A THIRD of mums who gave birth by caesarean section suffered complications following the arrival of their newborn, according to research.
Despite a c-section being a necessity for one in four mums every year, research of 500 UK women who gave birth in this way found 33 per cent were prescribed antibiotics afterwards.
While 21 per cent ended up with an infection – which delayed their recovery by more than 2.5 weeks.
And more than one in 20 were readmitted to hospital for an additional 3.5 days on average.
The study, carried out by Essity, found having a c-section made the early days of motherhood more challenging than expected for many – with nine in 10 admitting they would have struggled to cope without help from others.
And while the love was immediate for most, the average mum polled believed it took just over three weeks to completely bond with their little one.
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This was largely due to how difficult it was to lift the baby comfortably (47 per cent) and leap up to tend to them as soon as they cried (43 per cent).
Julie Cummings, of the hygiene and health company, which produces Leukomed Sorbact surgical wound dressings, said: “Having a newborn is a challenging time for all mums, regardless of how their little one came into the world.
“But it is standard for the recovery time to be longer for those who have had a caesarean section, simply by the very nature of the procedure – which is a major operation.
“What does need to be addressed is post-partum care, and solutions for those women who find themselves in the unfortunate situation of having wounds with complications or infections – with antimicrobial resistance a real issue now, we need to provide alternative approaches.”
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Of all mums polled, 64 per cent were surprised at how much their movement was restricted after the birth – although this differed between those who had a c-section which was planned (58 per cent) versus an emergency (66 per cent).
More than half (54 per cent) found their wound was incredibly sore, and 46 per cent were shocked at how long it took for them to heal.
In addition to looking after the baby, seemingly simple activities felt very challenging for many, such as household chores (67 per cent), getting out of bed (66 per cent) and standing up from a chair (63 per cent).
While feeding, cuddling and changing the baby were difficult – as was pushing them in the buggy – for 28 per cent.
Perhaps understandably, those who had a planned caesarean felt far more practically prepared (74 per cent) than those who were rushed into the operating theatre (24 per cent).
And knowing in advance that the baby would arrive via surgery was emotionally easier to prepare for those who knew it was coming (55 per cent) versus those who didn’t (21 per cent).
The study, carried out via OnePoll, found almost all mums polled (96 per cent) had significant worries immediately after birth.
Top fears included whether they would have to rely on others (58 per cent) and how much they would hurt (54 per cent).
Although less than one in 10 (eight per cent) worried about falling in love with their baby, and just 15 per cent gave any thought to there being a difficulty to bond.
However, despite navigating a naturally tricky time of recovery, a resounding 88 per cent of mums said their experience weighed no bearing on their long-term relationship with their child.
Julie Cummings, for Essity, added: “NICE, which provide best-practice recommendations to the NHS, has issued a medical technology guidance that advises that Leukomed Sorbact dressings are used to prevent surgical site infections specifically after caesarean section surgery.
"This technology can reduce the likelihood of infection and therefore reduces our reliance on antibiotics.”
Mum of three Lucy Woodhouse, from Hereford, reported problems after the birth of her second child.
She said: "I was getting stabbing pains still in the scar, in just so much pain and quickly identified I had a wound infection and ended up on antibiotics.
“You get scared of being poorly as a mum, you worry that you’ll get too ill and you’ll have to go into hospital and leave them behind.”
After Lucy’s third child, she was treated with a Leukomed Sorbact dressing in hospital.
She said: “I didn’t give it a second thought, it appeared to be comfortable and it was really reassuring – when the dressing came off I could see straight away it wasn’t red, it was a really neat nearly invisible scar, no signs of infection. And I felt different, I felt well.”
Top worries following a c-section
1. You would need to rely on others while you recover
2. It would hurt
3. You wouldn’t be able to get to your baby quickly if they were crying
4. You wouldn’t be able to care for your baby properly without help
5. You wouldn’t be able to stand for long periods of time
6. You wouldn’t heal properly
7. You would feel helpless
8. Your inability to move around or lift the baby might affect your new relationship
9. You wouldn’t be able to change your baby when needed
10. You wouldn’t be able to feed your baby properly
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