According to epidemiological studies by the World Health Organization, Greece ranks first in cesarean sections worldwide. In 2017, the country recorded the extremely high rate of 56.8% in cesarean sections, whereas according to the WHO, the maximum recommended rate should not exceed 15%.<\/p>\n
A cesarean section is a \u201cmajor\u201d surgical procedure<\/strong><\/p>\n Although common, cesarean sections remain surgical operations and indeed \u201cmajor\u201d ones. Recovery after a cesarean delivery takes considerably longer compared to a vaginal birth. It is therefore important for the new mother to have sufficient time to rest and to be informed about how she can help her body recover.<\/p>\n The reasons that may lead to a cesarean delivery include, among others, breech presentation; when the baby is positioned with the hips toward the cervix, placenta previa; the implantation and development of the placenta in the lower part of the uterus, preeclampsia; high blood pressure during pregnancy, infections toward the end of pregnancy, lack of oxygen and nutrients to the baby, delayed progression of labor, as well as the personal choice of the pregnant woman.<\/p>\n During the first two weeks after a cesarean delivery, women who have undergone the procedure may experience discomfort or even pain at various moments throughout the day, during daily activities and during urination and bowel movements. The surgical incision in the abdomen and uterus, as well as the involvement of the bowel, bladder, and abdominal muscles during the procedure, contribute to the sensation of possible pain and discomfort, which is managed with pain medication prescribed by the doctor, although this may increase fatigue.<\/p>\n The incision wound usually heals within three to four weeks. If it does not heal properly or continues to pull, appear irritated, and cause pain, the new mother should contact her doctor immediately.<\/p>\n In addition, the new mother may notice or be informed by a physiotherapist about diastasis recti, a condition expected due to pregnancy, which in combination with a cesarean section may further weaken the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles.<\/p>\n Please get informed about Diastasis Recti on the PRAXIS Physical Therapy website Rrelevant link here)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Advice \/ Self-care<\/strong><\/p>\n During the first two days following a cesarean delivery, while the mother is still in the maternity hospital, it is very important to start moving as soon as possible and as frequently as possible. This will help the circulatory and respiratory systems, while reducing pain and stiffness in the muscles and joints.<\/p>\n It is also important to resume normal intake of food and fluids as soon as possible after delivery, so that after the removal of the urinary catheter, which usually remains for 12 hours after the surgery, the mother is able to urinate immediately without assistance. Otherwise, she should inform the midwife or her gynaecologist immediately. Urination should occur every three to four hours. Food and fluid intake also significantly support bowel function, which usually takes several hours to up to two days to return to normal. It is important to avoid constipation or straining during bowel movements, so as not to put pressure on the incision or the pelvic floor muscles. Read about bowel management techniques through physiotherapy (Relevant link here).<\/strong><\/p>\n Physiotherapy advice for the postpartum period (with or without cesarean section)<\/strong><\/p>\n At PT PRAXIS, we advise you to \u201clisten\u201d to your body and activate it as soon as you feel it is allowed and tolerable.<\/p>\n There are simple movements that should be followed immediately after delivery, such as gentle walking, adequate intake of fluids and food to support bowel motility, breathing exercises, and mild therapeutic exercises for the pelvic floor.<\/p>\n Subsequently, within four to six weeks, you should engage more actively in a program of re-education of the body, the abdominal muscles, and the pelvic floor. Consider exercises recommended for strengthening the pelvic floor muscles, such as Kegel exercises.<\/p>\n In any case, request an online session or an in-person appointment at a physiotherapy center that ensures hygiene and safety for every visitor. (Relevant link here)<\/strong><\/p>\n Physiotherapy can help address problems related to cesarean delivery, such as:<\/p>\n Source: POGP \u2013 Pelvic, Obstetric and Gynaecological Physiotherapy<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" According to epidemiological studies by the World Health Organization, Greece ranks first in cesarean sections worldwide. In 2017, the country recorded the extremely high rate of 56.8% in cesarean sections, whereas according to the WHO, the maximum recommended rate should not exceed 15%. A cesarean section is a \u201cmajor\u201d surgical procedure Although common, cesarean sections remain surgical operations and indeed \u201cmajor\u201d ones. Recovery after a cesarean delivery takes considerably longer compared to a vaginal birth. It is therefore important for the new mother to have sufficient time to rest and to be informed about how she can help her body recover. The reasons that may lead to a cesarean delivery include, among others, breech presentation; when the baby is positioned with the hips toward the cervix, placenta previa; the implantation and development of the placenta in the lower part of the uterus, preeclampsia; high blood pressure during pregnancy, infections toward the end of pregnancy, lack of oxygen and nutrients to the baby, delayed progression of labor, as well as the personal choice of the pregnant woman. During the first two weeks after a cesarean delivery, women who have undergone the procedure may experience discomfort or even pain at various moments…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":27736,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[86],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27735","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-physiotherapy-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ptpraxis.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27735","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ptpraxis.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ptpraxis.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ptpraxis.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ptpraxis.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27735"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.ptpraxis.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27735\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27738,"href":"https:\/\/www.ptpraxis.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27735\/revisions\/27738"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ptpraxis.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27736"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ptpraxis.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27735"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ptpraxis.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27735"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ptpraxis.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27735"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n