how true--- shower after birth..

jgian001 · June 2015

How true that you need to wait for at least 2 weeks before you can have your shower after giving birth?

Any insights on this matter? It kind of freaks me out knowing I can't and I need to be clean enough for myself and the baby. I maybe also need to cause I came from a tropical country and currently its still too hot in here.

Thanks everyone!

jtenkorang · June 2015

I don't know about a vaginal birth but even with a c section you can shower 24 hours after the surgery. So no I don't think that is true. 2 weeks is a long time to not shower especially with your hormones going crazy like they do after you have baby.

JennaLee1486 · June 2015

Never heard of that.

gotdiesel2007 · June 2015

Ummm def not true. You normally take a shower shortly after giving birth depending on your plans.

Marinewife81 · June 2015

You can shower as soon as you feel you want to after birth (vaginal). I showered a couple hours after having each of my first 2, once things had calmed down and my epi wore off.

mnj05 · June 2015

I showered the next day (c/s). It hurt like crazy but there's no way I would've waited 2 weeks, especially since the meds made me sick and that was all in my hair.

zmombie · June 2015

No ma'am that's not true! First of all, anyone not taking a shower for 2 weeks will get nasty and gross.. But just think about after birth.. All the blood and goop just sitting there? Yuck. No hunny don't worry, you can shower as soon as you feel like it! Doctors will encourage you to do so the next day with a c section (as your not allowed to stand up till then) with my first (vaginal) I was up and walking and they kept telling me to lay down and relax. Lol I insisted on showering that night tho. C section was not so fun, I just wanted to get out and lay back down but they want you to be active. Smh.

theirbunmyoven · June 2015

I'm a nurse in a women's unit of a major hospital in my city and used to do post partum. There are some cultures who believe that showering after delivery can cause illness, but I'm not sure where that belief comes from to be honest. Placing your baby skin to skin after delivery to allow a good amount of vernix to transfer to your chest has bonding and breastfeeding benefits. However after at least a few good feedings I would certainly be showering (assuming vaginal delivery).
@jgian001 did anyone tell you why you should wait two weeks??

beeish · June 2015

Not true. After DS I showered in the hospital the next day. I had a csection and needed help to shower but was able to.

Ckorines · June 2015

Who told you this nonsense? I showered the same day after vaginal birth.

ashleytiff · June 2015

Never ever heard of this.

AziaNick · June 2015

same here, I have never heard of this...

crf4 · June 2015

Showered same day as c/s. If anything it's a cultural myth - you will be so sweaty and gross the first shower is like heaven!

confuegosuzy · June 2015

It's that you can't take a BATH for 2 weeks after a c section. They don't want you to submerge your incision. Showers it's as soon as you can feel your legs enough to walk and stand (which I learned the hard way with my first... I had an AWFUL nurse who told me I couldn't bathe at all bc of the incision. I had the baby in the early morning on Wednesday and no shower until after dinner on Friday. I will be showering same day this time!)

keniialise · June 2015

After vaginal birth you're not supposed to take a bath (as in submerge your body in a pool of water) until your 6 week check up, due to the fact that your cervix could still be open and it can cause infection. Showers can happen as soon as you're ready!

mers90 · June 2015

I've never ever heard of this, sounds like an old wives tale to me, I took a shower after my son was born, in the hospital, I didn't want visitors around me without taking a shower before! It was a vaginal birth with episiotomy.

babydoll1008 · June 2015

Yeah that's a lie. I couldn't imagine not taking a shower for two weeks after giving birth. I would look and feel disgusting.

The actual truth with the shower is that it is more graphic than the shower scene in Psycho. Lots of blood and juices. However, it feel great to clean yourself off as much as your can. At the hospital, they even gave me this squirter thing so I could gently clean my vaginal crevasses (TMI much? lol). So I guess if anything, they encourage you to clean yourself.

zmombie · June 2015

Some if ya'll said you showered that day after a c section? They didn't let me up for 24 hours after.. They said I had to pass gas before I could have the iv removed and then 24 hours after before I could stand to make sure everything's okay. Did you find it easier to move right away? I don't know how this hospital will be. As its a different one then the last.

confuegosuzy · June 2015

@zmombie I had to stand up a little earlier than I would've liked as LO managed to pull my IV out when I was changing him and I got blood all over him, my bed, and me. I finally got a 2nd opinion about the shower (after 4 days of not bathing at all) and was told if you can walk, you can shower. The hospital I'm delivering at this time has a bench in the shower and multiple shower heads (regular and hand held) so I was assured that a shower is totally doable in the first 24 hours.

zmombie · June 2015

@confuegosuzy oh my gosh! That must have been far from fun.
I have a tour the 10th at this hospital, I want to know what to expect, and my daughters want to know what's going to happen. So I plan on asking them everything. I think I need to make a list and add this to it.

butterfly061583 · June 2015

zmombie said:
Some if ya'll said you showered that day after a c section? They didn't let me up for 24 hours after.. They said I had to pass gas before I could have the iv removed and then 24 hours after before I could stand to make sure everything's okay. Did you find it easier to move right away? I don't know how this hospital will be. As its a different one then the last.

I thought they could cover your IV so that you could take a shower?

zmombie · June 2015

You can. I was just saying that they won't even take the iv out untill I pass gas. But they wouldn't let me get out of bed for 24 hours. (And the iv stays in till the next day.. Something about freezing your organs during the c section...)

asun123 · June 2015

I've never heard this. I stayed in the hospital for about 4 days after having my son. (vaginal) and showered 3 times...

crf4 · June 2015

I think with my scheduled c/s last time (it was my second) they expected me to be able to do everything sooner since there wasn't any "trauma" like the first time (for lack of a better word, I labored for 22 hours and pushed for 5 before they did the c/s the first time). So with my second it was done early AM, they unhooked me from my IV that afternoon and I showered. I also walked around the l&d floor and kept moving and my recovery was really much easier. I think once you're ok to stand you're ok to shower.

runnergirl29 · June 2015

I had a vaginal delivery and I hopped in that shower at the hospital 4 hours after delivering.. aaaahhhh... standing in that warm shower felt so great.

zmombie · June 2015

crf4 said:
I think with my scheduled c/s last time (it was my second) they expected me to be able to do everything sooner since there wasn't any "trauma" like the first time (for lack of a better word, I labored for 22 hours and pushed for 5 before they did the c/s the first time). So with my second it was done early AM, they unhooked me from my IV that afternoon and I showered. I also walked around the l&d floor and kept moving and my recovery was really much easier. I think once you're ok to stand you're ok to shower.

See I was wondering if it's better to get up right away (well. Few hours later) vs laying on your back for 24 hours and letting the swelling and muscles tighten before you stand. I have heard many times with other surgeries, that the faster your up and around, the easier you heal.. Maybe because it was my first they had me wait...? Everyone said it was weird because they want you to move as soon as possible.. I was also having a hard time with the spinal and all the pain.. So maybe they were just being nice? Lol If I can move and shower that night, I would rather do that.

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