While the cut on the skin does not matter, the cut on the uterus is very important. In some cases, the afterbirth is too close to the opening of the vagina, called a placenta previa, and vaginal delivery would lead to life-threatening bleeding. Each baby fits differently. Almost all pregnant women believe their baby is too big, yet this is almost never the case. As always, when considering which way to delivery your baby, discuss this issue with your doctor or midwife until you are sure you have enough information to make an informed decision.
Many women recover surprisingly quickly and leave after a few days.
You will need to walk carefully to avoid straining your abdomen, and will probably need a little help getting up and down stairs. Driving should be avoided for a few weeks. Most doctors advise against lifting anything more than, say, 10-15 pounds for a few weeks, and most would like to see you immediately if you notice any redness or infection around the incision, pain in your calf muscles, worsening abdominal pain, fevers, or other abnormal symptoms. The uterus goes back to normal after about 6 weeks, and by that stage most women have almost completely recovered and are ready to resume normal activity. This information is provided for educational purposes only.