Quite often, expectant mothers are interested in a caesarean section (hereinafter referred to as CS). Reading various heartbreaking stories about natural childbirth, women think that surgery is the best way. However, in reality recovery after cesarean proceeds at a slower pace. The operation is abdominal, which means that you will need to prepare for it in advance. There are times when KS- only decision.

When is a caesarean section necessary?

The procedure itself is relatively simple and frequent. - This is an incision (dissection) of the walls of the uterus. It is necessary in several cases: when natural childbirth poses a threat to the life of mother and baby, with high pressure, the presence of a narrow pelvis, the gluteal position of the fetus, abruption or placenta previa, diabetes mellitus, heart defects, operations on the uterus, a high degree of myopia. In such cases, natural childbirth can have a negative impact on the mother's body. At such moments, a planned operation is shown.

An emergency operation is performed with weak labor activity, prolonged unsuccessful contractions, the threat of fetal hypoxia, and a sudden change in the position of the fetus.

How is a cesarean section performed?

If you have been told that you cannot do without a cesarean section, then you should find out in advance how the operation itself goes, as well as how to quickly recover from a cesarean section afterwards.

The operation can be carried out as epidural anesthesia(planned), and under general anesthesia(emergency and planned).

Stages of a caesarean section

With general anesthesia, you are placed on a couch and the pubic area is treated with brilliant green, and a urinary tube is also placed. Then the pressure is measured and anesthesia is injected into the vein on the arm, after putting on a mask. You don't feel like falling asleep. The surgeon then makes a thin transverse incision, removes the baby and then the placenta. The incision is then sutured layer by layer. bioresorbable or non-absorbable threads. Parentheses can be used instead of threads. The stitches are removed for 6-7 day. If the threads were self-absorbable, then they gradually disappear without a trace, and "tails" fall off on their own after a few weeks.

The cut can be either vertical or horizontal. Recently, incisions for caesarean section are made horizontal. When healed, such a seam becomes almost invisible and allows you to flaunt in a swimsuit and underwear. But the most important thing is that such an incision allows a woman to give birth naturally in the future (if there are no additional contraindications).

What are the possible complications?

Sometimes there are complications after a caesarean section. A woman loses 3 times more blood than during natural childbirth. To restore severe blood loss, plasma or other blood substitutes are injected through droppers. The number of droppers is proportional to the amount of blood lost.

Sometimes there may be adhesions in the intestines(as a result of the cut). This does not always happen and is cured by physiotherapy procedures. In extreme cases, adhesions are removed surgically.

Also, after the operation, the uterus contracts much worse than after natural childbirth. To improve the contraction, oxytocin is injected or the uterus is massaged for 1-2 days, which can be painful after surgery. In this case, you just need to be patient. At the same time, antibiotics will be dripped through the dropper to prevent infection of the uterine cavity.

Recovery after surgery

How to recover quickly after a caesarean section? Doctors will take you to intensive care and will carefully monitor your condition. Immediately after the operation, an ice pack is placed on the abdomen. This procedure is accompanied by measurements of pulse and pressure. Doctors will observe how well the uterus contracts after a caesarean section, as well as monitor the discharge. In the first hours after the operation, you will have a urinary catheter placed.

Withdrawal from anesthesia- an unpleasant thing. Your stomach will hurt and you will be thirsty. You just need to get through this time. Don't worry, the nurses will administer pain medication to help relieve the pain. These drugs are not canceled within 1-3 days.

Do not be surprised if you are forced to move after 6-8 hours. This is very important for a quick recovery. After the intensive care unit (usually the next day), you may be transferred to the postpartum ward, where you will continue to receive intravenous and intramuscular drugs, be told to move more, and begin to process the suture. Processing is usually done with green paint. Then the seam is sealed with a special tape. Later you will process it yourself.

In order not to touch the already painful seam, wear panties with a low waist made of natural fabrics. After the crust falls off on its own, you do not have to stick the tape, but you should not forget about processing either.

The shower is allowed to take on the 7th day. In this case, the seam cannot be affected. An extract after a caesarean section is carried out on the 7-10th day. Perhaps at first it will be difficult for you to unbend, a feeling of tightness will appear. This is normal and such discomfort will disappear with time.

After the operation, abundant lochia (bloody discharge) also appears. You should not be afraid of them, just stock up on absorbent pads. Gradually, the lochia will begin to decrease and disappear completely. During this period, be sure to wash yourself without affecting the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe seam.

Possible problems after surgery

Uterus. This hollow organ after natural childbirth or caesarean section should be reduced. Contractions are necessary to return the uterus to its natural state. Hormone released during breastfeeding oxytocin and this allows the uterus to contract faster. You may feel pain in the lower abdomen as soon as you attach the crumb to your chest. This is absolutely normal and necessary. Also, contractions are necessary to prevent the accumulation of blood and the inflammatory process. To make the process less painful, the woman is prescribed painkillers.

