For many representatives of the fair sex, the bathhouse is one of the favorite places to take care of themselves, their health and beauty. Being pregnant, you have to give up many of the delights of ordinary life, since all thoughts are concentrated on the future baby. After the birth of a baby, new mothers want to make up for lost time. But women are very often overcome by various fears. Is it allowed to steam after childbirth? Will this harm lactation?
If you follow some simple rules, then visiting the bathhouse will only benefit a weakened body, help you restore strength and relax.
Features of the recovery period
In ancient times, young mothers were moved to the bathhouse. Both women and babies spent the first days of their lives there. In addition, before and after delivery there were no restrictions regarding the frequency of water procedures. However, today the situation has changed. The fact is that many children are born as a result of surgical intervention.
In this regard, the question of when you can go to the bathhouse after a caesarean section has become quite relevant. After all, the rehabilitation period in this case takes a lot of time. Recovery after surgery involves some restrictions in the life of a young mother. Thus, a woman is prohibited from lifting heavy objects. She needs to abstain from intimate contact for a while. As for water procedures, there are also certain restrictions, for which you should know how long after a caesarean section you can go to a bathhouse or swimming pool.
Sauna
A traditional Russian bath has a stronger effect on the body than a sauna: it affects the whole body, warming it up to the very bones. The procedure with brooms has the greatest thermal effect in the bathhouse. It involves treating the body with a steamed broom made from tree branches, which has an anti-inflammatory effect on the skin and body.
A sauna is different in that the air in it is hot but dry. The steam temperature in the sauna can reach 90 degrees. For an unprepared body, such exposure is severe stress. A high fever can be harmful to a nursing woman.
Where is it better for a mother who has recently given birth to go to a bathhouse or a sauna? Doctors recommend the first option. At the same time, they give a number of tips on how to steam properly so that it is beneficial for the body. If a woman feels well, she need not be afraid to visit the sauna. However, you should never stay in a steam room with a temperature of 90 degrees. The sauna should be heated no more than 70 degrees, and a woman can only stay in it for 1-2 minutes.
When can you go to the sauna after childbirth? The sauna has a unique effect on the body of a woman in labor. Its distinctive features are dry steam and high temperature. The first days the temperature should be 70 degrees. Gradually increase it to 90. Reduce your stay to 2 - 3 minutes. If a woman is breastfeeding, you can go to the sauna only from 5 months.
Long exposure to dry steam reduces prolactin in the blood. Lactation changes. As a result of the studies, it was found that in 65% of women, lactation increased by 30% as a result of visiting saunas for 5 - 7 minutes at 90 degrees. Temperature dependence is controversial, but safe when taken in moderation.
If we compare a bathhouse and a sauna, a woman after childbirth should give preference to the first. The main difference is wet and dry steam. Each woman in labor tolerates these procedures differently. The temperature in the steam room is lower than in the sauna. Also, a woman receives mechanical pressure with a broom at high humidity.
Rules for using the sauna after childbirth:
- on your first trip, limit yourself to 2 visits;
- do not lie on your stomach;
- avoid temperature fluctuations;
- occupy the lower shelves, where the heat does not exceed 70 degrees.
Before taking the thermal procedure, feed your baby and express the remaining milk. The action will reduce the risk of stagnation in the mammary glands. The sauna is considered a place of relaxation. If you are planning to rest, consult your doctor.
Duration of rehabilitation period
As a rule, there are no specific deadlines in this case. The speed of recovery depends on the individual characteristics of the young mother’s body. In some women, the sutures heal quite quickly - already in the first day. For others, this process is long and difficult. But to the question of when you can go to the bathhouse after a caesarean section, experts answer unequivocally. It is not recommended to visit the steam room in the first two to three months. Any woman who has undergone such surgery should periodically come for examination by a gynecologist. Bath procedures are permitted only if consent is obtained from the doctor.
Contraindications
Bathing procedures are prohibited for a woman after surgery if she experiences complications:
- anemia;
- acute inflammatory processes;
- increased body temperature;
- disruption of the cardiovascular system;
- diseases associated with hormonal levels.
