Unlike women who have vaginal births, women who undergo C-sections often experience a more difficult recovery process. The sudden decrease in abdominal pressure leads to weakened abdominal muscles and slower bowel function. Therefore, maintaining a careful diet is extremely important. So, how long after a C-section can one resume a normal diet? Now, let’s explore the dietary guidelines mothers should follow after a C-section.
How long does it take for a C-section incision to heal?
Recovery time after a C-section varies depending on the mother’s health. Typically, after a C-section, mothers need to stay in the hospital for 3 to 4 days. During this time, after starting to walk again after a few days, the pain will lessen. And the incision will fully heal after about 6 weeks of proper rest.
How long does it take for a C-section to heal?
In addition to needing rest to recover, mothers also need to understand when they should start eating normally after a C-section. This is important because if not followed, mothers may face potential consequences in the future. At the same time, mothers are also concerned about dietary restrictions and choosing the right foods to facilitate breastfeeding and increase milk supply.
How long after a C-section can you eat normally?
Post-C-section incision pain can persist for the first month, and this is normal. Some mothers may experience severe pain, prolonging the recovery process compared to normal. Therefore, dietary restrictions and recovery time after a C-section are concerns for many mothers.
How long after a C-section can you eat normally?
Regarding the postpartum diet after a C-section, mothers should follow these guidelines to support the recovery process:
- Mothers should only drink water and not eat any food for 6 hours after delivery.
- Mothers should only start eating again when they can breathe comfortably.
- How long after a C-section can you eat? Usually, after the first 6-8 hours post-surgery, mothers can start eating light, easily digestible foods.
- Moreover, following the postpartum nutritional guidelines outlined below is also very important to facilitate the recovery process:
In summary, how long after a C-section can a mother eat normally? When the mother feels comfortable and can eat naturally, that is when she should start eating again. She should begin with light, easily digestible foods and follow the postpartum nutritional guidelines to optimize the recovery process.
Nutritional guidelines for mothers after a C-section
- Eating after 6 hours postpartum: After a C-section, bowel and stomach function are significantly affected, leading to reduced activity. Therefore, eating too much during this time can hinder digestion, cause constipation, and produce gas in the intestines, causing bloating and not benefiting recovery.
- From 6 hours onwards, when bowel function begins to recover, the mother can start eating normally. If hungry, she should eat light, easily digestible foods like soup or plain porridge to stimulate bowel activity and promote easy bowel movements.
- Gradually adjust portion sizes and food types: For 1-2 days postpartum, with weak digestive function, mothers should eat easily digestible foods and avoid greasy foods. After 3-4 days, soup can be added, but not in excess. After about 1 week, the mother can eat normally, enhancing her diet by adding fish, eggs, and meat.
- Limit strenuous activity and choose appropriate foods: During this period, mothers should avoid strenuous activity and lifting heavy objects, as the body is still weak. Supplementing nutrients from a variety of foods is important, but constipation should also be avoided. Leafy greens like winter melon, jute leaves, loofah, and spinach, which have a cooling effect, should be regularly included in the diet.
- Avoid gas-producing foods: With weakened digestive function after a C-section, mothers should avoid gas-producing foods such as sugar, soy milk, and starches to prevent unwanted bloating.
The above article has answered the question of how long after a C-section one can eat normally. The information shared above hopefully helps mothers better understand postpartum dietary restrictions after a C-section and when they can return to a normal diet. Hopefully, this article can provide mothers with a reasonable nutritional plan to help them recover quickly.
