C-Section Recovery Tips for Postpartum Care
Postpartum Care After C-Section
A C-Section is a major abdominal surgery, and although it can be lifesaving for you and your child, it takes a major toll on your body. Your body and mind need a chance to heal and recover, which often takes longer than a vaginal delivery recovery process. Thankfully, there are plenty of remedies and methods that can help you feel better during your C-Section recovery!
C-Section Recovery Tips
Rest Post Cesarean Section
One of the most important things you can do for your body after a cesarean section is REST! Having a baby is a life changing event, give yourself time to rest and bond with your new child. Rest takes on many faces with a new child:
- feeding your baby – nursing or bottle feeding is a nice time to rest together and bond,
- nap when your baby naps
- ask family and friends for help with tasks like cooking, cleaning, and grocery shopping
You have just done a beautiful thing, and you deserve to relax and allow your body to heal! Ask for help, most people enjoy helping others.
Walk for Movement
Sounds opposite of rest, but once your c-section wound is on it’s way to healing and you are feeling less pain, walk every day. This helps to prevent blood clotting and constipation.
Don’t Lift Heavy Things
The rule is avoid lifting anything heavier than your baby. Ask for help from friends, neighbors, family.
Wear a Supportive C-Section Belt during Activity
Wearing a c-section belt during activity is important in providing the c-section wound with support. The belt should not be worn all the time, the wound needs air circulation for healing but wearing a c-section belt during activity is recommended.
The support belt should be:
- breathable
- not too wide – wide belts restrict movement
- soft, flexible and comfortable- no stiff parts or edges
- adjustable for the changing postpartum body
- supportive material
Wear the belt for gentle support but not for compression or girdling. You’re body has been through a lot and needs loving care and time to heal.
A great support belt is Babybellyband C-Section Recovery Belt Kit . This kit includes an open-cell, breathable c-section belt, 1 ice pack, and C-section scar cream. This belt provides support and relief for postpartum pain and provides hip and back support.
Natural Remedies for Reducing Swelling and Pain
There are natural remedies that can soothe your incisions and prevent injury. The using an ice pack to reduce and prevent swelling in the area of the incision is helpful and reduces the use of medication.
Healthy Nutrition
Eating a healthy, balanced diet and drinking plenty of water is always important for overall health, but it is especially important during recovery from childbirth. It will help prevent constipation, which is common during C-Section recovery. Also, as may be breastfeeding your child, you want to make sure they are getting the healthy nutrients they need from your breast milk, which comes from a healthy diet.
Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy Care
Pelvic Floor Physical Therapists are amazing and can get you on the right track to healing and building back your core strength properly. Most insurance will cover physical therapy. Your doctor may or may not think to recommend a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist to help you with recovery, but if you ask this service should be provided.
Find a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist
This is a link to a Free 6 Week Exercise Guide by Cornerstone Pelvic Physiotherapy
Scar Manipulation after Healing
Once your Cesarean section scar has fully healed you can begin to gently massage the scar with a scar tissue relief cream like Motherlove C-Section Cream to help break down the scar tissue. This can prevent pulling and pinching at the c-section wound site and many women say it can reduce the redness and thickness of the scar.
What is the best way to massage a C-section scar?
Except from article:
You will want to be gentle when massaging your scar in its initial stages until it becomes less red and painful
Stage 1- The skin
You can begin gentle massage after your 6-week check-up, or sooner if the scar is considered well healed.
Stage 2- the Muscle Layer
Just below the skin and fat is the muscular layer, and you may or may not feel your abdominal muscles, but they are there. It is ok to feel slightly uncomfortable during this massage, but it should not be painful.
Stage 3- Deep Muscle Layer
In the last stage, you are working down at quite a deep level. If you’ve ever been checked for appendicitis or had kidney problems, a doctor would have felt your abdomen this way – it is a massage which is firmly moving the deeper tissues.
Go easy on yourself!
Celebrate the beautiful thing you and your beautiful body have just done! You have just brought a child into the world! Do not participate in girdling or strenuous exercise to try and lose your pregnancy weight quickly. Remember you are beautiful, give yourself a break, and enjoy this incredible and exciting time in your life!
C-Section Recovery Coach
If you need more guidance with your Cesarean Section Postpartum Recovery, you can find a C-Section Recovery Coach online to guide you through this process by searching online
ProNatal Fitness— has online Recovery programs for C-section and Postpartum
Nicole Alfred- C-Section Recovery Coach has lots of Great Tips in Instagram
Here are more in depth Articles to Reference about C-section Recovery:
The Do’s and Don’ts of C-Section Recovery from Intermountain Health Care
https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/c-section-tips-for-fast-recovery
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323229
I appreciate your emphasis on natural remedies and physical therapy for C-section recovery. It’s empowering to explore non-invasive options for healing. Thank you for sharing these valuable tips and resources.