C-Section Recovery: A Timeline
Because a C-section is abdominal surgery, recovery time will take longer than recovering from a vaginal birth.
Here is the average C-Section recovery time that starts from delivery and takes you through the first few days of recovery.
Delivery
The typical C-section procedure requires that the lower half of your body be numbed using a spinal tap or epidural and the baby is delivered from the womb through an incision in the lower abdomen.
There isn’t much for you to do except lay comfortably. Usually your anesthesiologist will be sitting beside you and s(he) will fill you in on how things are going with the delivery.
If this is your first C-Section delivery, the procedure will take about 15 minutes, however if you’ve had previous C-Sections each subsequent C-Section delivery will take a little longer, especially if you have a large amount of scar tissue or adhesions from previous surgeries.
Once baby is delivered the nurse will wrap the baby and bring her over to you so that you can make eye contact. Some hospitals will allow you to begin breastfeeding at this time, however there are many hospitals that will not.
After a few minutes of visiting, the baby will be taken to be cleaned up. During this time your doctor will deliver the afterbirth and close the incision.
You may get staples or stitches, it depends on what your doctor prefers and the incision will be about 6-8 inches long.
After your doctor closes your incision you will go to recovery. Depending on your preference or hospital rules, you may be able to hold baby while you are in recovery, if not you may have to wait until you are brought to your room. This can take anywhere from one to two hours.
A few hours after delivery
A few hours after deliver you will be able to go from recovery to your room where you will be able to breast feed your baby.
After delivery, your anesthesiologist will leave the epidural in for a period of time to allow for more medication to be prescribed, or you may be given medication into your IV to help with easing your pain.
Don’t worry about the anesthesia affecting the quality of your breast milk, you should be able to breast feed right after delivery. Your baby may be a little sleepy from the anesthesia, however this is normal and will not affect your baby in any negative way.
You will have to adjust the position of your body for breast feeding to avoid upsetting your sutures, however don’t be afraid to ask your nurse to assist you with this.
There will be some discomfort a few hours after the birth, just like with any surgery. This discomfort may make movement and getting out of bed a little more difficult than it might be for vaginal births. The best thing to do within the first few hours of surgery is to lay back and relax, there’s no need to jump right up. Try to focus on breastfeeding and bonding with your new baby.
You can expect to be in the hospital about 2-3 days. Your doctor will continue to prescribe systemic or oral pain medication to keep you comfortable. Nurses will be available to assist you with the baby and breastfeeding techniques.
If you have small children at home this will give you a little extra time to recover and bond.
If you become nauseous or your skin feels itchy right after delivery, speak up! Let your nurse or doctor know that you are experiencing discomfort and they can help you feel more comfortable.
These are normal post-partum symptoms, but while you are in the care of the hospital staff make sure to speak up if you have any discomfort.
Day one
You will be expected to get up out of bed and start walking within about 12-24 hours. The first time up is the hardest but I promise it gets easier 
Your catheter may also come out today as well. You will be feeling a little sluggish the first day so this is a good time to focus on breastfeeding.
Day two
You are probably going to feel a little tired and sore today, as you recover, however remember to continue your walking. Remaining mildly active will speed your recovery and make it easier to adjust after you leave the hospital.
Try to take at least one walk consisting of a couple of laps around the nurses’ desk Avoid the temptation to stay in bed as exercise, even moderate, will help speed up your c-section recovery time. You might experience some gas pain or bloating which is totally normal, surgery often makes the intestine lethargic causing gas to build up. Moving around will sometimes help to wake the intestine back up and relieve this gas pain.
Continue to do your respiratory and abdominal exercises, urinate frequently to relieve any extra pressure on the abdomen and uterus, and enjoy the forming bond between you and your baby.
Day three
Today you will probably be going home. It depends however on your progress. Sometimes the physician will decide that you need an additional recovery day, in this case make sure you continue to focus on your recuperation. If you do remain in the hospital keep up your walking. You will also probably get your stitches or staples out today as well. Most stitches come out the day you leave, so if you stay a day or two longer then your stitches will remain in until that time.
Going home
Before going home your doctor will prescribe pain medications and possibly a stool softener if constipated ( avoid constipation by drinking plenty of fluids), and give you some final instructions.
Take it easy at home and expect to be somewhat dependent for the next few days. Don’t lift anything heavier than your baby, and pay special attention to your incision area as a c-section incision infection because this could delay your recovery.
