The first few days after surgery are some of the toughest. According to Dr. Cheryl Levitt, professor of family medicine at McMaster University, the "early days are most likely to cause postpartum surgical-related symptoms such as dizziness when standing up, urinary discomfort from the catheter, constipation, painful incision, and spiking a fever that might indicate infection of the wound."
Luckily, you'll be in the hospital under constant monitoring for a few days while you get used to your wound and come to terms with the recovery ahead, which starts shortly after you're wheeled out of the operating room.
About 12 to 24 hours postop, you can expect to be sitting up or even walking, and once your catheter is removed, you'll have no choice but to! It's a scary thing to attempt when you aren't sure if your abs (or "abs" in their current state) will actually support you. But, they do — even if you are hunched over like a gargoyle and need to lie back down immediately after. You'll never be more thankful for the IV narcotics.
In addition to pain and swelling around your incision and feeling all the emotions (you did just have a baby, after all), your entire body is tired. As in, even a four-foot walk to the bathroom wipes you out. Take it easy and take advantage of the help while you have it, because after three or four nights, you'll be heading home.
This is also around the time that your body is moving into a new phase of healing called proliferation, which is a "key step during wound healing," according to the Journal of Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences. Meaning, your body is working hard to create new tissue and restore the network of blood vessels that were severed during surgery, so let it do its thing!
Of course, resting is easier said than done, especially when you're back at home and no longer have nurses on call or an adjustable hospital bed. Dr. Levitt suggests trying to "get help and support at home for the first few weeks" and having all your "baby-change items in an easily accessible place" so you don't have to move around more than necessary. I set up all my necessities in a basket on my bedside table to avoid the uncomfortable and often painful task of sitting up and getting out of bed as much as possible.
