After your Caesarean

ENHANCING YOUR RECOVERY from your planned Caesarean birth We know that a Caesarean is a major operation, and recovery takes time.
However there are things that YOU can do to help your body recover faster, so you can spend more time getting to know your new baby. Eat and Drink
As soon as you feel able to - and whatever you like
Get up and about
For a gentle walk, with the help of a midwife, after about 6 hours.
Get your urinary catheter out
And get up to pass urine
Use the pain relief available to you
Better controlled pain will help you to do all of the above more easily.

Breastfeeding after your Caesarean -We know that breastfeeding can be a little harder after a Caesarean birth
- We aren't sure why this is
- There are things you can do to help avoid this 1. Avoid lots of IV Fluids
It is normal to need 1-2 bags of fluids, but too much can cause your nipples to enlarge, making feeding harder. Talk to your Anaesthetist or midwife about this if you're worried.

2. Immediate skin to skin
If your baby is "centrally pink" and "vigorous" then they can come straight to you for skin to skin, and stay there for at least the first couple of hours. Neonatal checks, including Vitamin K can all either happen with your baby on you, or wait until later.

3. Feed your baby whenever they show interest
Fist sucking, rooting, pushing up and around on your chest. Try laid back nursing so baby can help latch. Google/Youtube a video of this. YouTube "breast crawl". Breastfeed whenever baby shows interest, 'on demand'.

4.Hand express after each feed until your milk is fully in.

5. Antenatal expression may be of benefit. Talk to your midwife about whether it's right for you and your pregnancy.

6. Delay the first baby bath for at least 8 and preferably 24 hours (or even longer - some babies aren't bathed until 7 days!). This reduces your baby getting cold, or having low blood sugar - both of which may lead to need for supplementation and separation of baby from Mum.

7. Talk to a Lactation Consultant. Breastfeeding isn't easy for many women, which can be surprising, challenging and emotionally hard. Get support early - it's available!

This content was developed in conjunction with an IBCLC When will I go home? - Most people stay 2-3 nights in a hospital after their Caesarean birth.
- You can choose to transfer to a Primary Birthing Unit
for ongoing midwifery support once you have recovered enough from your operation, and your baby is ok (this might be after 12-24 hours)
Recovering from a Caesarean is usually more challenging than from a Vaginal Birth.
Be kind to yourself, allowing yourself the time to heal - and accepting offers of help when they come!