Will there be looseness below after a caesarean section? Are there any side effects after a caesarean section?

Many beauty-conscious mothers say that a normal birth will stretch the vagina, causing vaginal relaxation and affecting the quality of future sex life, while a caesarean section does not involve this procedure and will not have any impact. Is this really the case? Let's take a look~

Caesarean section vaginal relaxation

A friend told me that cesarean section can help maintain body shape, and most importantly, it will prevent the vagina from becoming loose, which is very important.

Doctor’s answer:

This statement is completely wrong. Many people think that cesarean section can maintain body shape, but it is not true. The process of pregnancy and childbirth will not change the bone morphology and structure of women, and the human body's bone framework will not change due to pregnancy. Since you can move and do corresponding recovery exercises very early after a normal birth, and after a cesarean section, due to the existence of the abdominal incision, the mother's activities are late, and some corresponding recovery exercises will also lag behind, so it is more difficult to lose weight early. The weight gain caused by the increase in body water caused by pregnancy will automatically decrease with the discharge of sweat and urine regardless of whether it is a normal birth or a cesarean section, and it has nothing to do with the method of delivery.

Some mothers are also worried that vaginal relaxation will occur after natural childbirth, which will affect their future sex life. In fact, during pregnancy, due to the effect of progesterone, the elasticity of the vaginal mucosa and muscle fibers increases significantly, preparing for the delivery of the fetus and the expansion of the birth canal. After childbirth, hormone levels gradually return to normal, and the vaginal mucosa and muscle layer also gradually return to normal tension. Postpartum anal lifting exercises will also promote the recovery of vaginal tension and will not affect the satisfaction of sexual life.

What are the sequelae of cesarean section

The negative impact of cesarean section on mother and baby is obvious. In the long run, mothers who choose cesarean section have a higher incidence of sequelae such as chronic abdominal pain, anemia, wound pain, and postoperative infection. In particular, the risk of pregnancy after cesarean section will also increase significantly. The sequelae of cesarean section include:

1. Newborns have poor immunity

Newborns born by caesarean section have poorer immunity than those born by natural delivery because they have not been squeezed by the birth canal and have no bacteria in the birth canal. Caesarean section will increase the risk of sensory integration disorder, hypoxia and wet lungs in babies.

According to clinical statistics, the chance of cesarean section babies suffering from wet lung is 8 times that of natural birth babies. On the other hand, since there are many healthy and beneficial bacteria in the mother's birth canal, these bacteria can colonize in the newborn's intestines during natural delivery, forming a protective film to prevent some pathogens from causing diseases. However, babies born by cesarean section have no chance to come into contact with the mother's flora, so the establishment of healthy intestinal flora will be about 6 months later than that of natural birth babies, which is not conducive to the development of the baby's immune system.

2. The baby's sensory development is poor

Because babies born by cesarean section are not squeezed by the birth canal, they often lack the necessary sensory stimulation and are more likely to suffer from sensory integration disorders such as inattention and learning disabilities. In order to avoid the above situation, parents can play appropriate games with their babies according to their age, interests and characteristics to enhance their tactile perception and train their coordination and balance.

3. The risk of pregnancy with scarred uterus is high

From the perspective of the mother, after a caesarean section, a scar will be left on the uterus. Under normal circumstances, it takes a year and a half to heal and will not affect pregnancy and childbearing again. But for mothers whose scars have not completely healed, it is not so easy to have a second child. With the increase in the caesarean section rate, the risk of scar pregnancy is increasing. For example, if a woman wants to have an artificial abortion after an unexpected pregnancy, the embryo will be implanted on the scar. Because it is not known at the beginning, it is not uncommon for heavy bleeding to occur during the operation and the uterus to be removed.

Even if the placenta is not implanted on the scar in the early stage, as the uterus grows, the placenta may be previa and implanted on the scar. In severe cases, it may penetrate the scar and even the bladder in front of the uterus, causing hematuria. In the end, the bladder must be partially removed and the uterus cannot be preserved.

4. The chance of ectopic pregnancy in the second child is high

The probability of ectopic pregnancy increases. If the fertilized egg implants on the scar, it will pose a huge threat to the life safety of the mother. In severe cases, the uterus needs to be removed or even death may occur. Therefore, please take contraception seriously within one year after a caesarean section.

