Russian bathhouse is the best solution for those who want to improve their soul and body. It is especially indispensable for such a delicate organism as a woman’s, because it is constantly subject to some deviations and has many complex phases. Caesarean section is a serious stress for the body, which imposes some restrictions on the daily life of a woman who has recently given birth. This applies to the intimate sphere, sports activities and many other factors. However, sauna and bath after cesarean section still remain pressing issues, the answer to which is quite ambiguous. Let's do our own research and find the right solution!
What do you like more, a bathhouse or a sauna?
SaunaBath
When can you go to the bathhouse after a caesarean section during a normal recovery period?
You can take a steam bath after a cesarean section no earlier than 2 months later. This only applies to normal recovery and planned delivery.
By this time a woman should not have:
- bloody discharge from the genital tract or mucous membranes, purulent with an unpleasant odor;
- pain in the lower abdomen;
- redness and swelling of the outer seam.
In case of emergency cesarean section, the healing period of the postoperative suture on the uterus is usually delayed and lasts up to three months. Since in the vast majority of cases the operation is performed in the presence of concomitant diseases (gynecological or internal organs), it is recommended that before lifting restrictions on thermal procedures, an examination by a doctor. It is important to visit a gynecologist, and, if necessary, a therapist or neurologist.
We recommend reading the article about when you can take a bath after a caesarean section. From it you will learn what day you can wash after a caesarean section and how to properly shower after a caesarean section. And here is more information about how to lose weight after a cesarean section.
Historical reference
Our ancestors were well aware that the unpleasant little things associated with motherhood should not affect the healthy and well-groomed appearance of the woman in labor. Therefore, our great-grandmothers in Rus', after the birth of a baby, literally moved to live in a bathhouse. This was the place where close relatives came with gifts, and also where the girl bathed and fed.
Ethnographic materials are excellent evidence that new mothers spent all their time in the bathhouse in order to calm pain, improve appearance and self-awareness, drive out lochia, and also keep evil spirits away from the child. After a strong load on the muscles and bones that occurred during pregnancy and childbirth, the bathhouse provided rapid recovery of the body and accelerated the outflow of bloody discharge, which is normal in the postpartum period. However, in modern practice, the following trend has been noticed: if a girl very rarely visited a sauna or steam bath before artificial childbirth, then doctors recommend delaying high-temperature treatment for several months, since in this case it will not bring any benefit.
What are the benefits and harms of a bath after a caesarean section?
The benefits of a bath after a cesarean section include temperature training of blood vessels and improved blood circulation, including in the pelvic area.
It helps:
- accelerating uterine recovery;
- healing of sutures;
- strengthening the nervous system;
- prevent postpartum depression;
- activate immune defense;
- improve blood composition;
- cleanse the body;
- reduce the risk of extensive adhesions.
A bathhouse is harmful if recovery is incomplete and there are concomitant diseases, as the risk increases:
- softening and divergence of the seam;
- addition of infection;
- exacerbation of inflammation of any localization;
- a sharp drop or increase in blood pressure;
- bleeding, especially with fibroids.
Use special bath products
Hygiene is an important point for all women, especially after childbirth.
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.
I also invite all my readers to attend the free webinar “ Life after childbirth”
", after listening to which you will learn the answers to most of the questions of young mothers: how to care for a baby, how to cope with childhood diseases, how to get rid of
Is it always possible to go to the bathhouse after a caesarean section?
Not all women can go to the bathhouse after a caesarean section, even if enough time has passed since the operation; steaming is prohibited if:
- hypertension;
- diseases of the blood vessels of the heart, brain;
- varicose veins;
- heart failure or rhythm disturbances;
- severe pathologies of the kidneys, liver, urolithiasis and cholelithiasis;
- tumor or suspicion of it (until a full examination);
- vascular complications of diabetes mellitus, decompensated course;
- bronchial asthma;
- chronic inflammation in the acute stage.
When to abstain and not go
There is no need to go to the bathhouse during a complicated postoperative period; you should refrain from overheating if:
- bleeding;
- anemia (decrease in the level of red blood cells and hemoglobin);
- pain in the lower abdomen;
- elevated body temperature;
- inflammation, swelling, weeping of the scar;
- mucous, purulent or bloody discharge from the vagina.
Contraindications
When restoring a weakened body, it is necessary to remember that fractures may be accompanied by existing chronic diseases. In this case, the body's adaptation mechanisms are reduced. Therefore, you can visit the bathhouse, but only after consulting a doctor, so that in the acute period of inflammation, intense exposure to heat does not aggravate the situation.
You should go to the bathhouse only after the plaster has been removed.
When the osteoarticular system is inflamed, going to the bathhouse is strictly not recommended. If there is no swelling in the area of the fracture, then you can start bath procedures immediately. Otherwise, high temperatures can increase swelling, and massage will provoke hemorrhage of subcutaneous capillaries that have not yet fully recovered.
Contraindications to visiting the steam room can be any disease of the musculoskeletal system in the acute stage:
- progressive discopathy (wear of intervertebral discs);
- spondylitis (inflammatory processes of the spine);
- bone tuberculosis;
- corticosteroid therapy, which is dangerous due to complications in osteoporosis, hypertension, diabetes mellitus;
- chronic tendonitis (tendon inflammation);
- compressive radicular syndrome (intervertebral hernia).
