Presently, c-sections are recognised as a fairly routine and common procedure with minimal risk to both mother and baby. However, your body has still undergone major abdominal surgery and, as a result, what you do and when you do postnatal exercise is critical to your recovery.
The following exercises are safe to do early on, provided you work within your pain or discomfort limits. This means that you stop at a level before you feel any pain and do not push yourself.
When to start
In your second week post-op, start with Exercise One and Two only.
1. THE ZIP
This exercise gently starts activating your pelvic floor muscles again by activating the nerve stimulation to them. This exercise is not designed to be rigorous or painful, so work within your pain boundaries.
WHAT TO DO
■ While either sitting on a comfortable chair or cross legged on■ Once you feel these muscles lifting, think about the next muscles up, almost like you’re doing up a zip on a dress. ■ Try and hold the contraction for five seconds at a time while exhaling, remembering to work within your pain boundaries. You might feel a slight pulling on the incision of the c-section - this is normal. If you do feel a slight pull, tighten your pelvic floor to the point just before you experience the sensation. As you get stronger, you will be able to tighten the muscles more and more without any pain or pulling.
