As much as C-section is a normalized surgery in mothers, it is, after all, an abdominal surgery. You might have undergone a C-section delivery by choice or taken by surprise when you required an emergency C-section. When the epidural wears off and the recovering pains start, moving out of bed can be a daunting task. Knowing how to take care of your wound and how to reduce pain more quickly can make all the difference to how you start your journey into motherhood.
1. Give it lots of support Immediately after delivery, it is normal that the skin around the wound becomes very sensitive. This is the body’s natural way of protecting itself, by making sure you are aware of the "injury" so you will rest and protect it. Because of this increased sensitivity, even slight movement of the wound can cause great discomfort. A quick way to reduce wound discomfort is to use a folded towel or a small cushion to gently hold your wound up and in towards your belly button. Doing this for the first few days when you need to move and especially when you sneeze, and cough can be very helpful. After your bandages are removed, wearing supportive underwear/shorts will be comfortable. A soft abdominal binder can help to provide much needed support for you to take care of baby and yourself with greater ease. 2. Roll to get out of bed Getting in and out of bed after a C-section is most dreaded by mums. To make your life better, try this sequence: ⁃ Roll fully to your side ⁃ Lower your legs ⁃ Push yourself up on your elbows to sit up
We found a good video here:
This method reduces the amount of effort from your tummy to get out of bed. This means less pain and less stress on the wound! Simply reverse the movement for a more comfortable way of getting back into bed. 3. Touch it – yes, touch it! If you’re feeling a little nervous about touching your wound, you are not alone! Gently stroking over the bandages in the first few days can reduce the sensitivity of the skin around the area. It also reassures you that there isn’t a gaping wound on your belly. This helps your body and mind to relax, activating the pain blocking abilities of the brain so you feel less pain later. This powerful ability of the brain is known as down regulation of pain. When all the scabs over the wound have fallen off, you can gently massage the scar. Place clean fingertips (not the nails!) directly over the scar, gently roll your finger tips up and down perpendicular to the direction of the scar along its entire length. This helps the healing layers to glide nicely over one another to reduce tightness that can make it uncomfortable to move. 4. Adopt good posture and move! The wound can feel quite tight and painful in the first few days after a c-section. This makes most ladies want to walk around hunched. The fear that the wound may split open is real. But try to remind yourself that your Doctor stitched you up while you were lying flat, this means that standing straight will not add additional tension to the wound. Phew! It is important that you keep trying to stand up straight from the beginning so that wound will not feel so tight when you eventually straighten up. Having good posture also prevent aches and pains in your neck and lower back. We hope you’ll have a smoother start to Motherhood with your birth experience. Help spread the word to help Mums learn how to care for herself after a Cesarean Section surgery! Dads, also be empowered with this knowledge to support your wives, and be involved in the early days of parenting, together.