- no need to go to the bathhouse on an empty stomach, or after a heavy meal;
- It is dangerous to enter the steam room while intoxicated;
- Do not steam immediately after intense physical activity;
- It is strictly forbidden for cancer patients to visit the bathhouse;
- Hypertensive patients and patients who have had a heart attack or stroke should be treated with caution when using bath procedures.
In any condition, even if a person believes that he is healthy, the body must not be allowed to overheat. The main amount of heat is consumed in the very first minutes of being in the steam room (the first 5–10 minutes). This time will be enough for effective healing of bones, joints, muscles and tendons.
How long after can you go to the bathhouse to avoid negative consequences? It is better to start visiting the bathhouse 1–4 weeks after the fracture, depending on the complexity of tissue fusion. Pouring hot water is also indicated if the patient has contraindications to visiting the bathhouse, but treating an injury with heat is useful (for example, when a person is prescribed to steam his leg after a fracture). You can also resort not to a wet steam room, but to the effects of the healing properties of the sauna.
A sauna is a dry bath. This method of warming up the body was invented in Finland, which is why we call a dry bath a Finnish sauna. Hot dry air has the same positive effect on the body as a Russian bath with a steam room.
A visit to the sauna has a complex effect on all parts of the body:
- relaxes muscles;
- cleanses pores;
- trains blood vessels;
- increases tone;
- improves mood;
- relieves stress.
The effects of heat are indicated for the following diseases:
- arthritis;
- arthrosis;
- osteochondrosis;
- rheumatism;
- curvature of the spine.
The thermal effect of dry steam helps:
- disperse the blood;
- warm up muscles and joints;
- improve regenerative processes throughout the body;
- reduce pain;
- alleviate the course of any disease.
Dry air is easier for the body to tolerate than humid air. If warming is necessary, but conditions such as influenza or acute respiratory infections are present, then it is recommended to start dry therapy not when the disease progresses, but a little earlier.
When visiting a sauna, like a steam room, it is advisable to observe regularity. The best option is once a week. Then this will be an excellent prevention not only for problems of the musculoskeletal system, but also for many other diseases.
The bathhouse is a wonderful place for recovery and a pleasant pastime. After all, a visit to the steam room in combination with contrasting water procedures helps to relax, lift your spirits, strengthen your immune system and simply have a good rest. But how often can you go to the bathhouse for health benefits? What should be the frequency of bath procedures and is it worth visiting the steam room every day?
To maintain the health and youth of the human body, experts recommend starting to visit the sauna and bathhouse.
The steam room has a unique beneficial effect on the body: stimulates regeneration processes, cleanses and strengthens blood vessels, relaxes the muscle corset, reduces the negative effects of stress, expands and cleanses pores, removes toxins, improves blood circulation and well-being.
Regular bathing procedures strengthens the heart and lungs, cleanses the respiratory system, and tones the skin. This is a wonderful prevention of colds, a means to strengthen the immune system and rejuvenate the body.
Sauna after cesarean
A sauna after a caesarean section is easier to tolerate than a classic bath, since it is heated with dry steam and it is easier to regulate the temperature. This may be important in case of unstable vascular tone. Therefore, if you are prone to fainting or heart problems, a sauna is preferable. All other contraindications and restrictions for women are no different.
How to steam properly after childbirth
After childbirth, you need to steam with caution, so at first you should follow the rules:
- enter the steam room for no more than 5 minutes;
- the body must remain dry;
- rest for 10 minutes in the dressing room after each visit, take a cool (not cold) shower;
- immersion in cold water is prohibited in the first six months;
- the number of visits to the steam room should not exceed 4-6 times;
- you need to drink herbal tea, fruit juice, and water in sufficient quantities to prevent dehydration.
It is important for women that when visiting a bathhouse or sauna there is a person nearby who, if necessary, can provide first aid in case of fainting, since even those accustomed to temperature changes can experience unusual reactions.
Principles of visiting the steam room
If bath procedures are carried out incorrectly, the body can overheat, which will lead to serious complications. Rules for visiting the bathhouse:
- You cannot visit the steam room more than 5 times a day.
- The duration of bath procedures is 5 minutes.
- After visiting the steam room, the body should be dry.
- It is strictly forbidden to be alone in the bathhouse. A woman may become ill and require urgent help.
There are often situations when a woman cannot give birth naturally. In this case, surgery is performed. After the operation, restrictions are imposed on the usual way of life, among which is visiting the bathhouse. In order for bath procedures to be safe for the body, it is necessary to follow some rules and take into account the general condition.
What water procedures are allowed after cesarean section?
Immediately upon returning home, a slightly warm shower is allowed, while the stitch must remain under the bandage. The temperature may gradually increase, but at least a month must pass before using hot water. Baths are prohibited for at least 8 weeks, and visits to the pool and swimming in ponds should be avoided for 4-5 months.
We recommend reading the article on how to remove belly fat after a caesarean section. From it you will learn about the causes of a large belly after surgery, what it can look like depending on the period after the CS, how long it takes to recover, how to remove the belly at home, and also with the help of surgery. And here is more information about tattoos on a cesarean scar.
A bath after a caesarean section is allowed no earlier than 2 months later. In case of complications or emergency surgery, the period of restrictions increases. To accurately predict whether there will be undesirable consequences, you need a doctor’s examination and an ultrasound.
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. 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.
