C-Section Recovery Tips

After having a Cesarean birth, moms are typically given little information on the recovery process.

As an unexpected C-section mama myself, this topic is something I’m very passionate about. On the day I left the hospital I was given a pamphlet that simply told me to rest, not move a whole lot, and avoid heavy lifting.

Thankfully I had my exercise and pre/postnatal education to lean on but, this is not the case for most.

We deserve to be informed of ways to speed up the recovery process, start healing our core, and how to feel as good as possible in the fourth trimester.

Let’s dive into some tips for recovering from your Cesarean!

1. 360 Breathing

360 Breathing is a great way to start re-activating the deep core and pelvic floor. You can start this immediately post-birth (even while still in the hospital bed!).

How to 360 Breathe:

Place your hands on your rib cage, with fingers around front and thumbs around back
Take a big inhale through the nose, expanding your belly and rib cage in all directions (think about breathing into your fingers)
Exhale as you draw your navel back in (be careful not to SUCK IN).
Keep shoulders relaxed throughout

Try to incorporate a set of ten 360 breaths a couple different times throughout your day.

Here’s an instagram post with voice cues and video to help you!

2. Light Walking

Not too much explanation needed here. Light walking is great for your physical and mental recovery while being gentle enough, as long as you stay on a flat, stable surface (hint: no hill climbing or slippery paths to start).

Try to incorporate light walking into your day, even if it’s 5 minutes of walking around your home or taking your baby on a walk. Start small and work up to longer segments.

3. Gentle Core Recovery Exercises

This is the next step to advance your 360 breathing and can be started as soon as possible after birth.

It comes as no surprise that after pregnancy and birth, your core and pelvic floor have been stretched and are now much weaker than pre-baby. Healing and re-strengthening these areas is important for all mamas that want a faster recovery, to feel stronger in their body, and get back to things they love without injury.

Here’s a post I created with some core recovery exercises.

In Core Revival, I guide you through a 6 week protocol with short 10-15 minute core workouts each week. Get the program here.

4. Protect Your Core When Sitting Up

When getting out of bed, off the couch, or anytime you’re lying down you want to avoid crunching your core to sit up. This position puts a lot of pressure on your intra-abdominal wall, which is not ideal for your postpartum core.

Here’s what to do instead: from your back, place your knees together, roll to your side, and use your arms to push your upper body up.

For a visual, check out this post I made in my third trimester that still applies during this early postpartum period.

5. Scar Massage (once fully healed)

Once your incision is fully healed, you can get started on some scar massage. During surgery your muscle fascia was disrupted, meaning it now looks like a spider web. Scar massage works to return the fascia to a smooth texture.

It’s important to do scar massage daily in the beginning to mobilize the tissue. After a couple months of daily scar massage, you can cut back to 1x/week for maintenance.

I have a detailed module on Scar Massage techniques in my core recovery program, Core Revival.

Here is a youtube video from a PhysioTherapist for quick reference.

Final Thoughts

Alright mama, I wish you all the best on your cesarean recovery journey!

For support on your journey back to strength and confidence in your movement, I encourage you to check out Core Revival for gentle core recovery and explore options of us working together 1:1.

Click on the image below to get my free guide on recovering your core after baby!

I’m Nicole, Pre/Postnatal Fitness Coach and founder of Strong Mama Wellness! I take the confusion out of prenatal fitness and help women prepare and strengthen their body for pregnancy, delivery, and recovery. You deserve to have a thriving, healthy pregnancy and postpartum journey!

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