Caring for Yourself After Cesarean Birth
A Guide to Self-Care
 In the recent past new mothers stayed in bed for several days to a week after giving birth. Much of this time was spent in the hospital where the mother and her new baby received constant care. Studies now show that early discharge is generally safe for both mother and baby. Bonding begins sooner, less time away from home is less upsetting for the household, and mothers feel more confident at home. Hospital stays today for cesarean births without problems are usually 2 to 3 days.
Once your baby is born, your body will change both physically and emotionally throughout the next year. Many of these changes happen in the first 6 postpartum weeks, called postpartum period. The postpartum period is not a time of illness, but a period of healthy change. Some changes restore your body to its non-pregnant state. Other changes allow you to provide food, care, and love for your newborn.
In addition to telling you about changes in your body, Caring For Yourself tells you about ways you can speed healing and prevent problems, when to ask for help or advice, and what you can do to take the best care of yourself. In the margins there are TIPs to make self-care easier and FYI (For Your Information) when you want to get a little smarter. Resources are given in Learn More About It when you are ready to learn as much as you can.
Caring for yourself includes monitoring your health by learning what to expect, what is normal, what can go wrong, and how to tell if there is a problem. Caring For Yourself will tell you what to expect and how to monitor your health while your body is healing and changing. |
