Baby2Body’s Guide To Postpartum Recovery: What To Expect Post C-Section (Weeks 1&2)
Over the next 6 weeks, we’ll be sharing our guide to postpartum recovery & on Monday, we kicked that off with a guide to the first week of recovery for those who have vaginal births — but 21% of mamas give birth via c-section! So how does recovery differ and should you be expecting something different?
A lot of what we shared earlier this week definitely applies to all postpartum mamas but c-sections are more invasive and entail a longer road to recovery. Don’t worry, we’ve got all the info you need about weeks 1 & 2 of c-section recovery below and we’ll be sharing everything you need over the next 6 weeks.
Before jumping in, it’s important to remember that every woman is different, every pregnancy is different, and every delivery is different, so what to expect after birth varies a lot, no matter how baby was delivered. You might not get all of these symptoms & you might experience things that aren’t on this list — if that’s the case, let us know in the comments so we can share it with other mamas out there!
Here’s what you can expect in weeks 1 & 2 of c-section recovery
1. You may be in hospital for longer after birth
After you have a c-section, you may have a longer hospital stay than those who delivered vaginally. This could be around 3-4 days but will be determined by your doctor based on your recovery.
2. Trapped gas is common (and painful)
Gas pains after a c-section can be excruciating & it can feel like you have air moving around your abdomen. They will pass within about a week but it takes a little while for everything to settle down.
3. You might need extra help feeding & lifting baby
Whilst you recover from your c-section, you’ll need some more support to lift and feed baby as you might find pulling or straining your abdomen is painful as the muscles have been separated. You may also not be able to do certain activities straight away, including driving, exercising, or carrying anything heavier than your baby.
4. Your emotions will be all over the place
In the first few weeks after birth, it’s common to feel a mix of emotions — no matter how you delivered baby — including feeling irrational, crying out of the blue, and feeling depressed or ‘low’ — this is known as the “baby blues”. That’s because your hormones are fluctuating post birth & you also have a newborn to look after, which can be overwhelming.
What you can do to be more comfortable: Try to sleep and rest as much as you are able to, ask for help or support from your partner, friends & family, and connect with other new mamas who are experiencing it too!
If symptoms last longer than a few weeks and are unmanageable: you may be experiencing postpartum depression. Speak to your doctor as soon as you can to help manage symptoms.
5. You will still experience bleeding
Bleeding from the vagina after birth is called lochia, and you’ll still get this if you gave birth via c-section. It can be quite heavy at first and you’ll need super absorbent sanitary towels. It can be less bleeding with a planned C-Section but if you labored and then experienced an emergency cesarean you can bleed just as much as with a vaginal delivery.
The bleeding may last a few weeks but you should avoid using tampons until your 6-week check as it may increase the risk of getting an infection. If you are losing blood in large clots then you should tell your midwife.
6. Hemorrhoids
You might know that it’s common to experience constipation and piles after birth because of all of the wear and tear down there — it’s more common to experience piles after a vaginal delivery, but it doesn’t mean you’ll be guaranteed to escape this postpartum symptom as they can also be caused by hormonal imbalances and intra-abdominal pressure. The good news is, they usually disappear within a few days!
What you can do to be more comfortable: Try not to strain too much when you use the toilet, eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, salad, and whole grains — and drink plenty of water!
7. Tender breasts
Another symptom that can be experienced no matter which way you delivered baby. Almost immediately after birth, your breasts will produce a yellow liquid called colostrum for your baby. After 3 or 4 days, they may start to feel tender as they produce milk.
What you can do to be more comfortable: try wearing a supportive bra. See our top picks.
8. Sweating
This isn’t one that a lot of women expect, but around 1 in 3 mamas find that they sweat a lot after giving birth. This is due to all of the changing hormones in your body.
What you can do to be more comfortable: If you’re uncomfortable - especially at night - then try sleeping on a towel that you can switch out easily, wear light clothing, and remove heavy covers from your bed
Have a question for us about c-section recovery? Let us know in the comments!
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