Your physical recovery after giving birth
There are a number of ways you can support your physical recovery after a vaginal or caesarean birth.
See an overview of self-care activities to support your recovery.
Follow these tips to help you get as much rest as possible while still in hospital:
- Use the amount of pain relief that you need as directed by your doctor.
- Placing the ‘Do not disturb’ sign on your closed hospital door when resting.
- Take the room phone off the hook and turn your mobile phone to silent.
- Keep visitors to a minimum for the first 24 to 48 hours and ask they keep their visits short.
- Keep your baby’s cot close to your bed so you can easily attend to your baby.
- Ask your partner or family to look after your baby if you find it difficult to rest with your baby in the room.
- Nap during the day when your baby is sleeping.
- If it is comfortable, lay flat in bed when resting, or place a pillow between your legs when lying on your side.
Immediately after your vaginal or caesarean birth, your vaginal blood loss will be bright red in colour. The amount of blood loss should not fill a regular sized sanitary pad in less than 4 hours.
Over the next 5 days the amount of blood loss will:
- decrease in amount
- change from bright red to watery pink to a dark red/brown colour by day five (similar to a period).
Blood loss may increase slightly:
- when you get out of bed, due to gravity
- when hormones released during breastfeeding cause your uterus to tighten
- once you return home and are more active.
This blood loss should settle again within half an hour. You may also find you pass small clots (no bigger than a 50-cent piece) at these times.
To reduce the chance of infection, change sanitary pads at least every 4 hours and maintain regular personal hygiene.
Seek medical advice as soon as possible if:
- your blood loss significantly increases significantly
- the smell becomes offensive
- you are feeling unwell and are concerned.
If you had a caesarean birth
The expected blood loss for a caesarean section surgery is less than 3 cups (750 mL). To helps your uterus contract and reduce the risk of excessive blood loss:
your anaesthetist will give you a medication called oxytocin via your intravenous line (a soft, flexible tube placed inside a vein in your hand or arm) immediately after the birth
your doctor will ensure your placenta (which provided oxygen and nutrients to your baby), membranes and any clots are removed from your uterus.
Unless you are told otherwise by your midwife or doctor, after a vaginal or caesarean birth you may return to a normal food and drink intake by:
- eating well-balanced meals that include the 5 food groups
- drinking at least eight cups (2 L) of fluid each day.
Please speak with your midwife if you cannot eat – this can be due to nausea, vomiting and rarely, from complications following surgery.
To reduce the risk of infection, you received antibiotics during surgery and a sterile dressing was placed over your wound. Remember to:
- always wash your hands before and after touching your wound or dressing
- not let visitors touch your wound or dressing.
Once the dressing is removed:
- wash the wound gently with water when showering
- leave it to air dry or gently dry around it with a clean towel.
If your clothes are rubbing, place a fresh sanitary pad between the wound and your clothing. Wearing underwear and clothes with a higher waistband may help.
To help with wound healing:
- follow healthy eating and drinking advice
- follow self-care advice while your uterine scar, muscles and tissues heal
- return safely to exercise
- avoid extremes of hot and cold temperature
- keep the wound clean and dry
- shower daily and dress in fresh clothes
- change bed sheets regularly, especially if they are soiled
- cover your wound if it is oozing and tell your midwife or doctor immediately
- rest.
If your wound has stitches or staples
Before you go home your doctor will tell you how these will be removed. They are usually removed after 96 hours (4 days), either in the hospital or at your home by the visiting midwife. Removal is not required for dissolvable stitches.
Both pregnancy and a caesarean birth can increase your risk of developing blood clots in your lower leg veins. To reduce the risks of clots forming after giving birth, avoid smoking and exposure to cigarette smoke.
If you are at risk of blood clots, your doctor may prescribe daily injections of a blood-thinning medication (anticoagulants) for up to 6 weeks after giving birth. If this is necessary, we will show you how to inject yourself and give you a prescription before you leave hospital.
If you had a caesarean birth
Please wear the pressure (TED®) stockings provided throughout your hospital stay until you return home. Once feeling and movement return to your legs, move them and rotate your feet to keep blood moving around your body.
You can help your recovery while you are still in hospital by:
- getting out of bed the day of your baby’s birth
- walking to the shower and around your room
- increasing the length of your walks.
A full range of physiotherapy advice, including videos, is also available to support you both in hospital and after your return home. Learn more about:
- perineal care after a vaginal birth
- self-care after caesarean birth
- pelvic floor care
- back and pelvic care
- bladder and bowel health
- managing abdominal separation after pregnancy
- returning safely to exercise.
If you had a caesarean birth
To help reduce pain, start gentle, rhythmic movement and walking as soon as possible.
You may find you need to rest at regular intervals, so listen to your body and gradually increase your activity as you feel more comfortable.
Deep breathing can help you relax and reduce discomfort. To deep breathe correctly:
- Sit up in bed or a chair with your knees bent and place one hand on your tummy above your belly button.
- Breathe out gently, and then take a slow deep breath getting in as much air as possible.
- Relax and gently breathe out.
- Aim for five deep breaths every hour.
Huffing can help clear phlegm from your chest and places less stress on your tummy and pelvic floor muscles than coughing. To huff:
- Take a medium sized breath in and then force the air out through a rounded mouth as if you are fogging up a mirror. Tighten your pelvic floor muscles at the same time.
- If you need to cough or sneeze, hold your tummy.
Talk to your doctor or midwife if you experience any shortness of breath or chest pain.
To help your blood flowing throughout your body (circulation), you are encouraged to get out of bed in the afternoon after your operation – see step-by step instructions.
You should also move your feet up and down quickly at the ankles at least 10 times per hour, even if you are sitting out of bed.
Talk to your midwife if you experience any pain, redness or swelling in the back of your lower leg (calf muscle).
In the first few days after birth, fluid gained during pregnancy passes out of your body as urine (wee). Passing urine regularly helps keep your bladder from overstretching, which helps control wound pain and reduce bleeding from your uterus.
While this extra fluid is being removed, your hands and feet may be more swollen than usual. To help this swelling go away:
- drink 2 to 3 L of fluid each day
- walk
- go to the toilet regularly
- lie on your bed and raise your legs above the level of your heart.
Sometimes after pregnancy your bladder does not work as it normally would. Read more about these signs and symptoms and tips to develop good bladder health. You can also talk to your midwife, doctor or physiotherapist.
You should have a bowel movement on the second or third day after your baby’s birth. If it is difficult to start a bowel motion (constipation), talk to your midwife as soon as possible about a management plan.
Learn how to develop good bowel habits after birth, including positioning yourself correctly when toileting, a healthy diet and exercise.
If bowel problems continue after you return home, phone the Helpdesk on 6152 2222 and ask to speak with an obstetric physiotherapist.
If you had a caesarean birth
Having a catheter to empty your bladder of urine during your surgery can increase your risk of bladder infection. To decrease this risk, your catheter was removed as soon as possible after surgery.
The first 2 times you go to the toilet after the catheter is removed you will need to collect your urine in a container so it can be measured. Your bladder is generally back to normal when you:
- have a normal urge to urinate
- pass 150 to 600 mL of urine on more than two separate occasions, the first within 4 hours of your catheter being removed
- can empty your bladder completely.