a rock star and a fierce Mama bear who wears the powerful scars of this incredible birth journey.
“Bounce back” is not a real thing for many women. But there are things you can do to help kickstart a safe and successful recovery. Once you feel comfortable with the incision site, if you can tolerate clothing over it, you might wish to try wearing recovery garments. It think is important to note these can be cumbersome when you need to empty your bladder or change pads (more frequently than usual) so leave enough time to gently peel your support garments off you when you need to get to the toilet.
It is also important to ensure these are well-fitted to support your back, abdomen and pelvis and not create excessive squeezing and pressure downwards.
Once you get home and feel you’re moving and recovering well and are keen to resume exercise I recomment you see your pelvic floor physio for advice from 2-3 weeks post-birth. Your physio can can recommend tailored exercises to being wth and also provide handy advice on bladder and bowel recovery and may demonstrate scar tissue massage (which can take place from six weeks).
There are so many more life hacks and tips I could share but we’d be here all day!
My take home messages in C-section recovery are:
- embrace your body,
- listen to it and be kind to yourself while you adjust to this new phase of motherhood,
- ASK for help (and meals that can be frozen) and
- See your pelvic floor physio when you’re ready to increase your movement or exercise!
Liz Crisp is a senior pelvic health physiotherapists and Clinical Operations Lead at Melbourne Pregnancy and Pelvic Physio. She is passionate about supporting new mums post c-section, as well as post vaginal birth. She is an an innovative and inspiring clinician who is willing to go above and beyond to ensure her clients get the care they need. You can book to see Liz via this link.