Even if the fertilized egg manages to avoid the scar, there is still a risk of "placenta implantation", that is, the placenta grows into the myometrium of the uterus, causing heavy bleeding during childbirth and affecting uterine contractions. If necessary, this part or even all of the uterus must be removed. Even if the first two levels are passed, it does not mean that the mother and baby are absolutely safe. Once the second-born pregnant woman initiates uterine contractions herself, the uterus may rupture under the strong uterine contractions, seriously affecting the safety of the mother and baby. Finally, the infection, anemia, hyperglycemia, and hypertension that may occur after the first surgery will undoubtedly affect wound healing and affect the next pregnancy.

Natural childbirth is the most basic and safest way of childbirth that has been medically proven. Cesarean section is only an "extraordinary measure" used when the pregnant woman is in poor condition, the fetus is abnormal, and natural childbirth is impossible or difficult.

Caesarean section care precautions

Whether it is a natural birth or a caesarean section, pain is unavoidable. However, the pain of a natural birth occurs during the delivery process, while the pain of a caesarean section begins after delivery. So, what issues should be paid attention to in the postpartum care of a caesarean section? Use less painkillers. Generally, a few hours after the caesarean section, the wound begins to hurt severely. In order to rest well and recover as soon as possible, ask the doctor to give you some painkillers on the day of the operation or the night of the operation. After that, be more tolerant of the pain, and it is best not to use painkillers to avoid affecting the recovery of intestinal peristalsis.

Generally speaking, the pain of the wound will disappear on its own after 3 days. You should turn over more often after surgery. Anesthetic drugs can inhibit intestinal peristalsis, causing varying degrees of intestinal flatulence, resulting in abdominal distension. Therefore, it is advisable to turn over more often after delivery to promote the early recovery of the peristaltic function of the paralyzed intestinal muscles and discharge the gas in the intestine as soon as possible. It is advisable to take a semi-recumbent position in bed. The body of the mother who has undergone cesarean section recovers slowly, and she cannot get up and move around 24 hours after delivery like those who have vaginal natural births. Therefore, it is easy for those who have undergone cesarean section to have difficulty in discharging lochia. However, if a semi-recumbent position is adopted and combined with more turning over, it will promote the discharge of lochia, avoid lochia accumulation in the uterine cavity, cause infection and affect uterine reduction, and also facilitate the healing of the uterine incision.

Pay attention to urination after delivery. As long as you feel like urinating, you should try to urinate by yourself to reduce the risk of urinary tract bacterial infection caused by long retention of the catheter. Keep the genitals and abdominal incisions clean. Avoid getting the abdominal incision wet within 2 weeks after surgery. It is advisable to use a sponge bath for full body cleaning. After that, you can take a shower, but you must not take a bath in a tub before the lochia is completely discharged; rinse the vulva 1-2 times a day, and be careful not to let dirty water enter the vagina; if the wound is red, swollen, hot, or painful, do not squeeze and apply it at will, and seek medical attention in time to avoid prolonged infection of the wound. Try to get out of bed and move as early as possible. As long as your physical strength allows, you should get out of bed and move as early as possible after delivery. It can not only increase the function of intestinal peristalsis and promote uterine repositioning, but also avoid intestinal adhesions and thrombophlebitis.

It is necessary to eat bloating food. Gastrointestinal function can only be restored about 24 hours after cesarean section. After gastrointestinal function is restored, liquid food is given for 1 day, such as egg soup and rice soup. Avoid eating milk, soy milk, large amounts of sucrose and other bloating foods. After the intestinal gas is discharged, switch to semi-liquid food for 1-2 days, such as porridge, soup noodles, wontons, etc., and then switch to normal diet. Sexual intercourse is absolutely prohibited during the puerperium. 100 days after cesarean section, if there is no more vaginal bleeding and the doctor checks that the wound is healing well, you can resume sexual life. However, strict contraceptive measures must be taken to avoid pregnancy. Otherwise, the scarred uterus is prone to perforation or even rupture during curettage. Pay attention to fitness exercises. About 10 days after cesarean section, if the body recovers well, you can start fitness exercises, once in the morning and once in the evening, and each time you do it, gradually extend from 2-3 minutes to 10 minutes.

The editor of No. 5.com kindly reminds that no matter whether it is a natural birth or a caesarean section, new mothers should not be too nervous, and should not regard childbirth as a very painful thing. The human body is very magical, and its self-healing ability is far beyond your imagination. Even if the vagina is stretched by a natural birth, the contraction ability of the vagina can restore it to its pre-natal state. So mothers don't have to worry. Have confidence in your body, exercise regularly, and it may even be tighter than before childbirth.