The 15 Best Tips for Pain Control After C-Section at Home
C-Sections: A Testament to Resilience
Giving birth via Cesarean Section, or C-Section, is a major abdominal surgery that requires a significant amount of recovery time. After a C-section, it is normal to have pain and discomfort as your body heals. While at the hospital, your medical team will be closely monitoring your pain and treating it accordingly. While medication prescribed by your doctor can help manage the pain, there are many things you can do once home to give you more relief. I’m going to share 15 of the best things you can do for yourself at home to help pain control after C-section. I’m going to talk about C-Section pain relief at home for C-Sections in general, but know that there are 3 types of C-Sections, and that sometimes Emergent and Urgent C-Sections can have more difficult recoveries.
Scheduled C-Section
Urgent C-Section
Emergent C-Section
I was really unprepared for my first C-section, as it was an unplanned Urgent C-section, after laboring and then pushing for 5 hours. Second time around, I tried to have a vaginal delivery but ended up with an Emergency C-section. I learned a lot from both and will have a Scheduled C-section for my future babies. I’m sharing ALLLLLL of my tips and tricks, as a Labor and Delivery/OB nurse x10 years, as well as a C-section momma x2!
Pain Medications:
One of the most common ways to help pain control after C-section at home is to take medication. You may be told to take over-the-counter pain meds like ibuprofen (Motrin) or acetaminophen (Tylenol), and/or a narcotic, like oxycodone or Percocet. Both can help alleviate post-surgery pain. Even if you’re like me and hate taking pharmaceuticals (especially narcotics), for most women, narcotics are the only thing that are going to touch the pain initially from a major abdominal surgery. You will be hurting, especially if you labored/pushed/had failed vacuum/forceps beforehand, or any complications, like a hemorrhage, after. You very likely will have good pain control at the hospital, since your care team is managing it, but once you’re home, there is so much movement that you didn’t have to endure while in the hospital, the pain can quickly spiral out of control. It’s really difficult to get caught up on pain, once it hurts. To me, an unmedicated C-section incision feels like someone is stabbing me with a hot knife, and I wish it on no one.
Research actually shows that inadequate pain management post C-section has negative effects, such as:
- Increased need for opioids
- Slower recovery
- Increased risk of chronic pain
- Increased risk of postpartum depression
So even if you don’t love medications like me, I strongly suggest you just take them! Seriously, TAKE ALL THE MEDS!!! You’ll thank me later!
Make a chart of all the medications you have, and time out how often you need to take them. If this is overwhelming, have one of the nurses help you before you discharge. Make sure to take your last dose right before discharge, and then go pick them up from your pharmacy on your way home from the hospital. This prevents too big of a window between the last hospital dose and first home dose. Set an alarm around the clock for those first few days at home to make sure you stay on top of the pain.
2. Prevent Constipation:
You will be prescribed a stool softener (usually Colace) to take, because the pain medications, anesthesia/surgery, and poor quality hospital food all cause constipation. However, some other things that are important are walking, hydrating, and eating stewed fruits. For my last C-section, I made stewed fruits with the linked recipe ahead of time and ate them the first few days post-surgery. I had ZERO problems with constipation! I plan on eating this in place of my Colace for my next C-section. Stewed fruits are an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and iron— all vital nutrients needed to replenish the body after delivery, whether vaginal or cesarean birth!
3. Homeopathy:
I did not discover homeopathies until my second C-section delivery. We have had sooo much success using Arnica Montana for our teething babies, so I wanted to see if it would help with my incision pain so I could wean off pharmaceuticals faster.
Arnica montana has a long history of medicinal use, known for its potent anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties. It’s most widely known as a topical ointment and cream, but is also used in alternative medicine. Arnica montana can be a great option if you’re like me and trying to use a more holistic approach to recovery. I started taking it after about the first week or two in place of ibuprofen and found that it worked wonderful! I intend on learning more about homeopathies and will probably try to start taking it instead of ibuprofen for pain control after C-section sooner with my next C-baby.
