Third of mums who had a caesarean section suffered complications, says research

A third of mums who gave birth by caesarean section suffered complications following the arrival of their newborn, according to research.

Despite being a necessity for one in four mums every year, research of 500 UK women who gave birth by c-section, found 33 per cent were prescribed antibiotics afterwards.

While 21 per cent ended up with an infection - which delayed their recovery by more than 2.5 weeks.

And more than one in 20 were readmitted to hospital for an additional 3.5 days on average.

The study, carried out by Essity, found having a c-section made the early days of motherhood more challenging than expected for many - with nine in 10 admitting they would have struggled to cope without help from others.

And while the love was immediate for most, the average mum polled believed it took just over three weeks to completely bond with their little one.

This was largely due to how difficult it was to lift the baby comfortably (47 per cent) and leap up to tend to them as soon as they cried (43 per cent).

Julie Cummings, of the hygiene and health company, which produces Leukomed Sorbact surgical wound dressings, said: “Having a newborn is a challenging time for all mums, regardless of how their little one came into the world.

“But it is standard for the recovery time to be longer for those who have had a caesarean section, simply by the very nature of the procedure - which is a major operation.

“What does need to be addressed is post-partum care, and solutions for those women who find themselves in the unfortunate situation of having wounds with complications or infections - with antimicrobial resistance a real issue now, we need to provide alternative approaches.”

Of all mums polled, 64 per cent were surprised at how much their movement was restricted after the birth - although this differed between those who had a c-section which was planned (58 per cent) versus an emergency (66 per cent).

More than half (54 per cent) found their wound was incredibly sore, and 46 per cent were shocked at how long it took for them to heal.

In addition to looking after the baby, seemingly simple activities felt very challenging for many, such as household chores (67 per cent), getting out of bed (66 per cent) and standing up from a chair (63 per cent).

While feeding, cuddling and changing the baby were difficult - as was pushing them in the buggy - for 28 per cent.

Perhaps understandably, those who had a planned caesarean felt far more practically prepared (74 per cent) than those who were rushed into the operating theatre (24 per cent).

And knowing in advance that the baby would arrive via surgery was emotionally easier to prepare for those who knew it was coming (55 per cent) versus those who didn’t (21 per cent).

The study, carried out via OnePoll, found almost all mums polled (96 per cent) had significant worries immediately after birth.

Top fears included whether they would have to rely on others (58 per cent).