The 60 minutes after birth is known as the Golden Hour when bonding between mother and baby is maximized. Research shows that breastfeeding and bonding are improved when there is skin-to-skin contact early on.
What is the Golden Hour? After the birth of the baby, both vaginal and c-section birth, the Golden hour consists of uninterrupted and immediate skin to skin contact, limited interventions that are not necessary, if possible and desired having delayed cord clamping, and having the first feeding of baby completed.
Situations such as C-sections, difficulty breathing, meconium in your amniotic fluid, pre-term delivery, and more can cause a need for baby to be assessed further and skin-to-skin contact to be delayed. If this occurs, start your Golden Hour as soon as possible. Skin-to-skin contact can be done after a C-section.
A C-section incision is the most painful for the first three or four days after your surgery. By the time you go home, you should start to feel better. But your incision site will still be tender for about three weeks. Keeping your incision clean and dry will help it heal faster and prevent infection.
What are the “3 Golden Hours”? The 3 Golden Hours refer to the immediate hours after a mother gives birth. It's so important that mothers are given the opportunity to be skin to skin with their babies during these 3 hours to breastfeed their baby and form that immediate bond.
When a baby is peaceful and in skin-to-skin contact with his mum after he's born, he will go through a series of behaviours, as shown here. Some people call this the magical hour. This is a natural process and babies should be allowed time to work through the stages as it helps to get breastfeeding off to a good start.
The first hour after birth when a mother has uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact with her newborn is referred to as the “golden hour.” This period of time is critical for a newborn baby who spent the past nine months in a controlled environment.
After a c-section, you should sleep on your back or side. This shouldn't put too much strain on your c-section wound. You can also try sleeping on your back with your head elevated. Use pillows to keep your spine aligned and take pressure off your joints.
Returning to Physical Activities After a C-Section
It's important to get out of bed and walk around within 24 hours after surgery.
Say no to straining.
It's uncomfortable for one, and if a stitch were to possibly pop, intense straining is how it might happen. Straining can cause or worsen hemorrhoids too. Having to push hard or force are signs that your body isn't ready yet, so don't force it. Take a break and try again later.
Skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby during the first hour or two after birth provides the natural location, and the cues, for baby to move through the nine instinctive stages. (If the mother isn't able to hold baby skin-to-skin during this time then the father can take on this role.)
It's not only moms who have this ability; the same goes for dads during skin-to-skin contact with their baby. Stabilizes the baby's breathing, heartbeat, and more. This time together can also help regulate the baby's breathing and heartbeat, stabilize his blood sugar levels, and aid sleep.
General anesthetics can be done faster, so they are used if the operation is an emergency, or if the woman can't have a regional anesthetic. If there is more time, or if it's a planned (“elective”) Cesarean section, then the woman might have a choice of anesthetic.
It usually takes about 6 weeks to recover from your c-section but this will depend on your individual situation. If you had any problems during or after your c-section, or if you're looking after other children at home, you may feel you need more time to recover.
After a cesarean section you will be given post-operative restrictions from your surgeon outlining the do's and don'ts. Your restrictions are based on not pulling at your incision site or straining your tummy muscles (abdominals). Here are the do's: Walking within the first 24 hours of your procedure.
Post Cesarean: Days 3-5
During this time, you should gradually regain your mobility and your pain will begin to subside, but you still need to take certain precautions. Strenuous movements, for example, can place undue strain on your incision site.
Side sleeping is a great choice when you're recovering from a C-section. Research shows that sleeping on your left side can help increase blood flow to vital organs, aiding healing. It's also the most common sleeping position – you're bound to find this one relaxing.
Most women experience some discomfort for the first few days after a caesarean, and for some women the pain can last several weeks. You should make sure you have regular painkillers to take at home for as long as you need them, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen.
Things to Avoid:
Public pools and hot tubs. Lifting anything heavier than your baby. Repeatedly using stairs. Exercise, at least until your health care provider gives you the go-ahead.
For a planned C-section, you may have a choice of anesthetic, although you should be aware that a spinal block or epidural are generally considered the safest options for both you and your baby. In an emergency or when bleeding occurs, general anesthesia may be necessary.
For example, it's always advised to avoid housework, heavy lifting, and other strenuous physical activity immediately after giving birth and during those first days and weeks postpartum.
The 40-day period is called the lochial period, from 'lochia' the normal vaginal discharge of cell debris and blood after birth. The Bible says “40 days” for the vaginal discharge resulting from involution and can also be described as the red lochia, lasting 4–6 weeks [29].
The Gentle Cesarean
The goal of the family-centered cesarean, or “gentle cesarean,” is to make the delivery as natural as possible. For example, by using both solid and clear drapes, obstetricians could switch the solid drape for the clear one just before delivery and allow a mother to see her baby being born.
The practices during these days may vary depending on which part of the country you are from. But largely, the first 40 days are seen as a confinement period, meant for you to recuperate, gain strength and bond with your new baby. It's quite natural to feel that 40 days is too long.