NOTE: If you have a heart condition, high blood pressure (pre-eclampsia), or a blood clotting disorder, Arnica can be dangerous.
4. Essential Oils:
Essential oils can provide a wonderful complimentary aid to pain management during the postpartum period. According to studies on the Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils Lavender, Clary Sage, and Rose, all 3 have been shown to decrease uterine cramping pain with abdominal massage. When applying to the abdomen, dilute oils with a carrier oil and massage into the skin around the bandage/incision. They also act as a local anesthetic, so especially good if you labored and pushed and had any perineal trauma before the C-section. Lavender is especially good at providing complimentary pain relief and was shown to successfully and safely reduce pain at 30 min, 8 hours, and 16 hours post C-section, when diluted and applied around the incision area. Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade Lavender Essential Oil is one of the safest oils that can be used around a newborn and provides many benefits to them as well, so you can rest easy applying when your little is around!
5. Rest and Take It Easy:
You have an incision going through every layer of your abdomen. One of the most important steps in recovering from a C-section is to rest and take care of yourself. Adequate rest allows your body to recover faster and manage pain more effectively. Listen to your body's cues and avoid activities that strain your incision area or cause discomfort, such as sitting straight up, lifting anything heavier than your baby (including the car seat and toddlers!) It’s frustrating as a mom to let the house go and prioritize rest, but trust me, your recovery will go so much faster if you do this! It will also help prevent complications, such as uncontrolled pain, bursting stitches, the incision coming apart, etc. Regular, gentle movements are important for recovery, but avoid exhausting yourself and remember to prioritize rest!
6. Proper Incision Care:
Maintaining proper incision care is crucial for a speedy recovery. Clean the incision area with fragrance-free soap and water, and pat it dry with a clean towel. Avoid applying any lotions, powders, or ointments without consulting your healthcare provider. Keep an eye out for any signs of infection, such as redness, swelling, increased pain, or discharge, and report them immediately. To minimize the risk of splitting your incision or bursting stitches, avoid straining activities, such as sitting straight up from laying down position, lifting heavy objects, etc. I also recommend wearing compression leggings that are made to help women recover from pregnancy, labor, and delivery. These leggings offer 360° of complete core compression with built-in compression panels and extra-buttery soft 4-way stretch fabric that also wicks sweat. If you’re experiencing postpartum cramping, pain in your abdomen/low back/pelvis/legs, or want to support diastasis recti, hernia, and symphysis pubis dysfunction these will definitely become your new best friend!
7. Ice, Ice Baby:
Ice is a C-section momma’s best friend. Seriously! Even more than dark chocolate. Ice can offer significant pain control after C-section in the hospital and at home. In the early stages of recovery, cold therapy can help reduce inflammation and numb the area surrounding the incision. You can use ice packs wrapped in a thin, clean, towel or a bag of frozen veggies to gently apply cold therapy for around 10-15 minutes at a time every 2-3 hours for the first 5 weeks. Be sure to have a barrier between the ice pack and your skin to prevent ice burn. Here is my favorite c-section ice pack. And I recommend 2 so that you can always have a cold one ready while using the other!
8. Tummy Support:
Though it may seem counterintuitive to put something on your incision, investing in a postpartum support belt or binder can provide a ton oh pain control after C-section at home. These belts offer gentle compression and support to the abdominal muscles and incision area, helping alleviate discomfort and promoting faster healing. It also served as a physical reminder to not overdo it, which is easy to do when you have medications on board and are not feeling discomfort because of them. I really like this one and this one.
9. Optimize Sleeping Positions:
Finding a comfortable sleeping position can be challenging after a C-section. Experiment with different positions to find the one that works best for you. Place a wedge pillow or stack of pillows under your upper back and a round pillow or rolled up blanket under your knees to mimic the hospital bed and to take the pressure off of your core. This will reduce straining - AKA PAIN - and make it more comfortable to sleep. Here is a pillow set that includes both.