If you have discomfort getting out of bed or moving around try using a C-Section Abdominal binder, it can make a tremendous difference in your comfort level as it supports your tummy and minimizes pain. They can help you do more without injury and discomfort.
Use this time to bond with your new baby and any older children you have. Enjoy the excuse you will have to relax with your family and really focus on an adequate recovery so you can enjoy more time being a mommy and less time recovering from delivery.
In the coming weeks
Within in about 6-8 weeks of your surgery you will have your first checkup. If everything has gone well you should get the OK to resume normal activities such as exercise, going back to work, sexual relations, etc.
Note that because some nerves were cut during the c-section procedure you may notice some pulling and numbness and even a little burning around your incision. These things are all normal and part of the healing process.
If you will be starting any type of exercise within these coming weeks be extremely careful. Post C-Section Exercise is important however some exercises can cause injury, not all exercise is appropriate for post c-section moms.
Any vaginal discharge should lessen over the coming weeks and have completely disappeared by about the 6th to 8th week.
Also pay attention to your hormone levels, a little bit of the post-partum depression or baby blues is normal but be leery of full blown post-partum depression. Don’t be afraid to get help should you experience more than normal bouts of depression and hopelessness.
For more on the C-Section procedure, risks and recovery, The Worry Free C-Section is an excellent resource for advice, personal tips and information related to having a C-Section.
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I just had my first C-section 10 days ago after having 3 great vaginal births, two of those WITHOUT any pain meds. I would much rather have gone “natural” but it was determined that she wasn’t thriving and so it was in her best interest to be born early and by Cesarean since we weren’t sure how her heart was going to take an induced labor.
Your recovery timeline seems, so far, to be spot on, although the possibility of severe pain is skimmed over. Within hours afer birth I needed a strong med to help me cope with the pain, and as I mentioned, I gave birth naturally without anything to dull the pain so I consider my tolerance to be quite high.
The sensations I experienced the first time I got up were very intense and painful, but thankfully passed by the 3rd day. By the 5th day, I found that I didn’t even need acetominophen, as I only had minimal discomfort.
Hi Beth, Doctors are generally modest with that first dose of pain medication immediately after surgery. I didn’t know that with my first c-section but I knew it with my second, so as soon as I started feeling pain I asked for more relief. I figured if the doctor would allow me to have more pain med, I was going to take it
hi,had my c-section 8 weeks ago as a result of intra partum eclampsia,i still feel sore all around my abdomen and pain at one side of the operation site,what should i do
Pain in your abdomen area at 8 weeks is not uncommon. For some women it can take six months or more to feel completely healed. I’d wait a few more weeks to see if the pain doesn’t subside, if it does not check back with your doctor. If the pain is unbearable then I’d check with your doctor immediately.
Is it normal to experience sharp burning pain on the left size above the incision? I am 17 days post delivery.
Hi Tania, a sharp burning pain is not normal and could be a sign of internal infection. I’d check with your doctor about this. You can simply give the office a call and ask. They’ll be able to ask you a few questions to help determine if this is an infection or not, but please do call
My left side of my incision got infected cause it opened some and they put me on meds. but is it normal for it to burn or send sharp pains to my stomach? i am 1 month after delivery.
I am 7 weeks post csection and breastfeeding. When can I expect my period? And how can I tell the difference between the bloody discharge of post csection versus normal menstruation?
Hi Lisa, there’s no specific answer to this. It’s different for every woman.
The usual time period when breastfeeding is about 3 to 6 months. For me personally it was about 3 months but I’ve heard of women going as long as a year. It just depends on your body and your hormones.
To tell the difference, your post c-section discharge starts out bright red and tapers off to a pink then brownish color until it pretty much stops. Once bleeding starts up again, that is typically your period which would be several months after birth.
Elizabeth, thank you for your insight. Here’s my concern…I am only 7 weeks and seemingly have my period. Heavy flow and clotting. I am concerned because I often hear that breastfeeding moms don’t get their periods this soon. Does it make a difference that I am recovering from a csection? Should I be alarmed?
Lisa, You should call your doctor. Heavy flow and clotting at 7 weeks is not usual. You could have an infection or something internal going on. Don’t be alarmed but do call you doctor. That should be looked into. Let me know how it goes. Elizabeth
Hi. Thanks for the information.
I had my c-section 8 days ago and my experience was pretty much like you said. It has been way more difficult at home and thats with help. At the hospital however, I was surprised at how easy the whole thing was and how great I felt. Baby high I guess.
