Cesarean Section

What to Expect After C-Section

After a routine cesarean section, expect to be monitored closely for the next 24 hours to make sure that you don't develop any problems. You will receive pain medication and will likely be encouraged to begin walking short distances within 24 hours of surgery. Walking can help relieve gas buildup in the abdomen. It is usually very uncomfortable to begin walking, but the pain will decrease in the days after the delivery.

The typical hospital stay after a cesarean delivery is about 3 days. You can feed and care for your newborn as you feel able. Before going home, you'll receive postsurgery instructions, including warning signs of complications. It can take 4 weeks or more for a cesarean incision to heal, and it isn't unusual to have occasional pains in the area during the first year after the surgery.

For information about how a cesarean affects future deliveries, see the topic Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC).

When to call a doctor

After a cesarean section, call your doctor or midwife if:

• You use a new maxi sanitary pad for vaginal bleeding every hour for 4 to 5 hours. (If you have a past vaginal delivery to compare to, you may notice that post-cesarean bleeding is lighter.)
• Your vaginal bleeding seems to be getting heavier or is still bright red 4 days after delivery, or if you pass blood clots larger than the size of a golf ball. You may also have lower abdominal pain.
• You have signs of infection, including fever or increased redness and drainage at the incision site.
• The incision gapes open or starts bleeding.
• You feel dizzy.
• Your calves become painful and/or swollen and red, you have shortness of breath, or you have severe chest pain (these can be signs of a blood clot).
• You have signs of postpartum depression, such as:
  • Feelings of despair or hopelessness for more than a few days.
  • Troubling or dangerous thoughts or hallucinations.
• Your vaginal discharge smells bad or fishy.
• Your abdomen feels tender or full and hard.
• Your breasts are painful or red and you have a fever, which are symptoms of both breast engorgement and mastitis. For more information, see the topics Breast Engorgement and Mastitis While Breast-Feeding.

Some women feel shoulder pain for days after a cesarean section. This is referred pain, caused by trauma to the abdominal muscles during the delivery. It goes away on its own during recovery.

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Author:	Monica Rhodes	Last Updated: February 28, 2008
Medical Review:	Sarah Marshall, MD - Family Medicine Kirtly Jones, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology
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