Patient education: Cesarean birth – Discharge instructions (The Basics)

What are discharge instructions? — Discharge instructions are information about how to take care of yourself after getting medical care.

What is cesarean birth? — Cesarean birth means having surgery to give birth to your baby (figure 1). The doctor makes an incision (cut) in your belly and removes the baby from your uterus. This surgery is sometimes called a "c-section."

Most people go home from the hospital about 3 days after a cesarean birth. But it can take 6 to 8 weeks to heal completely.

How do I care for myself at home? — Ask the doctor or nurse what you should do when you go home. Make sure that you understand exactly what you need to do to care for yourself. Ask questions if there is anything you do not understand.

You should also:

●Expect to have some light bleeding and yellowish fluid coming from your vagina. This can last for a few weeks. You can wear a pad or panty liner, but do not use tampons.

●Take all of your medicines as instructed:

•You can take non-prescription medicines to relieve pain, such as acetaminophen (sample brand name: Tylenol), ibuprofen (sample brand names: Advil, Motrin), or naproxen (sample brand name: Aleve).

•If your doctor prescribed opioid pain medicine, you might get constipated. Take a stool softener to prevent this problem.

●Take care of your incision – You might have stitches or skin staples.

•You can take showers. Pat your incision dry afterward. Do not put your incision underwater, such as in a bath, pool, or lake. This can slow healing and raise your chance of getting an infection.

•Always wash your hands before and after you touch your incision or bandage.

●Increase your activity slowly:

•Start with short walks around your home, and walk a little more each day.

•When you cough, sneeze, or laugh, press a pillow over your incision. This helps support the area and ease pain.

•Avoid heavy lifting for at 6 to 8 weeks. During this time, do not lift anything heavier than your baby. Your doctor or nurse will talk to you about how to increase physical activity gradually. This will depend on your healing as well as how active you were before pregnancy and giving birth.

•Avoid driving while you are taking strong medicines like opioids, or medicines that make you sleepy. Do not drive if it causes pain or discomfort.

•Avoid sex for 2 weeks. After that, you can have sex when you feel ready. Talk to your doctor or nurse if you have questions about birth control. It is possible to get pregnant again soon after giving birth.

●Drink plenty of water and other fluids to help with constipation. Eat foods that have a lot of fiber, like fruits and vegetables.

●Wear the abdominal binder as instructed, if your doctor gave you one. This is a stretchy band that you wear around your belly. It helps support your muscles as you heal.

●Get help from your partner, family members, or friends when possible. It is hard to recover from surgery while also caring for a newborn. Try to get rest when you can.

What follow-up care do I need? — Your doctor, nurse, or midwife will want to see you again a few weeks after you give birth. They will tell you when to schedule this visit. They will do a physical exam, check how you are healing, and make sure that you are able to care for yourself and your baby.

If you have stitches, they might absorb on their own. If you have staples, you will need to have them taken out. Your doctor will usually want to do this within 1 week after your cesarean birth.

When should I call the doctor? — Call your doctor or nurse for advice right away if:

●Your vaginal bleeding gets heavier.

●You have signs of infection, such as a fever higher than 100.4°F (38°C), chills, fast heartbeat, cold or clammy skin, or dizziness.

●Your pain gets worse.

●You have pain when urinating.

●Your incision gets more sore or red, or is bleeding or leaking fluid.

●You are having trouble breastfeeding or have breast symptoms that worry you.

●You have shortness of breath, chest pain, or leg pain or swelling.

●You feel depressed or are having trouble coping.

More on this topic

Patient education: Cesarean birth (The Basics)
Patient education: Using an abdominal binder (The Basics)
Patient education: Breastfeeding (The Basics)
Patient education: Depression during and after pregnancy (The Basics)

Patient education: C-section (cesarean delivery) (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Breastfeeding guide (Beyond the Basics)