Here comes your little one out to the world after long waiting. You need to care for your health to be able to care for your baby and spend more time with him or her.

You'll need help to care for both of you and your baby, especially if you’ve had a cesarean delivery. A c-section needs more time to heal than the normal vaginal delivery.

Here are some tips to speed up recovery at home.

Taking Care of Your Body

Your body needs rest. Ask your relatives or friends to help you with diaper changes and housework.

Nap whenever your baby naps. This allows you to rest enough and not wake up every now and again to nurse your baby or change diapers.

Avoid going down and up the stairs many times, lifting something that is heavier than your baby. Hold your abdomen when sneezing or coughing.

Take gentle walks whenever possible to avoid edema or blood clots.

Keep everything you need close to you to minimize the number of times you need to move.

keep an eye for any signs of illness like fever or pain. This can be a warning of an infection.

Caring For The Incision

The C-section scar pain usually lasts for 2-3 days after the c-section. There will be some tender for about 3 weeks. If you can't bear the pain, your doctor may prescribe pain relievers like NSAIDs or acetaminophens.

You can use a heating pad to relieve the discomfort around the scar.

If you go home with a bandage over the wound, change the dressing once a day. Your doctor will tell you when to stop covering your wound.

When having a shower, you don’t need to scrub the wound. Just letting the water run over the wound during the shower is enough.

You may be able to remove the bandage to have a shower if stitches were used. Ask your doctor to know if you can remove the dressing to have a shower.

Avoid soaking in a bathtub or going to the swimming pool. Your doctor may not give you the green light to do so before 3 weeks.

Things to avoid after the cesarean delivery

To accelerate healing, it's recommended to avoid some stuff like:
 

• Lifting anything that is heavier than your baby
• Going up and down the stairs several times
• Exercising before your doctor allows you to.
• Taking baths or soaking in a bathtub until the scar is not bleeding

When to call your doctor

talk to your doctor right away if you experience any of the following:
 

• A Fever
• Your legs are swollen or painful.
• Bad-smelling vaginal discharge
• Sudden Severe pain in the abdominal area
• A severe headache right after birth
• Pain, bleeding or pus around the incision.

Resources:

Healthline.com - C-Section: Tips for a Fast Recovery

American pregnancy association - Cesarean Birth After Care

medlineplus.gov - Going home after a C-section