Childbirth by caesarean section is one of the oldest surgical operations. There are many indications for its implementation; the main goal of the manipulation is to preserve the health and sometimes the lives of the mother and baby.
In our realities, a cesarean section is performed strictly according to indications, and after the operation is completed, doctors continue to closely monitor the woman’s well-being and the recovery processes in her body. After all, despite the fact that this operation seems quite simple, and medical technologies are constantly improving, it is still a surgical intervention.
Expert opinion
What exactly and how should a woman be monitored if she has had a caesarean section, says Elena Borisovna Machneva
, Candidate of Medical Sciences.
Of course, the recovery processes after a natural birth and after a cesarean section birth are different. During childbirth, many changes occur in a woman’s body, for which nature prepared the expectant mother throughout pregnancy. These are various changes in the cardiovascular, endocrine, respiratory systems, blood coagulation system, etc. Some of these changes are activated during a cesarean section, while others follow a different scenario.
At the same time, during surgical childbirth, the woman’s body is subjected to additional load and stress due to systemic or local anesthesia, as well as the large wound surface that occurs as a result of abdominal surgery. Therefore, in addition to the general recovery processes, in the postpartum period after a cesarean section there are also processes of restoration of the nervous system after anesthesia, as well as healing processes of postoperative sutures.
Since both normal and cesarean births always go differently for everyone, the recovery period for each individual woman also has individual characteristics. A woman should definitely consult with the obstetrician-gynecologist who delivered or operated on her about these features and about the protective regime after childbirth.
Why does a pregnant belly remain after childbirth?
The abdominal muscles of women who have had a cesarean section lose their elasticity. Reasons for this:
- weight gain when carrying a child;
- changes in the curvature of the spine during pregnancy and after it;
- excessive stretching of the abdominal skin and muscles.
The abdomen remains elongated until the uterus contracts completely. This takes 6–8 weeks. During the recovery period after surgery, excess fluid also leaves the body. It accumulates due to the administration of a large number of drugs intravenously.
Alarming symptoms in the postpartum period
08.09.2021
Pregnancy is a lot of work for the female body. Most women talk freely about childbirth , but not so much about
what happens after them. In obstetrics schools, the postpartum period is sometimes skillfully passed over in silence, reducing it only to
bleeding after childbirth . What does the postpartum period look like and how long does it last?
What is the postpartum period?
The postpartum period is the period of about 6 weeks (it can be shorter, although there are times when it lasts longer) after birth
child, when the body tries to undo most of the changes that have occurred in the body over the past 9 months. Duration
the postpartum period depends on the individuality of the woman’s body and its ability to regenerate. How will you survive this?
depends on the body. Some women tolerate this time quite normally, others prefer to forget about it. Bleeding in
the postpartum period is also an individual problem. This period is said to be similar to a long menstruation .
However, the bleeding, especially in the first few days, is much heavier, and the contractions of the uterus , which has returned to its normal size,
more painful.
It is also worth noting that the postpartum period is not only bleeding, but also lactation. Many women refuse breastfeeding
breastfeeding in the first month after childbirth , because no one prepared them for what awaited them. And breastfeeding, at the very beginning,
is difficult and painful. The body is just learning to produce milk for the baby. Therefore, in the beginning, due to hormonal fluctuations,
there is an excess of milk. Added to this is the pain that accompanies this period. That is why many women, realizing what was happening,
do not have the physical or mental strength to breastfeed and therefore decide to give the baby modified milk.
Maternal well-being is another important aspect of the postpartum period. The recovery period is also a time of hormonal regulation.
At this time, the woman feels bad not only physically, but also mentally.
Warning symptoms and what not to do
It may seem that in the postpartum period everything happens by itself and you just need to get through this period. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The postpartum period is a difficult and potentially dangerous time for women. Medical care and hygiene are very important at this time.
You should pay attention to any warning signs, such as:
• white spots on the nipples , lumps and pain - this may indicate blockage of the milk ducts, which can subsequently lead to inflammation of the mammary gland , • sudden cessation of postpartum discharge, in which case you should consult a doctor .
• high fever and foul-smelling stool, • wound problems after caesarean section , e.g. purulent discharge,
• swelling of the lower extremities, • joint , many women suffer from rheumatoid arthritis after childbirth ,
• the perineal wound festers, • significant mood swings that make work difficult.
In addition, hygiene during the postpartum period is very important. Both during natural childbirth and during caesarean section you need to wash yourself every
once after visiting the toilet. Do not use standard liquids for intimate hygiene, but neutral or hypoallergenic products.
You should also avoid using tampons or menstrual cups and regularly ventilate your perineum. Bleeding in the postpartum
period may not be the only source of discomfort. Muscle weakness also causes difficulty urinating and
bowel movement . Therefore, you need to beware of any urinary tract infections and ensure regular bowel .
