Your scar. The wound in your tummy will eventually form a scar. This will usually be a horizontal scar about 10 to 20cm long, just below your bikini line. In rare cases, you may have a vertical scar just below your bellybutton.
However, as a major surgery, cesarean delivery carries risks, including infection, bleeding, and longer recovery times compared to vaginal births.
The obstetrician will then make an incision through your skin and into the wall of your abdomen. They might use either a vertical or transverse incision. A horizontal incision is also called a bikini incision. Next, your provider cuts a 3- to 4-inch incision into the wall of your uterus.
Your scar will likely be 10-20cm long and is usually just below your lower stomach. To begin with it will be red, obvious and sore. You may have some bruising and inflammation around the wound. Dissolvable stitches will usually have disappeared by around week two and your wound will start to form a c-section scar.
A c-section is major surgery, so it may have more complications for you and your baby than vaginal birth.
A caesarean section is a surgical operation to give birth to your baby. Planned and unplanned caesareans have some differences in the lead-up to surgery, but they're the same afterwards. Caesarean section surgery usually takes 30-60 minutes, although the entire process can take a few hours.
The 5-5-5 rule is a guideline for what kind of help a postpartum mom needs: five days in bed, five days round the bed — meaning minimal walking around — the next five days around the home. This practice will help you prioritize rest and recovery while gradually increasing activity.
Most women experience some discomfort for the first few days after a caesarean, and for some women the pain can last several weeks.
The uterus is closed by 2 sutures starting from either end of the wound. a The first suture stitch is placed slightly medially from the anatomical corner of the wound. The same suture thread is used to make 2–4 more continuous sutures and the ends of the suture thread are knotted.
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Returning to Physical Activities After a C-Section
It's important to get out of bed and walk around within 24 hours after surgery. This can help ease gas pains, help you have a bowel movement, and prevent blood clots.
Protect your ab muscles: For the first 12 weeks after a C-section, avoid activities that make you breathe hard or strain your muscles. Avoid sit-ups, crunches, push-ups, planks or movements that put pressure on your core muscles. Take care of your incision: Your doctor will tell you how long to keep your wound covered.
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A c-section is major surgery and your partner will need time to recover. It can take at least 6 weeks, but they may have discomfort for much longer than this.
Discomfort is expected after a C-section, especially around the incision and abdomen. Pain typically peaks in the first few days and improves over several weeks.
Therefore, doctors recommend limiting cesarean deliveries to a maximum of two. It is also advised that mothers wait at least two years before becoming pregnant again after a C-section, to allow sufficient time for the incision to fully heal. In some cases, many mothers still opt for a third or fourth C-section.
You'll be given the anaesthetic in the operating room. This will usually be a spinal or epidural anaesthetic, which numbs the lower part of your body while you remain awake. This means you'll be awake during the delivery and can see and hold your baby straight away. It also means your birth partner can be with you.
When compared to C-Section, normal labor is more painful during delivery. However, it is only for a short time. When the delivery is finished, there will be no pain. Normal labor also helps the new mother get started with breastfeeding sooner and better.
The average amount of blood loss after the birth of a single baby in vaginal delivery is about 500 ml (or about a half of a quart). The average amount of blood loss for a cesarean birth is approximately 1,000 ml (or one quart).
C-section Recovery Time
You need to give your body at least 6 weeks for the incision to heal, and for the abdomen to recover from the trauma. The doctor will advise bed rest on day 1 but after that, they will ask you to start moving.
If you plan to have another caesarean section
If you have three or more caesarean births, some complications become more common. These include: Problems with your placenta implanting low in the uterus, near your scar, in future pregnancies. This condition is referred to as placenta praevia.
In reality, the third week might be the hardest week postpartum, since everything seems to feel “normal,” but so much is happening at the same time. This being said, the third week will be an important week to focus on your mental health.