C-section pain
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Ann Douglas, author of The Mother of All Pregnancy Books: The Ultimate Guide to Conception, Birth and Everything in Between and The Mother of All Baby Books: The Ultimate Guide to Your Baby's First Year, is here at Pregnancy & Baby! Read Ann's advice on everything from keeping romance alive amidst the structure and stress of baby-making to weathering the storms of morning sickness to preparing for the birth of your dreams.
The question: I gave birth to my first child by cesarean section three weeks ago and I'm still experiencing a lot of pain and discomfort. Is this normal?
Ann's Answer: It takes longer to bounce back after a cesarean
delivery than a vaginal delivery. A cesarean section is major abdominal
surgery. Consequently there's a fair bit of healing involved. In fact, it
takes approximately six months for your incision to fully heal. You can
expect to feel some numbness in the area until your nerves have a chance to
regenerate (something that typically happens six to nine months after the
delivery) and you should be prepared for some initial itchiness as well.
It's normal to experience pain around the incision site during the early
weeks after the birth. You can minimize your discomfort by using a pillow to
support your midsection when you cough, sneeze, or laugh; wearing tight
bicycle shorts underneath your regular clothing; avoiding heavy lifting; and
limiting the number of times you trek up and down stairs in a day until your
incision starts to heal. It's also a good idea to accept any and all offers
of help. After all, you don't just have yourself to take care of while
you're recovering, you've also got that new little bundle of joy.
