How To Promote C-Section Recovery

You see a line across your abdomen. You’re now a mother. However, you still feel nauseated and your wounds aren’t healing up quite as quickly as you would like.

 

First things first, you have to understand that it will take some time for your body to heal after c-section as there are two incisions made, one along your abdomen, and one more on your uterus. Thus, there are more parts of you that need to heal up. Furthermore, recovery times will vary from one woman to another. That said, here are some ways for mothers who have opted for c-section to help promote their recovery post-op…or at the very least, help boost it along.

 

Sleep, Sleep, Sleep

To kick things off, this one may be a very obvious recommendation. Rest, rest, rest, and more rest. As mentioned, c-section is an operation and with any operation, you need to rest in order to heal. This is, logically, a no-brainer that is easier said than done. What is going to keep encroaching on your beauty sleep is your newborn. Have you tried sleeping with a crying infant in the background? It is usually quite impossible to do so. You could try investing in some good quality ear plugs, but then your conscience will wake you, so there really is no possible way to sleep deeply…unless you are one of those who can sleep through an artillery barrage, but that is highly unlikely as evolution has made humans such that a woman’s hearing is tuned to be more attentive towards high pitch noises so that you will be awoken by the high pitched crying of a baby.

 

Since we have already placed our finger on what will be the biggest obstacle to you getting plenty of rest, we now talk about how to maneuver around it. Most of us may have family living with us if not just our spouses. Enlist their help in taking care of your newborn child, at least for around the first six weeks or so, in order for you to get some quality rest.

 

Say that your spouse has to work and you do not wish to trouble your family and friends, you may consider hiring a confinement nanny to look after your infant while you rest up. However, should that option not even be on your horizon, you could try the old trick of sleeping when your baby sleeps. Yes, we know that babies are literal Energizer bunnies and they only nap ten minutes and they are good to go the rest of the day. Be that as it may, every little bit helps your body’s recovery, even if it is just sneaking a few minutes here and there throughout the day.

 

Pamper Yourself

This next one is a little counter-intuitive for some of you who are not used to being pampered. Let’s just get the obvious out of the way – it will take some time for your body to fully heal and for you to get back into the swing of your usual routine. It will thus be counter-productive for you to be lifting weights at the gym right after being discharged from the hospital. So, in case it was not clear, steer away from doing strenuous activities and maybe not carry things heavier than your infant. After all, you may want to still hold and bond with the little kid, that’s perfectly fine.

 

Say that you are in a HDB flat that has no lift access, maybe don’t ascend and descend staircases like you’re Usain Bolt. Slow and gentle steps. Bear in mind that at this stage, you want your body to mend the incisions and moving too quickly or roughly may cause the wound to reopen which will be detrimental to your recovery. Speaking of quick and rough, it has to be said, do consult with your doctor as to when it is alright to resume sexual activities.

 

Another part of the body that should not be neglected would be your mind. You may have heard of postpartum depression. Yes, having a baby may instill within you emotions and feelings you have not felt before and that is perfectly natural. What is worrying is when those feelings are that of inflicting harm unto your child or even yourself. That should not be taken lightly and you should seek professional help should you start to have those feelings.

 

Help, I’m in Pain

This is yet another obvious one. If you are in pain, whether it be your incision wound or a headache brought on by your infant’s crying, consult your doctor for any prescription recommendation on painkillers, especially if you are breastfeeding. In some cases, heating pads and medicated patches may work wonders, again, consult with your doctor first if it is suitable for your use case.

 

Good Food

Ah, nutrition. This one is not only important post-operation. It is generally important even if you weren’t pregnant. In fact, it is important anytime, everytime. There has been research showing that during pregnancy, what you eat not only provides energy to your foetus, but the taste and flavours of food also gets transferred across the placenta. This means that whatever you eat while pregnant, your baby would have had tasted. This research has also extended to breastfeeding wherein what you eat also goes into the milk you produce and this may affect the preferences of your child as they develop.

 

The focus on good nutrition isn’t just focused on your child, however, it should also be remembered that you are also eating to heal yourself. So, you might want foods that are high in iron to help with replenishing the blood loss and promote healing of tissues and cells.

 

Alternatively

Should you not feel like opting for a local Singapore confinement centre and would rather have the comfort of your own home, have you thought of hiring a nanny? Here at PEM, we have over 400 professionally trained nannies in Singapore whose expertise include, but are not limited to, taking care of you and your newborn, and preparing daily confinement meals and herbal soups which may be optionally aided alongside our confinement herbal package add-on offers.

 

Let’s take a look at things objectively. You just went through pregnancy. You may have gone through natural birth, or since you are reading this article, you may have had the c-section. Whichever it may be, you now need to recover, rest, and recuperate.

 

What better way to promote active recovery than to be in an environment that you are already familiar with and can relax in? Wouldn’t your home feel more welcoming than a Singapore confinement centre?

 

Yes, we understand that motherhood is a difficult and arduous journey and we hope this post has made your way to recovery that much easier.

Learn more about our confinement nanny service now!