Bowel emptying. This becomes difficult after abdominal surgery. Therefore, immediately after the COP, an enema is given. Further, in the maternity hospital, a woman is shown a diet that helps get rid of processed food and prevent. Dairy products are shown. Fiber (pasta, bread) and raw fruits/vegetables should be avoided. The fact is that they cause the accumulation of gases in mom and baby. Increased gas formation for the mother in the postoperative period can be painful. The drug Lactusan proved to be excellent, which softens fecal masses in the intestines and helps to get rid of them. In addition, this drug has a bactericidal effect, which is necessary after surgery.

Abdominal muscles. After the operation, they should not be loaded to avoid divergence of the sutures. At such a moment, a woman should wear a bandage, which will gradually bring the abdominal muscles back to normal and will fix the seam.

Recovery after caesarean section - step by step

1. With a planned caesarean section, you can not drink and eat for exactly a day.

2. C-section recovery includes good hygiene. You need to wash yourself 2 times a day.

3. The bandage will help you reduce pain and recover faster after a caesarean section. Put it on as soon as you shower. He will help you lie down and get up.

How to wear a postpartum bandage after a caesarean section

4. Ask you to bring your baby not the next day, but the same day. Attach the crumb to the chest. You will feel pain in the uterus, but such contractions are necessary for a speedy recovery. In addition, you will establish faster contact with the child.

5. Insert glycerin suppositories into the anus to facilitate bowel movements. In a few days the stool will improve.

6. Apply ice wrapped in a handkerchief. This will help relieve pain and induce contractions.

7. Drink more fluids and go to the toilet more often in a small way.

At the hospital after surgery

Help. Ask a family member to be with you in the postpartum room. For this, a paid ward is usually ordered in advance. With a loved one, you can recover very quickly after a caesarean section, both physically and mentally. In addition, they will help you with the child.

Motion. No matter how painful it is after a caesarean section, you absolutely need to move. Remember: the more you move, the sooner it will become painless.

Communication. Don't be afraid to ask staff questions about how to recover from a caesarean section and breastfeed your baby. You will be told and taught everything. Often, after the first feeding, the nipples begin to hurt from the habit. In this case, you will need Bepanthen cream or special pads.

Baby care. Always wash your hands before changing a diaper or touching your baby at all! To recover from a caesarean section, you need to be more distracted from the heavy thoughts about your stomach pain and take care of the baby.

Home after surgery

On account. As soon as you are discharged, you will need to register the crumbs with the pediatrician at the place of residence within a week.

Dream. Sleep as much as possible and in any free minute. How long does it take for the body to recover after a caesarean section? This may take several months. But if you rest more, then recovery will go faster.

Drink. After the operation, you should drink as much water as possible. Water helps replenish the fluid lost in the body after a caesarean section.

Food. Eat more light and low-fat foods to help you recover from a caesarean section. Boiled poultry, steam rice, kefir or yogurt are suitable.

Motion. Avoid squats, sudden movements, bending over, heavy lifting, pressure on the abdomen and excessive load, so that the suture does not begin to open after a caesarean section.

Scar. Take good care of the suture after a caesarean section - wash it with soap and treat it several times a day with brilliant green.

Sex. Do not engage in intimate caresses for 3 weeks or more after surgery.

Hygiene products. Use only pads and forget about tampons for a while.

Breastfeeding after caesarean section

After a caesarean section, the baby can be brought the next day or the second day. You also need to start feeding the baby as soon as possible so that he receives a portion of valuable colostrum. In addition, breastfeeding will help you recover faster after a caesarean section.

Life after a caesarean section

To quickly recover mom after a cesarean section, you need to remember that you can’t lift weights. Now your most valuable and permitted cargo is a child. But not more!

Also, do not think about the figure yet. To recover from caesarean section, time needs to pass. Light physical activity is allowed for 2-3 months after the operation. However, you will have to forget about exercises for the press for a long time. If you find it difficult to lift the stroller - ask one of the relatives to accompany you on a walk, or after a cesarean section, walk with a crumb in your arms.

Carefully monitor the seam after a caesarean section, avoid overwork and overexertion, monitor your mental health and walk more in the fresh air. This will help the body recover quickly after a cesarean section and focus on the baby.

Cesarean Section - Doctor Komarovsky's School (video):

Personal experience of how to survive a caesarean section (video):

- the drug is injected into the epidural region of the spine through a catheter.

Pain relief and muscle relaxation occur only in the lower half of the body. Immediately after childbirth, a woman has the opportunity to take the child in her arms and attach to her breast.

