Going home after your birth

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Generally, you will remain in hospital for 1 to 2 days after having a caesarean birth.

You will have some pain and discomfort, and you will be given pain relief to help you with this. Getting out of bed and walking early helps. Hospital staff will help you to do this.

You will be able to eat and drink when you feel up to it. You will have a urinary catheter (tube inserted into bladder to empty urine) inserted whilst in theatre, which will remain in until after your caesarean and will be removed when you are able to get to the toilet, normally within 12 hours.

You will have some vaginal bleeding. The surgical wound (usually around 10–15cm long) will be covered with a dressing that will be removed before you go home.

Caring for your wound:

1. Do not let anyone touch your wound without them washing their hands first
2. It is better to shower instead of having a bath
3. Wash your wound every day with water only
4. Pat your wound dry, do not rub your wound
5. After showering, air the wound before dressing by lying on the bed and exposing the scar
6. Wear loose clothes and high waisted cotton underwear as anything pressing into the wound can be uncomfortable

Signs of infection:

• Pain getting worse
• Swelling at the wound
• The skin around the wound might change colour
• The wound might feel hot and tender
• Unpleasant smell
• The ends of the wound might appear to open up
• There might be fluid coming out of the wound
• You might feel feverish or have a temperature

If you experience any of these symptoms, you must seek medical advice as soon as possible from your community midwife, GP or maternity assessment unit.

Returning to normal activities:

You can start to do your usual activities at home when you feel more like yourself. There are no time restrictions as everyone is different; however remember you have had a serious operation and should rest more frequently. You should leave heavy tasks such as hoovering, standing to iron for long periods and heavy housework until 6 weeks after your caesarean.

Sex and getting pregnant again after having a caesarean birth

You can have sex when you feel ready. There is no right time, however most women wait until their wound has healed and the blood loss has stopped. You must use contraceptives at all times if you do not want to have another baby quickly. It’s important to give your body time to recover before you start trying to get pregnant again. Waiting 12 to 18 months before getting pregnant again is advised to give your body time to recover.

Click here for more information about birth after a caesarean section.

Driving

There are no fixed time scales to suggest when it is safe for you to start driving again after a caesarean section. Most people are fit enough to drive by 6 weeks but many are fit sooner than this. If you feel that you are fit to drive sooner than 6 weeks, you should contact your GP and make your insurance company aware.

Follow-up

Your GP will be notified that you have had a caesarean section and of your discharge home. If you have any concerns about you or your baby’s health (especially problems with your breathing or passing urine, swelling in your calves, excessive bleeding) then you should contact your community midwife or GP in the first instance.

Useful links

• NHS- Caesarean section: Recovery
• Tommy’s- How to recover from a c-section (caesarean) at home