I developed Gestational Hypertension during pregnancy, and although my doctor never said Preclampsia, I had proteins and signs that would say I had it. So I dont move around much now, I have super swollen legs and my blood pressure is scarily high. So anyone have this?
Also, two days ago I developed a cough. Its worse after I get out of bed and sometimes is so heavy it stifles breathing. Everywhere I look I read the a cough is normal and that it usually goes away. I can also hear a sound in my breathing that I’m guessing is fluids? Anyone experience an angry cough? Any remedies?
I have my two week appointment next week and really dont want to have to go to the doctor before then. I was basically told Im still on bed rest until that appointment anyway. Not really sure if I should try to get in before or tough it up. Aside from the other problems I dont feel too terrible. The incision is there and it remids me, but the other stuff feels worse than it, oddly enough.
~p~
Hey Penelope, So sorry to hear things haven’t gone that well for you
High blood pressure is scary.
I’m not sure what is causing your cough, but I’d get in to see your doctor about that before your next appointment. Blood pressure meds could be causing that or it could be the fact that you aren’t moving around much. Since you don’t know, I’d get it checked out.
Taking deep breaths can help. It’s important to exercise your lungs as much as you can. Since you can’t move around your lungs can fill with fluid and you certainly don’t want to develop bronchitis or pneumonia. Try breathing in deeply about 3 or 4 times and do this as often throughout the day as you can but call your doctor and see what he says.
Hi Elizabeth i had my C-Section 10 weeks ago and breastfeeding. I still have a dark red discharge until now. Is it normal? When can i have my menstruation?. I am planning to work back on the ship after a year,is it safe already to carry heavy trays?
Hi Jacky, by dark red do you mean brown or is your discharge bright red? It should taper off from red to pink to kind of brown.
If you are breastfeeding it will be several months before you get your period again.
At this point it’s still not safe to carry anything heavier than your baby. You still have lots of internal healing that needs to happen and heavy lifting could delay your healing causing internal pulling or tearing. You don’t want to pull apart or separate any of your stitching, inside or out.
Hi. Just wanted to share that I wish I would have read this PRIOR to having a c-section last October. Because the hospital was extremely busy with a crazy high number of babies being born, I was virtually forgotten about in my room. The nurses forgot to give me pain killers and never told me to try walking. I didn’t know how to get out of bed and eventually just figured it out myself. The pain was absolutely excruciating. When I went home, it was WAY worse. The pain was at times, so bad that I couldn’t walk. I would get stuck and would just yell out in pain. My husband told me to hold a pillow against my stomach when I needed to move and this DID help. I had pain for several months afterward. My incision is still numb. I am 4 months pregnant and praying that I can deliver vaginally. I never want to experience pain like that again. For me, pain killers did nothing so I just stopped taking them. I have several friends that did not experience severe pain. I’m not sure why I did.
Hi Katie, The most difficult part of a c-section can be the pain. You have to stay above the curve, if you get behind it’s hard to manage it and if you were in a hospital that was neglecting you and you got off to a bad start it can be difficult from then on.
Definitely discuss with your doctor about having a VBAC, if s(he) has reservations, make sure you discuss it. Best of luck to you and your new baby
Hello Elizabeth, It will be 3 months next week since my c-section I have had a good recovery so far two weeks ago i had my period my second one since my operation. But last week after having sex with my husband the next two days I started to bleed and then stopped. It had not happened before so I worried but it went away. But 3 days ago the same thing happened and I’m still bleeding I don”t have any pain but why am i bleeding so much? What if I have an internal infection and not know it because I’m not in pain?
Hi Lilah, Internal bleeding doesn’t necessarily mean infection, it could be from something else. Bleeding on an off could be a sign of something that’s going on internally. My advice is to check with your doctor.
Hi Liz,
I had a c section done about 15 weeks ago and the abdominal area is still painful when I press or should I try to scratch my skin. Somedays it seems to be more tender, some days less sensitive.
Is this normal? Can I even start jogging? Do I need to see a doctor?
Hi, i had a c-section a year and one month ago now im still felling pain and numbness above the scar and i also seem to have a large hard mass on the right side of my stomach, im not sure if its scar tissue or something else. do you have any idea what this could be?
Hi Kerry, pain and numbness around your scar is often normal and should subside within a few months, in fact this can sometimes take a year. The hard mass is often blood and tissue formation that should also disappear after time. If it does not and it becomes a concern do ask your doctor about it.
Hi Denise, yes this can be normal even after 15 weeks, remember you have internal uterine sutures as well as external sutures so this all takes time to heal and some women just heal a bit slower than others.