If it is known in advance that the pregnant woman will have a caesarean section, it is called planned. There are a number of absolute indications when an alternative is not even considered (mismatch between the size of the child and the birth canal, complete placenta previa, as well as some diseases of the pregnant woman and the position of the fetus in the uterus), and indications of choice when the doctor may prefer surgery to avoid possible complications .

If complications that threaten the life of the child or mother are detected in natural childbirth, then they resort to emergency operation according to vital indications.

Elective and emergency caesarean sections are performed according to different methods.

Operation technique

The woman in labor is shaved pubis, a catheter is inserted for the obligatory complete emptying of the bladder. A filled bladder prevents contraction, and therefore, the rapid healing of the uterine incision. The skin, muscles, peritoneum, uterus, fetal bladder are sequentially dissected and the child is removed.

Then the umbilical cord is cut, the placenta is removed, and the uterus and peritoneum are also sequentially sutured. Either sutures or staples are applied to the skin. sometimes left drainage to drain fluid from the abdominal muscles removed after 2-3 days. Dermal stitches will be removed on the 5-6th day.

Important: with a planned caesarean section the incision is made horizontally, in emergency in some cases vertically.

The trauma of a vertical incision is much higher, and the surgeon resorts to a vertical incision in order to gain time in a life-threatening situation.

Possible complications after surgery

Percentage of complications after a caesarean section quite high, they occur in 10 - 40 percent of women in labor.

Usually, at the first place inflammation of various localization and severity. The reasons can be both foci of infection in the body of a woman, and errors during the operation.

Most often worried:

• infectious processes in the area of ​​wounds and endometritis;
• symptoms of inflammation in the area of ​​​​the seams - pain, discrepancy, suppuration;
• vaginal discharge, different from ordinary lochia, a clear signal of trouble in the uterus;
• peritonitis with the development of sepsis is the most severe possible complications that can develop up to a fatal outcome.

But less dangerous inflammations, such as endometritis(inner layer of uterus) adnexitis(inflammation of the appendages), parametritis(inflammation of periuterine tissue), can lead to menstrual irregularities, regular pain syndrome, and infertility.

The next day the diet includes protein-rich boiled meat, scrambled eggs, mucous porridges. When choosing a diet, it is important to remember that you should not eat foods that cause gas formation and fermentation in the intestines, and in addition, nursing mothers should not eat anything that harms the baby.

From day 4- common table

Discharged from the hospital after a caesarean section for 6-7 days.

At home, you can take a warm shower with baby soap, before that only partial dousing with water was allowed. Baths are contraindicated, they can be taken only 2 months after the operation.

After discharge from the hospital

How to prepare an apartment for arrival from the hospital?

Ideally, all household chores in the first days after arrival from the hospital should be taken over by the rest of the family.

All actions with the baby - dressing, bathing, feeding should not be organized so that the mother has to bend down. So you need to prepare a changing table and a high bed for the child.

How to establish breastfeeding?

Difficulties with feeding a baby after a caesarean section occur quite often. This is due to a number of reasons, including the almost mandatory feeding of the child with mixtures in the maternity hospital.

Breastfeeding is the basis of a child's immune development, and it is important to make every effort to develop lactation after a caesarean section.

Moms need to focus on increasing the amount of milk production (breast massage, constant pumping) and improving its qualitative composition. For this It is necessary to take specialized supplements and fully eat intensively.

What are the restrictions during the recovery period?

A woman who has had a caesarean section should take enough care of herself so that the recovery is complete and does not affect her health in any way. Therefore, she must not:

• lift weights more than 3-4 kilograms. The child, pressed to the chest, can be worn;
• wear out of season clothes, catch a cold;
• live sexually- a strict ban until the cessation of secretions (lochia). After, usually after 8 weeks- only with reliable contraception prescribed by a doctor.

After recovery

When will menstruation start?

The restoration of the monthly cycle is the same, both after natural childbirth and after surgery on the uterus. Depending on lactation, this can happen and after 2 months, and after eight.

Again - caesarean section requiring mandatory contraception, even if menstruation has not yet recovered.

When to see a doctor?

More Ultrasound performed in the maternity hospital to control the healing process of the uterus.

If the process goes well, you need to visit a gynecologist after the end of the discharge.

If a in a woman who had a caesarean section, there are signs of increasing inflammation- abnormal discharge, pain, fever, then need to see a doctor immediately. The gynecologist will put the woman on a special account, and will control the restoration of reproductive function.

When can I plan my next pregnancy?

Can you plan your next pregnancy? not earlier than 2 years later after undergoing surgery.

No matter how well the healing process of the uterus goes, there is always a danger of its rupture at the suture site during the next pregnancy. If the period between pregnancies is not reduced, it is likely that a woman will be able to give birth naturally.

