bath after caesarean?

[goodwin]

anyone know how long you are supposed to wait to have a bath (as opposed to a shower which i know you can have any time) after you have had a caesarean??

[wombatclay]

When I had a c/s with dd1 my care provider told me to stick with showers for at least a week, and strongly suggested waiting at least two. I think it was more a question of the muscles being used to get in/out/up/down in the tub rather than a question of the skin being healed...so maybe if you're feeling really good a short bath would be fine?

[goodwin]

thanks! i am ok getting in and out of the bath - have been having half-baths so that the stitches aren't submerged. but was worried about the stitches under water. might wait until the 2 week mark anyway just to be safe, but i am a SERIOUS bath person and i have missed hot baths throughout the pregnancy so am dying to have one. but another couple days won't make a difference.

[PatchChild]

I'm off to my 2 week OB apt. today and baths were one of my questions. I'll let you know what they say. I've been dying for a good soak.

[wombatclay]

hope they say "go for it"! I had staples for the skin layer and they were removed before I went home and replaced with steri strips...so my care provider basically said just to wait till the strips came off or two weeks, whichever came first.

[Ks Mama]

My doc this time said 4 weeks - she doesn't like "anything by vagina" (including bathwater) for 4 weeks.

[PatchChild]

I can take a bath!!! I had stitches and the steri strips and the last of the strips were removed at my appointment today. Basically, no adding anything interesting to the water, and make sure to rinse well afterwards, but I'm allowed!!!!!

[wombatclay]

enjoy that bath!

[goodwin]

hurrah! that is good to know. 2 weeks sounds about right..