Giving birth is easy right? Just pop that baby out and get on with it. A C-Section? Even easier - no pushing or pain just a quick cut and hello baby!

Not so. Any form of giving birth can be incredibly traumatic to your body and, just like any traumatic physical event or injury, it takes time to recover. With child birth there is the added stress to your body that you do not get to just lie there and relax but suddenly have a little human to look after too.

With a vaginal delivery there will be hours of pain and physical trauma however the recovery period is quite quick. With a C-section the delivery will be a quick and usually simple medical procedure but there is a much longer recovery period. Here is what you can expect:

• Post operation observation until your anesthesia wear off
• Side effects from the anesthesia including shivering and nausea
• Pain at the site of your wound
• Exhaustion
• Regular check ups
• Some slight pain and itching as your wound heals and stitches tighten
• Removal of your catheter
• Afterpains as your uterus begins to contract. These happen regardless of the style of birth but can be worrying if you have had a C-section and were not prepared for them as you may worry that it is as a result of the surgery
• A slow introduction to eating normally again
• Sharp shoulder pain a few hours after the birth as a result of irritation of the diaphram following surgery
• Possible constipation as a result of surgery and anesthesia
• Trapped wind which causes pain or discomfort
• A gradual increase in exercise to help you to recover
• Making your first moves to get out of bed 8 - 24 hours after surgery
• You may have to wear elastic stockings following the surgery to prevent blood clots
• To have sponge baths until you begin to heal and regain mobility
• To need help with baby and housework even after leaving hospital as you will have difficulty bending over and lifting objects until you begin to heal