Hospital Stay After Cesarean Section

After your cesarean, we will take you to a Recovery Room. You will stay there for 1-2 hours and we will keep a close watch on your health. Then we will move you to your hospital room. If there are no complications with your baby, he will move with you to the Mother and Baby Unit (MBU). It is important to have your partner or a close family member stay with you in the hospital as you recover.

Here is what you can expect during the rest of your hospital stay:

  • You should be up and walking as soon as you can after surgery. Not walking can lead to other health problems. It is important that a nurse is with you the first time you get out of bed.

  • You will have a Foley catheter that drains your bladder after surgery. Your nurse will remove this after you are able to walk to and from the bathroom. Once your catheter is removed, we will still measure your urine for about 12 hours.

  • You must use your Incentive Spirometer every hour while you are awake. Your nurse in the Recovery Room will show you how. This will help prevent pneumonia and keep your lungs clear.   

  • You will have special Velcro sleeves on your lower legs that tighten and release. These help blood flow back to your heart and prevent blood clots. You should wear them anytime you are not standing. 

Hourly nurse visits

  • We will check on you at least every 2 hours. We call these "rounds." This is for your safety. Here are some of the things we do:

    • We check your pain level, answer your questions, help you to the bathroom, as needed. 

    • We make sure your call light is within reach, your bed is in the low position, and the appropriate side rails are up. 

    • We check on you often, but you should call us if you need something between rounds. 

  • We will also take your vital signs every 4 hours.

  • We will check your dressing and vaginal bleeding often. 

  • We will press on the top of your uterus to be sure it stays firm. 

  • Please tell your nurse if: 

    • You feel gushes of bleeding or clots.

    • Your bleeding soaks more than 1 pad in an hour.

    • You should not have any blood clots larger than a half dollar. 

Nutrition

  • You will be given fluids through your IV for up to 24 hours. This will hydrate you until you are able to eat and drink in the normal way. 

  • After surgery, you will begin by eating ice chips, sips of water, and clear liquids. 

  • You will start on regular food when you can handle clear liquids and your bowel sounds return. 

Pain

  • We will help you manage your pain. There are several ways we will help you do this:

    • We often give a medicine called Duramorph through your epidural before it is removed.

    • You may have a Patient Controlled Analgesia device (PCA) if you cannot have Duramorph.

    • To help control pain, you will take over the counter medicine, such as Ibuprofen and acetaminophen. If these medicines don’t help, you may need a narcotic

  • We will work with you and your doctor to manage your pain. We may also use other forms of therapy to help your pain. These include repositioning, belly support when coughing, warm showers, and walking to relieve soreness. 

  • While we will do all we can to manage your pain, you may still feel some pain. You should expect some discomfort after surgery.

Dressing care

  • Your dressing will stay on for 24 hours.  

  • You may remove it when you take your first shower. 

  • Do not remove the steri-strips. These are the white strips that are placed on your incision. They help hold the skin closed as it heals. They will fall off over time during the next few weeks.

  • Pat the incision dry after your shower. Then leave the incision open to air. 

  • You will not need to replace the dressing.  

  • Do not wear bikini underwear or pants that would rub your incision line.

Home care

Before you leave the hospital, we will teach you how to care for yourself at home. This will include:

  • How you should limit your activity after surgery.

  • What to watch for at home.