C-Section Recovery, Health & Preparation

A cesarean section is a surgical procedure for removing your baby from your womb. It is an alternative to vaginal delivery when the health of the mother and/or baby warrants a different approach. Like any other surgical procedure, there can be a risk of c-section infections.

Whenever bacteria have a way to enter the body, there is a risk of getting an infection. When you cut your finger outside or scrape your knee, you wash the wound out immediately so that none of those bugs can cause problems. It’s the same with your c-section incision. Keeping bacteria out of the wound is the primary concern so that no other problems can result.

External infections

The most noticeable infections are those that you can see. With a c-section, the site of your incision is vulnerable to bacterial infections. In the hospital, the nurses will show you how to properly care for your incision site. It is important to pay attention to how it looks and feels so changes are easily noticed.

With an infection at the surgical site, you may notice swelling, redness or fluid coming from the incision. The fluid could be blood if you have reopened your incision in some way. Fluid that looks more like pus signals that there could be an infection in progress.

The area could be warm and/or tender to the touch. If you have staples in your skin, the area will be tender but that will go away as it heals. This tenderness is a result of the infection process. You might also complain of abdominal pain.

If your c-section incision is red and irriatated there are things that you can do to help reduce the infection, however when in doubt you should always contact your doctor immediately. He can tell you what is likely going on and have you come in to be seen.

Internal infections

Some infections can occur inside your body after a c-section. Remember that it was not only your skin that was incised during the procedure but also your uterus. Those stitches have to heal in order for your uterus to return to normal. You won’t see the same signs such as redness if an infection occurs in your uterus but you might still have the abdominal pain. As the body’s white cells rush to fight the infection, you’ll develop a fever and chills as a result. If your fever is over 100 degrees and there are no signs of problems at the incision site, something is going on inside your body.

An infection in the bladder can occur as a result of catheterization. You’ll know something is up if you have painful urination or blood in the urine. Foul-smelling vaginal discharge also indicates that an infection is lurking somewhere such as the uterus.

C-sections carry with them the same risks and complications as any surgical procedure. You can acquire an infection from incision sites both internal and external.  The above information will give some things to look for in identifying c-section infections, however also use your instincts, if you sense or recognize that something is not right, contact your doctor immediately.  The quicker an infection can be treated the faster you’ll heal. Prolonged infections can lead to more dangerous complications and delay your c-section recovery.