In addition to contraindications for women who have had a caesarean section, there are a number of general prohibitions on visiting the bathhouse:
- asthma;
- hypertonic disease;
- renal failure;
- diabetes;
- presence of cancer.
Negative consequences
Any surgical intervention requires a certain rehabilitation period. The question of when you can go to the bathhouse after a cesarean section is relevant, because such activities are safe only if the scar is completely healed.
Experts say that water procedures are permissible only for those women whose sutures have completely healed. The condition of the young mother’s body should be assessed by a doctor based on ultrasound data.
Therefore, when talking about when you can go to the bathhouse after a cesarean section, you should know that visiting the steam room in the first two months is extremely undesirable, even if delivery occurred naturally. The fact is that the sauna promotes bleeding. And after surgical intervention, such a complication can be detected only after a few days, but it poses a direct threat to the woman’s life.
When can you go to the bathhouse after childbirth?
Doctors recommend visiting a bathhouse 6-8 weeks after birth, when vaginal discharge ends.
The bathhouse is a miraculous place where your well-being improves, pleasure hormones increase, and the entire body is cleansed.
You are guaranteed rest for two hours, and, of course, you can wash yourself like a human being, which is something you can only dream of sometimes.
Some brave young ladies run to heal their body and spirit just a few days after giving birth, here we are talking about those who gave birth on their own.
Common misconceptions about visiting a bathhouse
Certain restrictions regarding these procedures must be observed for six months, since ignoring important rules can lead to serious complications. For those women who ask about when they can go to the bathhouse after a caesarean section, doctors recommend refraining from visiting this establishment for a period of one and a half to two months.
At this time, you should limit yourself to bathing in the shower. There are many misconceptions about the benefits and harms of saunas for young mothers. Here are some of them:
- Bath procedures contribute to the divergence of seams. This phenomenon is impossible, but it should be remembered that due to the dilation of blood vessels that have not recovered after surgery, there is a risk of bleeding.
- Misconception about worsening lactation. On the contrary, expansion of the ducts of the mammary glands due to exposure to high temperatures leads to intense milk secretion.
In the first 60 days after delivery, a woman should take a shower and use gentle cosmetic products.
After 2 months, you are allowed to visit the sauna, but important safety precautions must be observed.
pros
High temperature and hot air open the pores. The skin is deeply cleansed of keratinized particles and excess sebaceous secretions. Steam activates the cardiovascular system, accelerates blood circulation, and increases metabolism. Oxygen-enriched blood removes waste products, and all body systems receive nutrients.
Read also: When can you go and how to behave in church after childbirth?
The epithelium is saturated with moisture, thanks to this hydration, skin rejuvenation occurs. It becomes more elastic, small wrinkles disappear. The heat of the bath cleanses the body of waste and toxins and removes excess weight. After the steam room, an amazing feeling of lightness appears, the skin glows, and the scales show minus one kilogram.
The steamed back will thank you too. When exposed to heat, muscle fibers relax and become firmer and more elastic. During increased sweating, lactic acid and urea leave them. And along with them, fatigue and tension. Joint pain miraculously decreases or goes away completely.
As you can see, there are more than enough advantages. Regularly warming up the body in a steam room strengthens the immune system and increases resistance to bacteria and viruses.
Precautionary rules
Knowing when to go to the bathhouse after a caesarean section, a woman should remember the following precautions:
- During this period, prolonged exposure to high temperatures should be avoided. It is better not to stay in the steam room for more than 5 minutes. You should visit the sauna no more than five times. For underwear, it is recommended to use cotton sets that have been pre-washed and ironed. If weakness occurs, the young mother should quickly leave the steam room and wrap her head in a wet towel.
- After the sauna you need to take a cool shower. This procedure helps to avoid bleeding, because low temperatures contribute to the narrowing of blood vessels.
- You must refrain from visiting the pool. Swimming promotes tissue inflammation in the suture area and infection with pathogenic bacteria.