TIP: Before you discharge from the hospital, practice putting the hospital flat and using the “log-roll method” to get in and out of bed:
- Before you move your feet off the bed, roll onto your side with your knees bent
- Move your feet off the bed, using your arms to push your body up to a sitting position
- Try to keep your abdomen relaxed
- Sit on the side of the bed before you stand up
If you have a two-story house, you may want to consider sleeping on the mail-level couch for a while. The less stairs you do right away, the quicker and easier your recovery will go. In our house, ours and our kids’ bedrooms are all upstairs. So after my C-section, my husband and I slept on our L-shaped couch for a few weeks, and had the baby in the Moses basket next to us, while leaving my daughter in her bed upstairs. My husband would just put her to bed and get her up, and would get us clothes. Compared to my first C-section, where we lived on the second story of a duplex, I could tell that this played a huge roll in making my recovery much less painful.
10. Gentle Movement:
No amount of movement feels “good” per se, after a major abdominal surgery. However, gentle movement and light activity, such as short walks or stretches improves blood circulation and speeds up the healing process. A 2022 study confirmed that C-section moms who walked more after their surgery had fewer complications. Movement is also extremely important to wake your bowels up again after anesthesia and counteract the effects of the narcotic pain medication, both of which can cause constipation. Walking is also the best remedy for gas pain post-surgery, because it helps work out the gas (see #13). Walking also helps prevent constipation and blood clots.
Lastly, get a referral from your OB to see a pelvic floor therapist! Is really important for both vaginal and cesarean birth mommas. A pelvic floor therapist will be able to create an individual recovery plan for you and assess your healing. They will help you master diaphragm breathing; teach you how to desensitize and mobilize your scar, which reduces scar tissue and adhesions; address incontinence, prolapse, pain with sex, pelvic floor dysfunction, and diastasis recti. I can’t emphasize enough how important their services are for postpartum (and pregnant!) moms! It made an absolute WORLD of difference in my pregnancies and C-section recoveries.
11. Postpartum Diet + HYDRATION
DRINK TONS OF FLUIDS!
Research shows that early hydration not only speeds up recovery but helps reduce the risk of constipation from the pain meds and anesthesia. Even if you are swollen and puffy post-surgery, drinking fluids will not make that worse. Staying hydrated has an extra bonus of helping flush toxins and help your milk supply, if you are breastfeeding or pumping. Warm fluids like bone broth, Turmeric Lactation Chai tea, and electrolyte room temperature fluids like coconut water encourage healing, soothe the nervous system, provide comfort and grounding, support a healthy digestion, and assist in nutrient absorption. Just try to avoid ice water and beverages!
Also, most hospitals do not serve nutritious foods, so making nutrient dense foods ahead of time and bringing food to the hospital with you will greatly enhance tissue healing, reduce inflammation, minimize risk of infection, calm the nervous system, support immune system, rebuild blood supply, and reduce stress. To access the amazing FREE Post-Birth Recovery Meal Plan that I used after my last C-section, click here!
**NOTE: If you have pre-eclampsia or heart conditions, please consult your doctor regarding your fluid consumption.
12. Encourage Independence in Your Toddlers
When I had my second child, my first was 23 months. Since she was my first, we were both used to me being a part of everything she did, and I held her, snuggled her, and played with her all day long. After my emergency C-section with my second, I made a point to really build her up as “Mommy’s #1 Helper” and “My Big Girl.” Instead of lifting her up every time to wash her hands, get her toys, get her in her carseat, I moved her things around so she could reach them on her own and put stools everywhere, like by the van so she could crawl up into her carseat by herself. I started having her get things for me and throwing away the baby’s diapers to help me not move so much, and showered her with praise when she did it. It really made her feel so proud to be exercising her independence and to know that she was helping “Momma’s Boo Boo” heal. It also made me not feel so bad when I couldn’t hold her and lift her all the time.
