And recovery time is much longer with a C-section than with a vaginal delivery. “Typically women stay in the hospital three to four days after C-section delivery as compared to one to two days after a vaginal delivery,” Strong says. “The rest of the recovery mimics this elongated pattern as well. ” After a vaginal delivery, if it’s successful and there are no complications, most women feel back to their old selves within one to two weeks.
Having a C-section with one child doesn’t mean you have to have one with every subsequent child. “There used to be a saying: ‘Once a C-section, always a C-section,'” Moritz says. “But that is very old school. ” Now, doctors and the CDC typically encourage what is called VBAC, vaginal birth after caesarean, depending on what the circumstances were in the first pregnancy.
Even though they’re common, C-sections are major surgeries that come with risks. “A C-section is a major abdominal operation, no doubts about it,” Moritz says. “Just because we’re able to do it with such speed and safety does not mean that it’s the equivalent of getting your nails done. ” Risks include blood loss, infection, and injury to surrounding organs.
But parts of the recovery process are similar to vaginal childbirth. “In general, ob-gyn doctors advise no heavy lifting or driving for the first two weeks [after a C-section], no exercise other than light walking for about four weeks, and no sex for six weeks,” Strong says. (Recommendations for vaginal birth are a little less stringent, but very similar).
In a situation called “placenta previa” the placenta is essentially blocking the baby’s exit route, making a C-section necessary. “It’s impossible to have a baby that way, and both the mother and baby could hemorrhage. ” Another reason your ob-gyn may want to schedule a C-section is if the baby is suspected to be heavier than normal—certain maternal medical conditions, like diabetes, can make this more likely. 2.
Moritz notes that it’s important women understand having a C-section doesn’t make them less of a mother than someone who gave birth vaginally.
For the baby, “there is a small risk of sustaining a laceration or cut at time of delivery and a slight increased risk for needing respiratory support after delivery,” says Noel Strong, M. D. , assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive science at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. 3.
This can lead to a condition called placenta accreta, where the placenta grows too deeply into the uterine wall where the scar tissue was from the previous C-section. “It can be potentially life-threatening,” Moritz says.
This could be because some doctors will rush to a C-section at the first sign of complication, and occasionally, because some women are asking for them so they can choose their delivery date or avoid natural childbirth to keep their vaginas in tact.
One-third of U.S. pregnancies end with a C-section. Here's what to expect if yours does too. https://t.co/TLhCEb7GlY— Glamour (@glamourmag) June 8, 2019