Rules for visiting during lactation
- Don't get too cold. No swimming pools after! Temperature changes negatively affect the functioning of the mammary glands. Pouring with cool water is allowed. After which you need to thoroughly wipe your chest.
- Start steaming on medium heat. Too high a degree during the recovery period is extremely undesirable. Enter the steam room several times. Two to three minutes for one visit is quite enough.
- After giving birth, bathing alone is not recommended. Wait for your husband to return from work or invite relatives or friends to go to the bathhouse in the company of someone who will help you get out if necessary.
- A nursing mother is allowed to be on the first two shelves, the third is taboo. You can sit and lie on your back. Under no circumstances should you lie on your stomach after childbirth during breastfeeding. The chest should not touch the hot boards.
- Bathing procedures promote milk production. It is advisable to put the baby to the breast immediately after.
- Calculate your time in the steam room, taking into account travel time. The child should not be left for a long time. Ideal if you have a steam room at home or in the yard, when you don’t need to go anywhere. In addition, there you will be able to regulate the temperature yourself, which sometimes you cannot do in a public establishment.
- During the process, the body loses fluid, so it is imperative to replenish the amount of fluid in the body. Linden tea or any herbal teas, water, compote are perfect. Carbonated drinks are prohibited.
- Don't eat too much before visiting the steam room. A light soup or salad is recommended two hours before the steam room. We also do not recommend it on an empty stomach. We adhere to the rule of the golden mean.
- If you notice that after the visit the amount of milk has decreased, it is better to wait until the child eats on his own.
Rules for performing water procedures after childbirth
To avoid negative consequences, a young mother is recommended to limit herself to bathing in the shower during the entire rehabilitation period. In this case, too high or, conversely, very low temperatures should be avoided. You can wash yourself on the second day after surgery. But it is necessary to cover the seam area to prevent water from getting on it. It is recommended to take a bath every two months. During this period, the scar is completely healed, and there is no need to worry about complications.
If you follow all the rules established by a specialist, the stitch will heal quite quickly, and rehabilitation will not take much time. The woman will soon return to her normal lifestyle. Caesarean section is an operation after which all young mothers recover. However, the patient needs to take care of her body. It is important to visit your doctor periodically. And lovers of water treatments should remember when they can go to the bathhouse after a caesarean section, and follow all the rules and restrictions associated with bathing.
Use special bath products
Hygiene is an important point for all women, especially after childbirth.
- We use antibacterial soap, sprays, balms, the Weleda series is good, this includes soap, shampoo, and shower gel. After this, you can use an antiseptic breast cream if necessary. Just make sure that your baby doesn’t accidentally eat the cream while feeding.
- Steam room cap
- Broom for avid bath attendants
- Slides that should not be removed in the steam room
- A clean towel for the breast, as the milk increases and sometimes begins to splash in all directions.
That seems to be all I wanted to tell you about the intricacies and pitfalls of going to the steam room. I hope I was able to show you that the bathhouse and sauna are not only health, but also a pleasant time with friends, relaxation for the soul and body.
Harm of bath procedures
It should be remembered that any operation entails various health deviations and adhesions. On the one hand, a bath can help get rid of adhesions. But in some cases, on the contrary, they can be strengthened during severe overheating.
Caesarean section is not an exception in this case, but rather the opposite. The morbidity rate of women who have undergone childbirth using abdominal dissection is ten times higher. Their body is weaker, adhesions often occur
. And in cases where there are adhesions and inflammation, any visit to the bathhouse is prohibited. Overheating can cause adhesions to worsen. Although sometimes adhesions, on the contrary, resolve after several sessions of bath procedures.
Visits to the bathhouse stimulate the restoration of internal organs and strengthen the body. But in the case of postoperative inflammation, the steam room also stimulates increased inflammation
. In case of overheating, poorly healed sutures may come apart, opening the way to infections. Fistula phenomena and purulent foci may appear.
Bathing is also prohibited if you have fibroids.
You also need to remember: you can’t go to the bathhouse if the inflammation is not relieved and the surgical wound is not healed enough.
