Guidelines for maternal care in the first week after cesarean section

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Trinh Thi Thanh Huyen - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital.

In the first few days after cesarean section, the pregnant woman's body is still very weak, the incision is painful, so it is necessary to have appropriate care to recover the incision and health quickly.
Here are some notes when taking care of pregnant women in the first week after cesarean delivery:

The first day after surgery, the woman is still very weak, the incision is painful, so she needs to rest on the bed, can stretch her limbs or sit up, change her position gently.
In the 6 hours after surgery, the pregnant woman can't eat much because her intestines are full of gas, her stomach is weak, and it's difficult to digest food. When the pregnant woman has farted or has a bowel movement, she can eat thin porridge and soft fruits.

Although the incision causes a lot of pain, the mother should not stay in one place for too long. If you don't exercise after cesarean section, it can lead to constipation, increase the risk of blood clots in the limbs, stagnant lungs or complications such as intestinal adhesions, thrombophlebitis...
Family members should Help the pregnant woman sit up and walk gently around the room. Pay attention to closely monitor the pregnant woman because at this time, the mother's health has not recovered, too much blood loss during the surgery can make the mother dizzy, dizzy, easy to drop blood pressure leading to falls, tripping, etc. faint.
For pregnant women to eat porridge, drink a lot of warm filtered water, fruit juice, eat a lot of fruit to avoid constipation.

On the third day after surgery, pregnant women should practice walking in the room and in the hallway, increasing exercise time and walking distance.

At this time, pregnant women can eat rice, should still drink from 2 to 2.5 liters of water during the day.

From the 4th day onwards, the mother's health has gradually recovered, she can eat normally, pay attention to add a variety of foods to fully supplement nutrients. Limit foods that can cause diarrhea and scarring such as beef, chicken, water spinach...

The first week after surgery, the incision is not dry, so cleaning and checking the incision will be done by doctors and nurses at the hospital. After discharge from the hospital, the mother needs to keep the incision clean and dry. After bathing, you should take a clean cotton towel, do not cover the incision. The incision can be cleaned with 10% betadine or povidine solution, do not arbitrarily apply it to the incision.
If the incision is infected or there is unusual pain at the incision, you need to go to the hospital for examination as soon as possible.

Every day, pregnant women should eat about 200 grams of protein-containing foods such as meat, fish, eggs... Should add more foods containing vitamins A, B, C, vitamin K, iron, calcium... to avoid getting sick. inflammation, support hemostasis, blood formation and help the wound heal quickly. Pay attention to drink enough water to avoid constipation, increase the ability to digest food.

Post-surgery women should rest a lot and get enough sleep, to avoid worrying, thinking, affecting psychology and health. Post-surgery women should clean their bodies, wash and dry their genitals daily, especially after each urination. Pay attention, monitor maternal health daily. If there are abnormal signs such as abdominal pain, abdominal distension, high fever or vaginal bleeding, bleeding lasts too long... it is necessary to take the pregnant woman to the hospital for examination. To make the birth process easier, Vinmec International General Hospital now has a method of spinal anesthesia. For cesarean section, the mother is given spinal anesthesia during surgery and pain relief for the first day after surgery by means of lumbar squamous muscle anesthesia. This is a technique of nerve selective analgesia that governs the incision and contracts the uterus in order to block pain signals before being transmitted to the spine and to the brain, causing post-operative pain for pregnant women.
With long-term experience and with the support of modern ultrasound equipment, Vinmec doctors will find the correct place to numb the lumbar squamous muscle, ensure the safety of the mother, and help the recovery process. after cesarean section becomes faster.