What will be the next birth after caesarean section?

If the woman is healthy, and there will be no complications in the development of pregnancy and the position of the fetus, then in the future she can give birth.

If you still need a second caesarean, then it will be carried out at the place of the first seam, after excising the scar.

It should be well understood that after undergoing a caesarean section, a woman underwent abdominal surgery. Correctly fulfilling all the doctor's prescriptions, and thoughtfully referring to her lifestyle, she has every chance to restore both her health and reproductive function.

In modern obstetrics, caesarean section has become such a common practice that it is no longer considered as a complex surgical intervention, permissible only in extreme cases. Expectant mothers themselves sometimes consider this operation as an alternative to natural and painful childbirth, without thinking about possible complications and a long recovery period. Meanwhile, childbirth by caesarean section is a vicious circle: the second childbirth after the operation, as a rule, also passes through the incision, and it is no longer recommended to give birth to a third child. How does a woman really feel after a caesarean section, what difficulties will she face and how to overcome them?

Complications after surgery

Like any surgical intervention, caesarean section is fraught with complications. One of the most common problems is blood loss. If during natural childbirth it is about 200-250 ml, then during operational it can reach 0.5-1 l.

Many women experience intestinal adhesions after a caesarean section. Small adhesions usually do not cause trouble, but severe ones provoke problems with stool and digestion, as well as abdominal pain. To get rid of them, you will need physiotherapy, in severe cases - surgery.

Another possible complication of caesarean section is the risk of infection and inflammation of the uterus. To avoid it, a woman is usually prescribed antibiotics that make it difficult to breastfeed.

Finally, for a full contraction of the uterus, a woman after a caesarean section may need to undergo restorative therapy, since the intersection of the muscles of the uterus impairs its contractility. While during natural childbirth, the uterus contracts without stimulation under the influence of the oxytocin reflex.

Life after a caesarean section

The operation can take place under general anesthesia or under the influence of epidural anesthesia. In both cases, in the first hours after childbirth, the newly-made mother will experience unpleasant sensations. In the case of general anesthesia, this is vomiting, nausea, pressure surges, hallucinations. In the case of epidural anesthesia - numbness of the body from the abdomen to the legs, while the first 12 hours after anesthesia will have to be spent motionless on the back.

Immediately after the operation, it seems that a normal life after a caesarean section will never come. The woman cannot get out of bed without assistance. In the best case, you will be able to get up a few hours after the operation, in the worst case, in a few days. In any case, the first attempts to rise are accompanied by dizziness, weakness.

The seam is, perhaps, the main thing that overshadows life after a cesarean section. As soon as the anesthesia ceases to act, it makes itself felt with unbearable pain, in which case the doctor prescribes an anesthetic injection directly into the suture area. In the first week after a caesarean section, the incision site is treated with antiseptic preparations. During this period, the seams should not be washed, touched or in any way injured. With a well-healing scar, the sutures are removed 8-10 days after the operation. If the sutures become inflamed, they are removed earlier so that the exudate does not accumulate in the wound area. Since a woman will be able to get into the shower only after the seam has completely healed, wiping with a damp cloth remains the only way to personal hygiene.

Many women experience difficulty with urination and bowel movement after childbirth. In the case of a cesarean section, these problems are exacerbated: in the first days, a catheter is placed in the woman, laxatives or enemas are prescribed.

Life after a caesarean section requires a special diet. If, during natural childbirth, a woman in labor can eat immediately after she rests and sleeps, then after a cesarean on the first day, you can only drink water with lemon juice, then, if you feel normal, try chicken broth with chopped meat, cottage cheese or low-fat yogurt, juice without sugar. Approximately for 4-5 days, subject to the restoration of normal peristalsis, you can switch to a normal diet, taking into account breastfeeding. By the way, milk after a caesarean section appears, as a rule, on the 4-5th day, since the hormone responsible for lactation is produced later than during natural childbirth.

The main limitation in normal life after a caesarean section is weight lifting. Ideally, it is recommended to lift no more than 2 kg, but a newborn usually weighs 3-4 kg, and this weight should be limited. Moderate physical activity after caesarean is welcome, but before doing elementary abdominal exercises, you need to wait at least two months, otherwise it is fraught with seam divergence.

Caesarean section and sex life

Are caesarean sections and sex life compatible? The fact is that after surgery, the uterus is susceptible to infections. At the moment of separation of the placenta from the uterus, a wound is formed, which bleeds and gradually heals over 6-8 weeks. These spotting are called lochia. During bleeding, any factors can lead to inflammation - sexual activity, the use of tampons, violation of hygiene rules, low immunity. To avoid infection, which is doubly dangerous during caesarean section, doctors recommend postponing the resumption of sexual relations for at least two to three months. The main signal for the onset of sexual activity after a cesarean section will be the cessation of lochia.

