PLANNING FOR CARE OF THE MOTHER AND NEWBORN AT HOME AFTER CESAREAN BIRTH
Explain to the mother, her partner, and other family members that recovery from a surgical cesarean birth is slower and often more painful, when compared with recovery from a normal vaginal birth. The following considerations must be taken into account:
• Need for increased rest (influenced by the type of anesthesia, length of labor, and the type of abdominal or uterine incision)
• Need for increased pain medication and other pain relieving techniques
• Inability to climb the stairs
• Inability to drive a car
• Difficulty with breast-feeding the newborn in certain positions (for example, cradle hold). Teach the mother the best positions to use and how to use pillows for cushion the incision site.
• Difficulty with normal activities of daily living (such as dressing, bathing, and toileting). Difficulty with providing normal newborn care (such as lifting, carrying, bathing, and dressing the newborn) and the need for assistance in caring for the newborn.