Caring for stitches and a caesarean wound: a gentle checklist

Healing happens in small, unglamorous moments: the careful roll out of bed, the jug of warm water by the toilet, the pad changed one more time than feels necessary. Whether you had a tear, an episiotomy or a caesarean, your body is mending a real wound while you care for a newborn. This checklist gathers the practical things that usually help, in general terms. Your own midwife or doctor knows your birth and your stitches, so follow their advice first.

If you have stitches or a tear

• Keep it clean, keep it simple. A daily shower or bath with plain water is usually enough. Pat dry gently with a clean towel or let the area air dry. Avoid perfumed soaps, bubble bath and scented wipes on the stitches.
• Change pads often. Every few hours, and wash your hands before and after.
• Make the toilet less frightening. Pour warm water over the area while you pass urine. When opening your bowels, hold a clean pad gently against the stitches for support. Drinking plenty and eating fruit, vegetables and wholegrains helps keep stools soft; ask your midwife or pharmacist what is suitable if you are constipated.
• Ease the soreness. Lie on your side rather than sitting for long periods. A cool pack wrapped in a cloth can soothe swelling for short spells. Ask your care team which pain relief is safe while you are feeding.
• Start pelvic floor exercises gently when your midwife says it is fine. Small squeezes and lifts help blood flow and healing.

Most stitches dissolve on their own over a few weeks. Feeling a stray thread or a bit of tightness can be normal. Pain that gets worse instead of better is not.

If you had a caesarean

• Brace the wound when you move. Hold a pillow or folded towel against your tummy when you cough, sneeze, laugh or get up.
• Roll, then rise. To get out of bed, bend your knees, roll onto your side, and push up with your arms.
• Keep the scar clean and dry. Let shower water run over it, then pat dry. Wear soft, high-waisted underwear that does not rub.
• Lift nothing heavier than your baby for the first weeks. Ask others to carry the car seat, the shopping and the laundry basket.
• Keep moving gently. Short walks help circulation and lower the risk of clots. If you were given injections or stockings to prevent clots, use them exactly as advised.
• Find a feeding position that protects your tummy, such as lying on your side or holding baby under your arm with a pillow.

A caesarean is major surgery and also a birth. You did not take the easy way. You brought your child into the world, and your body deserves the same tender care as any mum's.

Signs your wound needs checking

Call your midwife, doctor or clinic the same day if you notice any of these:

• redness, heat or swelling spreading around the wound
• pus, oozing or a bad smell
• the wound opening or the edges pulling apart
• pain that is getting worse, not better
• a fever, chills or feeling generally unwell
• burning when you pass urine that does not settle, or being unable to control your bladder or bowels

Infections are treatable, and catching them early makes things easier. You are not overreacting by asking someone to take a look.

The emotional side of a wound

Some mums feel low or even ashamed about their stitches or scar, especially if birth did not go as planned. Others avoid looking at it for weeks. Both are understandable. When you are ready, look with kindness. That line or that tenderness is part of the story of how your child arrived. If thinking about the birth brings fear or flashbacks, mention it at your postnatal check; support is available, and you deserve it.

The God who binds up

He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. (Psalm 147:3, KJV)

The psalmist pictures God as one who leans close and dresses wounds with his own hands. Your healing is not beneath his notice, and neither is your heart while your body mends. The same God who formed you is present in each slow, careful step to the bathroom and back.

A prayer while I heal

Father, you know exactly where I hurt. Bind up my wounds, protect me from infection and give me patience with my body. Help me to receive care from others without embarrassment, and to see my healing as your gift. Amen.