Returning to sexual activity after a caesarean section is also complicated by psychological reasons. Many women feel constrained, embarrassed because of stitches, stretch marks, excess weight, and often refuse their husband intimacy because of banal fatigue. At the first contact after a caesarean section, a woman feels pain. This happens for two reasons - discomfort from the physical tension of the muscles and tension of the connective tissues. If you can relax the muscles by willpower, then to stretch the connective tissues and ligaments, on the contrary, you need to be sexually active.

A caesarean section requires a difficult and long recovery period, not to mention the need to take care of a newborn. Therefore, the main thing that a newly-made mother needs is the care and support of loved ones. And then she will be able to successfully overcome all the hardships of life after a caesarean section.

Recovery after caesarean - this is how motherhood begins in women who, for medical reasons, had to give up the prospect of natural childbirth. This difficult process requires patience and increased attention to one's own health - it is possible to return to full-fledged physical activity only after 2 months, during which it is necessary to put up with prohibitions and work on yourself in order to ensure the full healing of internal and external seams.

Technique for caesarean section

Indications for caesarean section (CS) are absolute, in which the exit of the fetus through the birth canal is impossible, and relative, when the natural course of childbirth is accompanied by risks. It should be noted that with the development of medicine, the list of indications is becoming wider: a number of diagnoses in which caesarean section was considered one of the alternatives are now transferred to the category of absolute ones.

There is also the possibility of conducting a CS at the will of a woman, without medical indications. How justified is this choice? Experts give arguments for and against based on theory, their own experience and statistical research, but their beliefs on this issue can lead to diametrically opposite conclusions: some campaign for natural childbirth, others talk about the benefits of surgery. At the same time, modern medical technologies are being improved in both directions.

Cesarean section is carried out in a planned or emergency order. In cases where the decision on surgical intervention is made before the onset of labor, the patient can receive detailed information from the doctor about the methods of anesthesia, tissue dissection and suturing. The technique is chosen depending on the state of health of the mother and fetus, the anatomical location of the internal organs, the characteristics of the tissues of the abdominal wall and uterus, as well as the professional skills of the surgeon.

The incision of the abdominal wall can be:

• lower middle - from the connection of the pubic bones to the navel, is used to quickly extract the fetus;
• transverse - in the pubic area, has several variations, with this technique, peritoneal tissues are more easily restored.

There are a number of techniques for dissecting the uterus, the use of which does not depend on the method of opening the abdominal wall, but in practice, each surgeon has his own well-developed technique. The choice of method of anesthesia (epidural, spinal anesthesia or general anesthesia) depends on the decision of the anesthesiologist. With partial anesthesia, if there is no need for resuscitation, the child is given to the mother's arms immediately after extraction. Synthetic absorbable materials are used for suturing.

Stages of a caesarean section:

1. Preparation: the necessary tests are given and the time of the operation is scheduled. The stomach is cleaned, the corresponding area of ​​the skin is disinfected, a catheter is placed to drain urine.
2. Anesthesia: with partial anesthesia, a screen is placed to block the viewing area for the patient.
3. Surgical intervention: dissection of the peritoneum, opening of the uterus, removal of the child, cutting of the umbilical cord and removal of the placenta, sequential suturing.
4. Postoperative period: at least a day the patient needs to lie in the intensive care unit. Being under constant supervision, women move away from anesthesia, the risks of unforeseen complications and reactions are eliminated. Then, inpatient treatment with drugs is prescribed to normalize the contractile function of the uterus, restore urination and the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. If necessary, analgesics and antibiotics are administered.

Risks during the operation and possible complications

Hospitalization before surgery (from 1 day to 2 weeks) depends on medical indications for monitoring the condition of the mother and child, supporting and diagnostic procedures, the decision on discharge is made according to the same parameters. Inpatient postoperative treatment in the maternity hospital lasts an average of 5-7 days.

The use of caesarean section is the main factor in reducing the statistics of neonatal mortality, but surgery also affects them:

• a certain portion of drugs penetrates into the baby's circulatory system, which can lead to intoxication, inhibition of the respiratory reflex, painful lethargy and passivity in the first days of life;
• fluid and mucus are not completely expelled from the lungs, which can lead to pneumonia;
• pressure drops during the extraction of the child can provoke microoutflows into the brain;
• the general adaptability of the body is reduced, because, at birth, without stress, hormones are not produced that are responsible for the adaptation of the newborn to the external environment.

