Sentara program helps new moms recover from cesarean section deliveries

Joanna Echols had her second baby, a daughter, by cesarean section (c-section) at Sentara Princess Anne Hospital in Virginia Beach, Va. She planned for a second c-section due to an exceptionally long labor with her son. Unlike many new moms who have unplanned c-sections, Joanna was up and around the next day, walking the halls and preparing to go home with baby Nala and husband Craig. “This time,” she said, “I knew what to expect.”

She was also benefitting from a new program by Sentara Rehabilitation, focused on new moms with c-sections, called Postpartum Rehabilitation. The program focuses on pain management, incontinence, and safe body mechanics for the few days new moms are in the hospital, and education on what’s normal and abnormal during recovery at home.

“We put pressure on ourselves to get better,” Echols said, “but we need to take our time to heal.” The pressure to bounce back comes from the demands of new motherhood, family, and work. But a c-section is an invasive abdominal surgery, which leaves an incision in critical core muscles that need time to heal.

Occupational Therapist Hannah Schmidt takes Joanna through a series of stretches in bed for her stomach muscles and hips, log rolls to safely get out of bed with her incision, and standing stretches of her lower back that husband Craig can help with when she continues the exercises at home.

“Knowing what’s normal and abnormal two, three, and four weeks out from surgery is the most important thing for new moms to know,” Schmidt said. “Mobility, self-care, and safe transitions are critical to healing from a c-section.”

Schmidt notes that moms with c-sections aren’t supposed to pick up more than ten pounds. That can mean not picking up your crying toddler. Schmidt offers ideas for adaptive equipment to put toddlers into cribs or take them out, especially if helpful dads are deployed with the military or at work and mom is on her own.

“Body mechanics are important,” Schmidt continued. “Walking upright and not leaning forward to ‘guard’ your incision helps with healing. Log-rolling out of bed instead of sitting up and swinging your feet onto the floor eases the strain on the incision. It’s learned behavior we call Instrumental ADLs.”

ADLs are an acronym for Activities of Daily Living, often applied when deciding if seniors can continue living safely at home. ADLs also come into play for new moms with c-sections in moving safely while keeping up with home and family during recovery.

The Postpartum Rehab program is being offered at Sentara hospitals with Family Maternity centers in Hampton Roads, Northern Virginia, and Elizabeth City, N.C. Therapists providing the service have all passed an intensive two-day peer training program focused on ADLs, body mechanics, and the emotional health of new moms.