C-Section Recovery Timeline: Week By Week Guide

Below is our week-by-week guide leading you through postpartum C-section recovery. (If you didn’t have a C-section, here is our week-by-week postpartum recovery timeline for vaginal delivery to help guide you through.)According to the Mayo Clinic, a Cesarean delivery, or C-section, is used to “deliver a baby through surgical incisions made in the abdomen and uterus.” Having a C-section has increased in popularity since the 1960s and is a safe delivery method, but it is still not exactly clear what to expect during postpartum recovery. So, we break it down simply below.Week 1The first week of recovery will be the most difficult, but, as with most challenges, it will get easier over time. Although safe, C-sections are considered major surgery, so the hospital will hold you for an additional four to six days. During this time, they will monitor your vitals and work with you to get you back on your feet. Walking about may sound awful, but movement is essential to recovery as it helps preve...