A woman in labor may experience the following complications:

• The formation of pathological adhesions in the intestines and ligaments that hold the organs of the genitourinary system. This may be the result of a protracted operation, blood and amniotic fluid entering the abdominal cavity, and inflammatory processes. Leads to intestinal obstruction, tubal infertility, bending of the uterus and menstrual irregularities.
• Postoperative hernia and functional damage to the muscles of the abdominal cavity associated with defects in tissue suturing. They lead to indigestion, back pain, prolapse of the vagina, uterus, and the formation of an umbilical hernia.
• Nerve root injury during spinal and epidural anesthesia (see also:). Leads to back pain, tremors and numbness of the limbs.
• Postpartum endometritis - infection of the inner layer of the uterus with various pathogens, manifests itself a few days after cesarean and occurs due to a decrease in the protective functions of the body. Leads to pain in the abdomen, atypical discharge, fever.

Unfortunately, both the natural course of childbirth and surgical intervention are not immune from unforeseen circumstances. In the case of a caesarean section, we can talk about a common set of risks inherent in all abdominal operations that arise due to reactions to anesthesia, heavy blood loss, blood clots.

To prevent risks, the main role is played by:

• adequate choice of methods for performing surgery and rehabilitation;
• compliance with the standards for the duration of surgical intervention;
• the quality of the medicines and suture materials used;
• postoperative therapy;
• qualifications of the surgeon and medical staff.

Recovery period

After a caesarean section, time is needed for the healing of injured tissues and postpartum hormonal changes. You have to stay for a week in the hospital, then endure constant aching pains that keep you in suspense and limit movement, establish a regimen and nutrition, and at the same time get used to maternal duties. Communication with the child and the support of loved ones greatly facilitate the situation, but even in this case, the desire to recover quickly often leads to overload, which only prolongs the painful period.

Wearing a bandage

A specially designed bandage fixes the abdominal organs, helps to prevent their prolapse and alleviates pain. Its wearing is possible only with a good condition of the seam and normal bowel function. In the first 4 weeks after the operation, the bandage is put on for 3-4 hours a day, especially when you need to get up, sit and walk. After it, you can switch to wearing tight underwear.

Postpartum bandage

Nutrition Features

The selection of the diet is aimed at replenishing iron deficiency, restoring digestion and water metabolism, and ensuring lactation. During the period when you still have to lie down for a long time, you need to consume more fiber to prevent constipation. General recommendations relate to the exclusion of fried, salty, smoked foods, the need for fractional nutrition. It is recommended to individually exclude products that cause gas formation. You can drink a special course of vitamins for nursing mothers.

Intimate life and sports

Regardless of physical fitness, a return to usual sports is possible only 6 months after the operation. Overload, as well as excessive restriction of movement, can complicate the healing process. Special gentle exercises aimed at preventing varicose veins and thrombophlebitis, working out the pelvic muscles should be performed daily with a gradual increase in multiplicity.

Hygiene and seam care

The suture in the maternity hospital is cared for by the medical staff, and by the day of discharge, the discharge from the wound stops, the sutures are removed or dissolve. At home, it is necessary to ensure sterility and protection of the affected area from mechanical damage. Disinfectants and healing agents are used. The cosmetic appearance of the scar depends on the characteristics of the organism. Corrective measures (laser resurfacing, photo-correction) should be postponed for at least a year.

Sleep and rest mode

The process of physiological and psychological recovery is individual, but in any case, the mother should spend as much time with the child as possible, and at the same time she needs to sleep as needed.

At first, loved ones should protect her from intermittent sleep at night and assist in any activity that requires physical exertion, for example, bathing the baby or rocking him in her arms. A gradual transition from bed to normal mode is carried out by performing exercises in walking and sitting several times a day.

Breastfeeding after surgery

Lactation may start late, and there is also a certain risk of lack or shortage of breast milk, so supplementation with mixtures is inevitable. Doctors advise not to leave attempts to accustom the child to, take him in his arms more often and apply to the chest not according to the schedule, but on demand. If the baby is already accustomed to the nipple, you need to express milk and try to maintain lactation even in small volumes.

Reception of analgesics is stopped even in the maternity hospital, and doctors do not advise stopping pain, using them as an indicator of physical activity. Painful sensations allow you to dose physical exercises, tell you how to get out of bed correctly, how much time to spend on your feet or in a sitting position.

The consequence of anesthesia may be a paroxysmal cough caused by the accumulation of mucus in the bronchi. To avoid divergence of the seams, you need to control this process by holding the place of the seam with your palms and coughing on a strong exhalation.

What absolutely cannot be done?

Life after a caesarean section gets better only with time, and the rehabilitation process is not only extended in time, but also cannot be clearly predicted. It is important to understand that prohibitions are measures to prevent complications that allow you to shorten the recovery period and spend it at home, next to the child.