Women who have had a caesarean section should regularly wash the wound and gently massage the area around the scar to avoid the formation of adhesions.
Postpartum period, and then what?
After about 6 weeks, the discomfort will subside and the woman should visit her gynecologist for a check-up to make sure everything went well.
At this time, it is also necessary to do blood tests , think about possible contraception and return to sexual activity. There's no rush, but it's worth preparing for it.
Published in Pregnancy and pregnancy management Premium Clinic
When can you start losing weight?
Gynecologists recommend doing abdominal exercises after six months have passed since the date of the cesarean section. However, you can start the fight against a sagging belly while still in the maternity hospital. To do this, you need to purchase a postoperative bandage in advance and put it on as soon as the medical staff allows you to stand up. The bandage will need to tighten the stomach every time the woman gets ready to go somewhere. While lying down, wearing a belt is ineffective and harmful. Doctors recommend wearing a postpartum bandage for 2 months.
Physical activity intensity
Any physical activity, including physical therapy to strengthen the muscles of the uterus, should be done carefully. The intensity of exercise should be increased gradually.
At the initial stage of training, you do not need to spend more than 10 minutes for 1 session; it is not recommended to repeat the movements more than 5 times .
Every 2-3 days you should increase the frequency of approaches and duration of exercises. In this case, you need to focus on your well-being - it is important that the exercises do not turn out to be harmful and do not pose the risk of seams coming apart.
How to eat to lose weight
As for nutrition, it should be balanced. Ratio of proteins, carbohydrates and fats: 30/60/25. Nutritionists recommend using vegetable oils as a source of fat. It is better to avoid animal analogues, such as margarine or fat. It is optimal to replace simple carbohydrates with complex ones. This is oatmeal, rice, buckwheat, bread and other baked goods made from wholemeal flour. This also includes beans, lentils, peas, potatoes and pasta. The latter must be made from durum wheat. It is important that your daily diet contains at least 500 g of fruits and vegetables. Sweets, baked goods and other fast carbohydrates are prohibited. Protein foods should not be fatty. The optimal choice is turkey, skinless chicken, rabbit. It is ideal to combine meat with vegetables, such as salad. Food can be prepared by steaming, baking or stewing with a small amount of oil. The total daily amount of food is divided into 5-6 meals. Portions should not exceed 300 g. The volume of water drunk is from 1.5 liters. It is necessary to limit black tea, coffee, smoked foods, fried foods, sweet soda, spices, fatty and pickled foods. The minimum amount of calories for a nursing woman is 2500–2000.
Removal of fibroids: rehabilitation after surgery in
The health, well-being and mood of our patients is our main value. That is why we provide them with all the conditions to achieve the desired results. Our center employs professional doctors who regularly improve their skills. We adhere to an individual multidisciplinary approach: all procedures are selected depending on the health indicators of each individual patient; not only rehabilitation specialists, but also doctors of other subspecialties participate in decision-making. This is the only way we can choose the optimal course of procedures. Our center is equipped with modern simulators and devices that have proven their effectiveness. The friendly atmosphere and cozy rooms make you feel comfortable. Good mood and positive attitude play a big role in recovery, so we have created a pleasant microclimate, and professional psychotherapists with extensive practical experience work with patients.
Procedures
Regular massage sessions will help your skin become firmer again. First, problem areas are heated with rubbing movements using a special cream, then pinched, tapped and stroked. Massage with silicone cups has an effective effect. You can buy them at the pharmacy. In addition to exercise and proper nutrition, the following can help:
- Mumiyo. Two tablets are dissolved in a small amount of warm water and mixed with rich cream. The mixture is applied to the stomach, thighs and buttocks before bed after a shower.
- Scrub. Shower gel or liquid soap is mixed with coffee grounds that remain after brewing coffee. You can also add sea salt there. The resulting product is rubbed onto the problem areas for 5 minutes, and then washed off with water at a comfortable temperature.
- Cold and hot shower. Combining hot and cold water while bathing tones the skin well. This method is especially effective if you use maximum water pressure and direct the shower head onto your stomach and thighs alternately.
A little history
The bathhouse has been a favorite recreation and way to improve health for many centuries. Suffice it to recall the thermal baths in Rome, where the ancient Romans took a steam bath. And in Rus', both ordinary peasants and noble nobles loved to take a steam bath.
For a long time in Rus', women who gave birth to a baby were immediately moved to live in a bathhouse. It was there that the whole family came to congratulate the woman in labor and give her gifts. In those days, the problem of visiting the bathhouse did not arise. According to legend, a woman in labor was steamed in a bathhouse to expel “bad” blood from her body and improve her health. But this is in the case of normal childbirth. Therefore, the question of a bath after a normal birth is immediately removed: if there are no contraindications, you can visit the bath
.