13. Get the Gas Out!
After any many abdominal surgeries, especially abdominal and laparoscopies, a main culprit of pain and discomfort afterwards is gas pain. Gas gets trapped in the abdominal cavity and has nowhere to go, so it just stays there, trying to find a way out. Oftentimes, people will start to feel pain radiate into their pectoral and shoulder area, and it can be scary, like heart-attack symptom pain. It feels confusing because it doesn’t seem related to the stomach surgery that just happened, but 99.9% of the time it is. And I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the little “gas pain” pill (usually Simethicone) they offer does not work.
Unfortunately, there are only a few things to help with this pain:
1) WALK IT OUT. Like literally as much as you can tolerate without straining the incision, and sway your hips back and forth, shifting your weight between your feet. As soon as you can get out of bed (around 12 hours after an uncomplicated C-section). It hurts A LOT but trust me, you will be in much more pain if you don’t actively work it out.
2) AVOID the following:
- Raw foods like salads and veggie sticks
- Straws
- Carbonated drinks
- Dry foods like popcorn and chips
3) EAT warm soups and stews and drink Cumin, Coriander, and Fennel (CCF) tea
14. Deep Breathing
It’s very important to practice deep, diaphragm breathing exercises after surgery. Deep breathing helps reactivate all parts of your lungs, which keeps them clear of fluid, and therefore, lowers your risk of getting pneumonia. It also detoxifies the body by stimulating the lymphatic system, triggers your parasympathetic nervous system which calms and releases endorphins, lowers your blood pressure and heart rate, and improves sleep. It is one of the best things you can do at home for pain control after C-section, and it’s so easy!
You should have been given an incentive spirometer at the hospital to start this process, but if you weren’t don’t fret, just keep reading.
You want to practice your incentive spirometer or deep belly breathing 1 time every hour while you’re awake for the first 2 to 3 days after your surgery. But once you’re home, keep it up to reap all the benefits!
You should also incorporate your pelvic floor into your breathes to begin your postpartum recovery. Here’s how you do that!
1. Start on your back with knees bent, feet hip-width apart, and body at rest. Place one hand on your chest, and the other at the top of your abdomen, just under your rib cage.
Tip: let the fingers of the abdominal hand open a bit so that you can feel your bottom ribs and your abdomen at the same time.
2. Inhale, allowing air to fill your belly and low back, then travel all the way into your pelvic floor. Can you feel your pelvic floor expanding away from your body?
Tip: The hand on your chest should remain still, while the other is lifted by your expanding belly. (You may even feel the bottom of your ribs expanding away from each other, and up towards the ceiling along with your abdomen.)3. Exhale, letting everything settle back into resting position. Can you feel your pelvic floor moving closer to your body?
Continue to breathe in and out in this way.
** IF YOU START TO GET LIGHT HEADED, STOP. IT SHOULD PASS QUICKLY.
Depending on what's happening with your pelvic floor, you may or may not be able to feel any movement at first. Be patient and continue to practice and tune into your body. Before long, your connection to your pelvic floor will get stronger. A pelvic floor therapist will help you master this if you are able to see one!
15. Postpone Visitors
It’s really easy to over-do it once you get home from the hospital. However, especially after a C-section, it’s extremely important to take it slow. You may have a lot of people vying to meet your new little one, but that can easily turn into a fresh post-surgery mother entertaining and hosting guests. I’m giving you permission to say “no” and encouraging you to set some boundaries with your visitors. As well-intended as family and friends can be, it can still be taxing on your recovering body. If you do have visitors come, don’t let them come empty handed, and make sure they know up-front that you won’t be able to host them as you normally would. Here is a great article with ideas on how to do this! You can also send your family and friends this article if you want to give them ideas on how to help you :)
Conclusion
Recovering from a C-section requires time, patience, and proper self-care. As you can see, there are many things you can do to help your body heal properly. Reduce complications during your recovery by following these tips and most of all, BE GENTLE WITH YOURSELF! It is totally possible to navigate your journey of pain control after C-section more comfortably, allowing you to fully enjoy your precious time with your new bundle of joy!
Disclaimer: Of course, as with every medical treatment, both medicinal and natural, ask your doctor first.