The first item on the list of restrictions is a ban on lifting weights more than 3 kg until complete scarring of the uterine tissue occurs. During this period, you should also not make sudden movements, such as pulling up or bending over. In the first months after the operation, you should not take hot baths.

It is important to move away from the stereotype that restrictions can be lifted if the pain has stopped and the stitch on the abdomen has tightened. Complications from internal inflammatory processes and abnormal scarring of the uterus can be hidden, so it is important not to ignore the alarm signals and not violate the prohibitions that the doctor has imposed based on the individual characteristics of the patient.

In what cases should you immediately consult a doctor?

Depending on the intensity of the symptoms, you should call an ambulance or contact your doctor if:

• increased body temperature;
• there are atypical discharges;
• the seam is inflamed;
• weakness, dizziness, vomiting, acute pain appeared.

Lack of stool and problems with urination are also an alarm signal that requires specialist advice. Complications after CS can also appear after the recovery period, even years after the operation. Regardless of how you feel, you need to undergo examinations by a gynecologist every six months and seek medical help for pain in the abdominal cavity and menstrual irregularities.

A caesarean section is an operation performed under general anesthesia or epidural anesthesia. This is done for artificial delivery. The abdominal operation violates the integrity of the peritoneum, which in some cases leads to serious complications. To achieve a quick recovery after a caesarean section, you need to follow the right recommendations.

First time after surgery

Immediately after the caesarean section, the woman in labor is placed in the intensive care unit. An ice pack is placed on the abdomen. It is necessary for the rapid contraction of the uterus and stop bleeding. The woman in labor is constantly monitored, painkillers are prescribed. In case of large blood loss, a woman is given a dropper with saline.

Nurses check pulse, blood pressure and body temperature. Twice a day, the surgical sutures are tied and the consistency of the vaginal discharge is checked.

Breastfeeding helps the body recover quickly after a caesarean section. In this case, the uterus contracts faster.

After 24 hours, the woman in labor is transferred to the recovery room. Pain medication continues. Women are forbidden to eat solid foods that overload the intestines. Specialists in some cases prescribe drugs that restore the activity of the digestive tract.

On the second day, the woman begins to get up and walk. The postoperative suture is processed daily. It must remain dry. On the 5th day, the woman undergoes an ultrasound scan, and on the 6th, her stitches are removed.

The Importance of Movement

Initially, the woman in labor will feel weak, so she will not be able to move. 6 hours after the operation, the woman is advised to roll over from side to side, slightly pulling her legs up to her stomach.

If anesthesia was used during the operation, then the woman in labor needs to cough to get rid of the mucus formed in the lungs. You shouldn't be afraid to do it. The seams must be reinforced with a pillow, hands or sheets. Take a deep breath, filling your lungs with air. Then exhale completely, gently into yourself. It should not be inflated. A sound similar to a dog's "woof" is made. You need to do these exercises several times a day.

Simple movements can be done right in bed. This can be rotation of the feet, hands, flexion and extension of the legs at the knees.

Getting up and walking is best for short distances and under the supervision of medical staff. Sitting down and getting up is allowed after the woman puts on a bandage or wraps a sheet around her stomach.

Postoperative period

After a caesarean section, a wound remains on the uterus and peritoneum. The suture can cause pain for 3-4 weeks. This is considered a normal reaction of the body to the operation. To eliminate pain, non-steroidal drugs that are combined with lactation can be prescribed.

According to reviews, recovery after a caesarean section includes constant monitoring of the suture. In the first week, an ichor is released from it. This is a normal wound healing process. Along with this, there is a constant desire to scratch the seam. Doing so is prohibited. If a woman finds purulent discharge in the incision area, and her stomach bakes, then she needs to inform the medical staff about this.

Restoration of the abdomen after a cesarean section, the photo is presented in the article, includes procedures for healing the suture. A scar on it usually bothers a woman for a year. Fuzzy contours of solid seals may appear around it. If there is no suppuration and pain, then the woman should not worry. Over time, the scar will soften and the surface will smooth out.

A year after giving birth, you can use special creams that dissolve the stitches.

What is forbidden to do

After the operation, a woman should not lead the same lifestyle as during natural childbirth. There are certain restrictions.

If water gets on a non-healed seam, then the woman in labor should not panic. After a shower, treat it with brilliant green and put a gauze bandage on top. This will dry the seam and will not lead to complications. You don't need to do this all the time.

Some experts recommend wearing a bandage for recovery after a caesarean section. And others - to replace it with slimming underwear.

Postpone exercise for a while. After all, training can lead to divergence of the seams and internal bleeding. Loads should be moderate even after it has healed.

Women are not allowed to lift weights. The child can only be held in the arms in a sitting position.

Nutrition of the woman in labor

A woman after a caesarean section should definitely monitor her diet. The menu should not contain food that causes constipation, increased gas formation and allergies.

