C-sections

is it ok to bath 2 weeks after c/s

I had my 2 week appt today , my Dr told me I can remove the steri strips but I forgot to ask when I can take baths. My husband said that if the steri strips can be removed that I should be fine to take a bath. Have any of you been told a time frame on baths vs. showers?
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Re: is it ok to bath 2 weeks after c/s

  • Not until 6 weeks.
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  • I took a bath (and have continued to) since the day I came home from the hospital. My doctor said do not put any bath soaps with fragrance into the water and just pat dry your incision afterwards. What would be the difference between a bath and a shower- incision still gets wet no matter what. Your incision is closed so it's fine. 
  • imageJenJH923:
    I took a bath (and have continued to) since the day I came home from the hospital. My doctor said do not put any bath soaps with fragrance into the water and just pat dry your incision afterwards. What would be the difference between a bath and a shower- incision still gets wet no matter what. Your incision is closed so it's fine. 

    The incision isn't the issue.  The issue is with bath water going up your vaginal canal, potentially causing an infection if you aren't fully healed yet.  This is why most doctors say to wait 6 weeks. 

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  • The paperwork I got at the hospital said to wait until 6 weeks. But, I asked my OB and he said I could do it any time I felt comfortable. The only concern is that you might hurt yourself getting in and out of the tub. I just had DH help me, and I was fine. 


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  • Omg. The concern is not the incision getting wet or slipping in the tub. As the pp said, the concern is tub water infecting the large open wound in your uterus. And it wouldn't be a concern if it didn't happen fairly often, so I wouldn't take the chance. But I hate baths, so...nonissue.

    Call your OB and ask him/her. The internet is clearly not the place to have this question answered, lol.

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  • imagemabenner1:

    imageJenJH923:
    I took a bath (and have continued to) since the day I came home from the hospital. My doctor said do not put any bath soaps with fragrance into the water and just pat dry your incision afterwards. What would be the difference between a bath and a shower- incision still gets wet no matter what. Your incision is closed so it's fine. 

    The incision isn't the issue.  The issue is with bath water going up your vaginal canal, potentially causing an infection if you aren't fully healed yet.  This is why most doctors say to wait 6 weeks. 

    I took sitz baths before six weeks after I had a vaginal birth. I don't think this is true. 

    OP - I was told to soak my incision in a bath, in order to take my steristrips off. It was probably 2-3 weeks postpartum. Call your OB to see what their recommendation is. 

    DS1 - Feb 2008

    DS2 - Oct 2010 (my VBAC baby!)

  • Six weeks. You're still open to infection at this point.
  • Six weeks.  It's to avoid infection.

  • I didnt think about the incision on the utuerus being the reason why. Makes sense though! I called my OB this morning, she said to wait the 6 weeks. Guess my relaxing bath will have to wait for another month :(
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  • People, our bodies have cervixes. They tend to keep *** out of our uteruses. I'm not saying go against doctor's orders, but a bath before six weeks postpartum isn't some sort of dangerous undertaking!
    DS1 - Feb 2008

    DS2 - Oct 2010 (my VBAC baby!)

  • imagenosoup4u:
    People, our bodies have cervixes. They tend to keep *** out of our uteruses. I'm not saying go against doctor's orders, but a bath before six weeks postpartum isn't some sort of dangerous undertaking!

    Your cervix doesn't magically seal shut after giving birth.  It does take time for it to close.

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  • imagemabenner1:

    imagenosoup4u:
    People, our bodies have cervixes. They tend to keep *** out of our uteruses. I'm not saying go against doctor's orders, but a bath before six weeks postpartum isn't some sort of dangerous undertaking!

    Your cervix doesn't magically seal shut after giving birth.  It does take time for it to close.

    But it's not like it's wide open or something! Baths (without soap) are totally fine postpartum, nothing bad is going to happen by taking one. Yeesh.

    "Most care providers agree that tub baths are safe immediately following delivery. " From here:   https://www.babycenter.com/404_when-can-i-take-a-bath-or-a-hot-tub-again-after-delivery_1156145.bc


    DS1 - Feb 2008

    DS2 - Oct 2010 (my VBAC baby!)

  • Most likely if you had a c-section your cervix never dilated (with the exception of those who did dilate in labor and had an unexpected c-section).  Either way, you can take a bath.
  • imagenosoup4u:
    imagemabenner1:

    imagenosoup4u:
    People, our bodies have cervixes. They tend to keep *** out of our uteruses. I'm not saying go against doctor's orders, but a bath before six weeks postpartum isn't some sort of dangerous undertaking!

    Your cervix doesn't magically seal shut after giving birth.  It does take time for it to close.