I wouldn’t begin jogging just yet if it’s still sensitive. Keep to brisk walking. If it doesn’t show signs of improvement I would check with your doctor.
Thks Elizabeth.
Would this mean though that it will b too early to try for a second one if it’s still painful?
Will subsequent pregnancies have to be delivered by cesarean too?
Hi Denise. If you’re referring to trying for a second child, it may be too early if you are still having discomfort or pain. You really need to let your body heal, if you break open your incision, either internally or externally you could open yourself up to infection.
Subsequent pregnancies don’t need to be by C-section, in fact I’d recommend trying for a VBAC (vaginal birth after C-Section). However your doctor will most likely recommend another C-Section because doctors want to avoid uterine rupture at all costs, but uterine rupture carries with it only about a 1% risk, so 99% of VBAC’s are successful. This will definitely something you’ll want to discuss with your doctor.
I hope that answers your questions. My book, Worry Free C-Section covers all this information as well as VBAC information. Of course if you have any other questions you can certainly let me know
Hi, I am 2months pregnant and I am considering a C-section. I have talked to about 10 family and friends, and my cousin was the only one that told me not to consider it. But everyone else says it is very is, no pushing involved. Which is nice because I have 2 slipped disc’s pushing on my Si attic nerve (however it is spelled). Do you think this would be the best option for me?
Hi Christine, I would not suggest a C-Section for non-medical reasons, however slipped disc may be a reason to have a C-Section, I think your doctor would be someone to coach you on that.
Having a C-Section is major abdominal surgery and there are C-Section risks and complications which you should consider carefully.
You’re right, there is no pushing and there is no pain during a C-Section birth but recovery is longer and there is pain in recovery.
Also one thing to consider when having surgery are adhesions. Any time you have abdominal surgery or any major surgery for that matter, adhesions occur. Adhesions can present problems if you’re considering more children. Not every woman has complications with adhesions but they can be a side effect of surgery that makes future births or future C-Sections difficult. Here’s more on that topic:
http://worry-free-c-section.com/blog/230/c-section-adhesions-scar-tissue/
My advice to you is consider it very carefully. Unless your doctor feels a C-Section is necessary due to a slipped disc and sciatic problems, I wouldn’t encourage a C-Section.
Hi, I had a section a month ago and I have just now experienced this symptom where on my right side of my incision it is pink around it and only sometimes if I touch a certain spot on it or wear my regular jeans it will feel like someone is stabbing me with a needle… Could it be that when I go places I carry my 20lb 18 month old along with my newborn in his carseat at the same time? It isn’t painful all the time but when the pain does come it is unbearable.
Hi Elizabeth,
I just had my 3rd c-section 2 weeks ago. How long does it take to not have to worry about blood clots and infections? When are you basically considered out of the “woods” Are there symptoms when somethings wrong? Thank you so much, this site has brought me comfort.
Hey Shannon, I’m so glad the site has helped you.
You’re approaching the time when you’ll be out of the woods. I would say at about 4 weeks if you’re not experiencing any problems, you’re probably going to be fine. If something is wrong you’ll probably have some unusual abdominal pain, very heavy bleeding and probably a fever.
Let me stress though that if you do suspect any problems don’t hesitate calling your doctor. Your doctor can generally diagnose the severity of the problem on the phone. It may just be nothing but always be on the safe side and find out.
Take care, Elizabeth
hi,had my c-section 8 weeks ago as a result of intra partum eclampsia,i still feel sore all around my abdomen and pain at one side of the operation site,what should i do..
Hi Mak, it’s not uncommon to still feel sore even after 8 weeks. You have internal as well as external incisions and it just may be taking longer for the internal incisions to heal. Just make sure you are not running a fever or bleeding excessively. If you do you must call your doctor. If the pain you are having now does not subside or gets worse call you doctor and ask about it. You may have something going on that needs to be checked out.
Thank you Elizabeth for a great article.. After an emergancy c-section 8 weeks ago, I found there wasnt much info on the recovery of a c-section. I’m 8 weeks still quite puffy, dark and sensitive to touch above the scar. Will the swelling go down?? BTW, I had an infection aswell. Thanks again. Nikki
Hey Nikki, I’m so glad you found the article helpful. Sorry to hear you had an infection. They really can be quite common. I try to get women to take every precaution they can but sometimes those infections can be unavoidable. Hope you’re feeling well very soon and thanks so much for your great feedback. Elizabeth