You need to eat fractionally, 5-6 times a day, a serving should be 100 g. These can be vegetable purees and broths, boiled lean meat and fish, cereals on the water (with the exception of rice). After the operation, it is necessary to consume fermented milk products. They accelerate the recovery of the digestive tract. As a drink, you can use a rosehip broth with a minimum of sugar and water.

The correct menu will help restore the figure after a cesarean section. A specialist in the maternity hospital, at the request of the woman in labor, can provide a list of allowed products. In this case, it is faster to make a menu. And the right diet of the mother will be the key to the well-being of the newborn. This will protect him from colic and gas.

Physical exercise

Women after pregnancy lose muscle tone, so they need training. However, the birth of a child with the help of surgery imposes some restrictions on the restoration of physical fitness. Only on the 3rd month, women in labor are allowed to start a light workout. Exercises for recovery after caesarean section:

• walking in place;
• slow tilts to the sides;
• wave your hands;
• warming up the joints in a circular motion.

After 6 months, more complex exercises are started. Women can choose Pilates, dancing or swimming.

Recovery of the abdomen after a caesarean section is a long process. After all, a woman at this time is allowed to do a minimum of exercise.

Menstruation after surgery

Doctors say that recovery after a caesarean section of the menstrual cycle depends on the individual characteristics of the body. It has nothing to do with the type of delivery. In the first days, lochia flows from the vagina, which then turn into a slight discharge of blood. They stop after 3-4 weeks, which is completely independent of the type of childbirth (naturally or with the help of surgery).

When a woman feeds a newborn with breast milk, then menstruation occurs after the cessation of lactation. This happens when the process is active. In this case, prolactin is actively produced in the body of a nursing woman, which slows down the process of ovulation. If she supplements the baby with a mixture, then the level of the hormone decreases. In such cases, the menstrual cycle is restored after 5-6 weeks.

Recovery of the uterus

Immediately after the onset of pregnancy, the organ begins to grow and reaches a size 500 times larger than originally. After a caesarean section, the recovery of the uterus takes time, as there is a significant incision on it. The contraction of the organ is stretched for 2 months, especially if there are complications during the operation. A woman is prescribed drugs that reduce the uterus. She needs to be observed by a gynecologist who will control the healing process of the suture on the abdominal cavity and the scar on the organ. Indeed, during the operation, the uterus was dissected. It is a wound surface, so sexual life is postponed for 1.5-2 months until complete healing.

Breast-feeding

General anesthesia adversely affects the lactation process. Women in childbirth have to put in a lot of effort to achieve breastfeeding:

1. Use the help and experience of medical staff in the maternity hospital.
2. Breastfeed the newborn more often.
3. Refuse to supplement breastfeeding with mixtures.
4. Feed your baby on demand.
5. Use drugs to stimulate lactation.

It is breastfeeding that will help restore the body after a cesarean section. A woman needs to forget about her pain and affectionately communicate with her child. His sucking movements will stimulate the production of prolactin and milk will appear.

Breastfeeding should be perceived as helping a woman to recover quickly after childbirth.

Prevention of possible complications

During the operation and after the deterioration of the state of health is possible. It includes:

• Blood loss. If it is 0.5 liters, then this is considered the norm. If the blood loss is more than this amount, then it is considered serious. A woman is prescribed droppers.
• Adhesion processes. They are formed during any operation on the connective tissue. Spikes are necessary to protect against purulent processes. In large quantities, they cause difficulties in the work of internal organs. In order to avoid pathology after the operation, it is necessary to undergo a course of physiotherapy. The prevention of adhesions includes the process of pacing after a caesarean section.
• Endometritis. It occurs when pathogenic microflora enters the uterus. In order to prevent the operation, the specialist prescribes a course of antibiotics after the operation.
• Inflammation or rupture of the seams. This is usually due to the misbehavior of the mother in labor. The incision needs proper treatment and care. On the 2-3rd day after the operation, it is not recommended to lift weights.

A woman after surgery should carefully monitor all changes and quickly respond to them.

Psychological aspects of the operation

Women who have given birth to babies as a result of a caesarean section are sometimes upset, believing that nature has cheated them and denied contractions and attempts. However, as a result of the operation, they learned several lessons that need to be learned:

1. Any woman is not omnipotent, so processes are taking place in the world that are independent of her.
2. Nobody is perfect, and there is nothing wrong with that.
3. As a result of the operation, a child was born, whom everyone was looking forward to. Therefore, the woman achieved a positive result, but not in the way she wanted.

Recovery after a caesarean section is a lengthy process, taking several months. A woman needs to set herself up for difficulties. It is necessary to think about the child and about his breastfeeding.