    But it's not like it's wide open or something! Baths (without soap) are totally fine postpartum, nothing bad is going to happen by taking one. Yeesh.

    "Most care providers agree that tub baths are safe immediately following delivery. " From here:   https://www.babycenter.com/404_when-can-i-take-a-bath-or-a-hot-tub-again-after-delivery_1156145.bc

    And yet 90% of the people in this post have providers who said not until 6 weeks. I'd trust my own OB over the Babycenter website any day. How can you say that nothing bad will happen from taking a bath? You know this for a fact? I think not. It wouldn't be a precaution if infection didn't happen due to baths.

    It's the same reason you can't have sex for 6 weeks; shiz gets up there, you can end up with a hell of a uterine infection. If sperm can get through the cervix, so can bacteria. Believe it or not, it's not a watertight seal up in there.

    If you're cool with taking the risk, that's your prerogative, I 'spose.

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  • imageskio:
    imagenosoup4u:
    imagemabenner1:

    imagenosoup4u:
    People, our bodies have cervixes. They tend to keep *** out of our uteruses. I'm not saying go against doctor's orders, but a bath before six weeks postpartum isn't some sort of dangerous undertaking!

    Your cervix doesn't magically seal shut after giving birth.  It does take time for it to close.

    But it's not like it's wide open or something! Baths (without soap) are totally fine postpartum, nothing bad is going to happen by taking one. Yeesh.

    "Most care providers agree that tub baths are safe immediately following delivery. " From here:   https://www.babycenter.com/404_when-can-i-take-a-bath-or-a-hot-tub-again-after-delivery_1156145.bc

    And yet 90% of the people in this post have providers who said not until 6 weeks. I'd trust my own OB over the Babycenter website any day. How can you say that nothing bad will happen from taking a bath? You know this for a fact? I think not. It wouldn't be a precaution if infection didn't happen due to baths.

    It's the same reason you can't have sex for 6 weeks; shiz gets up there, you can end up with a hell of a uterine infection. If sperm can get through the cervix, so can bacteria. Believe it or not, it's not a watertight seal up in there.

    If you're cool with taking the risk, that's your prerogative, I 'spose.

    LULZ. Only on the Bump does someone freak out over a bath before six weeks postpartum!

    DS1 - Feb 2008

    DS2 - Oct 2010 (my VBAC baby!)

  • imagenosoup4u:

    LULZ. Only on the Bump does someone freak out over a bath before six weeks postpartum!

    No one's freaking out. People tend to follow their doctors' orders. You shared what your practitioner advised you, and that's fine. Different doctors have different recommendations. But just because you were told something different doesn't mean you should tell people that there is no risk associated with something that many doctors clearly advise against. 

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  • imageskio:
    imagenosoup4u:

    LULZ. Only on the Bump does someone freak out over a bath before six weeks postpartum!

    No one's freaking out. People tend to follow their doctors' orders. You shared what your practitioner advised you, and that's fine. Different doctors have different recommendations. But just because you were told something different doesn't mean you should tell people that there is no risk associated with something that many doctors clearly advise against. 

    image 

    DS1 - Feb 2008

    DS2 - Oct 2010 (my VBAC baby!)

  • Don't women take sitz baths after vaginal birth pretty frequently? I remember hearing my friends talk about their sitz baths as soon as they got home from the hospital. While that's not exactly a long soak in the tub, it is introducing the vagina to water, allowing bacteria to potentially travel upward to the cervix/uterus. Just a thought.
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  • imageGhostMonkey:
    imagenosoup4u:

    I took sitz baths before six weeks after I had a vaginal birth. I don't think this is true. 

    OP - I was told to soak my incision in a bath, in order to take my steristrips off. It was probably 2-3 weeks postpartum. Call your OB to see what their recommendation is. 

    Sitz bath =/= sitting in a tub full of water unless you are doing it completely wrong. 


    "A ?Sitz Bath? is simply sitting in a tub of warm water for 15 minutes, 2-3 times per day. "

    From here: https://www.bendobgyn.net/Post_Partum_Instructions.htm?m=45&s=42

    Or this: "Twenty-four hours after you give birth, you can start taking warm soaks in the tub or in a sitz bath for 20 minutes three times a day."

    https://www.babycenter.com/0_postpartum-perineal-pain_256.bc?page=2#articlesection3

    DS1 - Feb 2008

    DS2 - Oct 2010 (my VBAC baby!)

  • My doctor said a bath without scented soaps/oils was fine after 4 weeks if I was no longer bleeding, but to avoid swimming pools, ocean water, etc. for 6-8 weeks.  I'm always a little on the over cautious side, though. 
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