You are recovering from surgery while caring for a baby. The first weeks are not about resuming everything; they are about pain control, wound care as instructed, safe movement, and early recognition of complications. Dressings, bathing, stitch removal, and activity limits vary by technique, so your discharge sheet is the primary guide.
Key takeaways
- 01
Discharge sheet and dressing or stitch plan
- 02
Medicines, doses, and times
- 03
Dated wound photos if monitoring
1. Follow your own wound-care instructions
Wash hands before touching near the incision. Do not remove or replace dressings or apply medicines, turmeric, herbs, or antiseptics unless instructed. In good light each day, check whether the edges remain closed and whether redness spreads, swelling, heat, bleeding, discharge, pus, or unusual smell appears. Photos can help your clinician compare changes, not let social media diagnose them.
- Keep the wound as your hospital instructed
- Date photos and note accompanying symptoms
2. Move with a plan, not through strain
Roll to the side, use your arms, and ask for help during early transfers. Short regular walks, if approved, can support circulation, but stop if pain, dizziness, or bleeding increases. Avoid driving, strenuous exercise, sex, or lifting more than the baby until your care team confirms these fit your recovery.
- Use supported coughing techniques if taught
- Place supplies where deep bending is unnecessary
3. Recognize infection, clots, and bleeding
Contact care immediately for temperature of 38°C or higher, markedly increasing pain, spreading redness, swelling, opening, bleeding, discharge or foul pus from the wound, heavy vaginal bleeding, painful urination, cough or breathlessness, chest pain, or one swollen painful leg. Dizziness, fainting, persistent headache, visual change, or thoughts of harm also need emergency care. Do not wait for a scheduled review.
- State that you recently had a caesarean and the date
- For breathlessness or fainting, call emergency help rather than travelling alone
Practical checklist
- Discharge sheet and dressing or stitch plan
- Medicines, doses, and times
- Dated wound photos if monitoring
- Helper for transfers and bathing
- Supplies placed within easy reach
- Postnatal number and emergency route
How NIMO built this guide
NIMO writes and localizes each guide for Vietnamese families, then checks key facts against the official references below. The links support the guide; they are not the guide itself.
Edited by NIMOVietnamese expert review pending
Fact-check references
This content is for information only and does not replace medical advice. For severe symptoms, breathing difficulty, or unusual unresponsiveness, contact a local medical facility or emergency service immediately.