What women need to know after cesarean section

The article was professionally consulted by Specialist Doctor Obstetrician and Gynecologist - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital

The recovery of a woman's health after a cesarean section is longer and more difficult than that of a normal woman, so taking care of women after a cesarean section is very important.

In order for pregnant women to recover quickly after cesarean section, it is necessary to pay attention and be careful from the cleaning of the incision, the lifestyle and the provision of adequate nutrients in the daily menu and food:
The first day after surgery should drink filtered water, sugar water and porridge until you can deflate, then start adding other foods. From day 2 onwards, you can eat normally, you should eat more protein and calcium-rich foods. Drinking plenty of water will help you make more milk for your baby. Getting enough sleep helps postpartum mothers feel refreshed, less stressed and have more milk to breastfeed. Supplementing with vitamins B, C, K, A to participate in collagen synthesis and diversification of fibroblasts, and control inflammation. Vitamin K helps to stop bleeding in the early stages. In addition, foods rich in calcium, iron, zinc ... play an important role in the wound healing process. Should regularly change the menu to stimulate appetite, avoid boredom. Do not eat cold or undercooked foods. Ginger and turmeric should be used in cooking to help warm the body and strengthen the immune system for the intestinal lining. Postpartum women should spend a lot of time resting, when feeling less pain and more comfortable, they should sit up and practice walking to circulate blood, avoid intestinal adhesions and thrombophlebitis. Shower every day to avoid infection. Do not soak in water for a long time, only take a bath for about 5-10 minutes. It is recommended to shower with warm water, airtight bathroom and dry your body after bathing. For women after cesarean section, care should be taken with the incision. After about 3-4 days after giving birth, women can wash their hair, so they should dry their hair quickly. Clean the vaginal area clean, should use boiled water to cool or warm water to wash.

Caesarean section surgery is not too complicated, however, the mother after cesarean section should also note a few things:
Avoid lying on your back: When you lie on your back, you will feel more pain due to contractions of the uterus, so you should lie on your side and put a soft pillow behind your back, reduce body movement, you will feel less pain. Do not sleep too much: Rest after giving birth is extremely important. However, if you sleep too much, amniotic fluid will accumulate in the uterus, need to sit up, gently exercise to avoid blockage of the intestines and blood vessels. Avoid eating fishy foods, eating too full: Eating too much will lead to difficult digestion and easy constipation, increasing gas in the intestines, causing bloating. Avoid hot spicy foods. Avoid fishy foods because it will inhibit blood clotting, making the incision slow to heal. Should not work early: Post-cesarean mothers need to rest to heal quickly, should not work early. Do not let cold: After giving birth, the kidney qi is weakened, so it is easy to catch cold. Therefore, do not wash with cold water. However, you can use warm water to clean your body and clean your whole body because if you don't shower for a long time, this will be an ideal condition for bacteria to grow, causing illness to the mother and possibly spreading. to the baby such as stomatitis, diarrhea... Do not use hot spicy foods such as chili and pepper: In chili peppers, there is a capsaicin component that creates a feeling of heat in the mouth, tongue and throat, stimulates the stomach, makes aggravate inflammation. When using a lot of pepper can aggravate stomach ulcers, constipation. Do not use alcoholic beverages such as wine, beer... because it may change the taste of milk, possibly causing children to become constipated or stop breastfeeding.

Should not have sex soon: After a cesarean section, women should not have sex soon, usually abstain from 4-6 weeks to give the uterus time to recover. Avoid thinking too much: Strong emotions can be harmful to pregnant women's health, leading to milk shortage. During the wound healing period, you should not smoke or smoke passively to avoid vasoconstriction in the periphery, reduce blood flow to the incision, and reduce oxygen to tissues. For pregnant women with blood sugar disorders, diabetes, liver failure ... often the incisions will be very difficult to heal. Women after cesarean section, in addition to paying attention to how to exercise, need to pay attention to their daily nutrition. After a cesarean section, women need to be more careful in taking care of their health because the recovery will also take longer than a vaginal birth. At the same time, relatives should also encourage and encourage the spirit to always be comfortable and happy.