ARTICLE > caesarean section
3 Tips After a Caesarean Section
Caesarean section is a phenomenal way to give birth, but it's also a major abdominal operation that we need to take into account. Here are some of our top tips for those first few weeks after your C-section!
⚡️ Article summary
- Getting out of bed after a C-section requires different techniques during the restriction period
- New mama - C-section recovery for the first 8 weeks
- The sofa basket helps you keep your most important items close to you, in case you feel immobile
Cesarean Section - the First 8 Weeks
When you have had a Caesarean birth, you have also had a major abdominal operation, which means that you have special restrictions to comply with in the initial postnatal period.
The first 8 weeks are known as the restriction period and mean that you should not put any heavy weight on yourself. The advice is usually not to carry more than the baby's weight, and to avoid large, rotating movements with the trunk.
Do you think this advice is a bit weak and unclear? We agree. That's why we're going to give you three great tips to help you recover in the early postnatal period.
Getting Out of Bed
Even if it feels scary, you can feel confident that the wound on your stomach will be sufficient to stand up from the start, and also to get up from sitting to standing.
If you need to, you can hold/press your hands or a pillow against the area to help you move more easily. Similarly, if you are going to cough or sneeze.
Getting up from lying down is something we should be a little more careful about. During the first 6 weeks, it can be gentle on the tissues to pay extra attention to how you move, as this is a critical period for healing.
In the app Mammaträning, we show, in both an article and lecture, how you can move using your arms and legs to make the movement milder on the incision.
You can view these during your 7 days free period inside the app Mammaträning!
New Mama - C-section
As a new mom, exercise can be confusing. That's why our physiotherapists have put their heart and soul into creating the absolute best program for your body after a C-section.
Carefully selected exercises approved during the restriction period (first 8 weeks) help the body recover from surgery in a calm and safe way.
Initially, the focus is on healing and recovery, and then on rebuilding strength and function throughout the body - which our physiotherapists are experts in.
As if that wasn't enough, you'll also get coaching on screen from our physiotherapist Carolina Jozic who will guide you through all the exercises and teach you more about your postnatal body.
💖 New Mama - C-section
8-week training program with focus on recovery, circulation and control
Create a Sofa Basket
It's good to get up and move around when you've just had surgery to get the circulation going and reduce the risk of clots, but running intervals to the bathroom because you've forgotten one thing after another is not very pleasant.
That's why the app's founder, Isabel Boltenstern, took the opportunity after her two C-sections to create a sofa basket! She put it on the armrest of the sofa as a little goodie bag!
Stock up on necessities like:
- water bottle to refill with liquid
- mini towels (to dry various liquids)
- snacks (personal favorite: salmiak rolled chocolate)
- earplugs
- ointment and compresses for sore nipples, for those who are breastfeeding
- milk collection cups or breastfeeding pads
Article written by
Carolina Jozic
Physiotherapist
⚡️ Download Mammaträning
- Exercise programs created by physiotherapists for the different levels of the pregnant and postpartum journey
- 2000+ workouts at your level, with the tools you have at home
- 120 articles about the body, exercise and running during and after pregnancy
3 Tips After a Caesarean Section
C-section is a phenomenal way to give birth, but also a major abdominal operation
Preparing for a Caesarean Section
Before a caesarean section, there are some things you can do