---
title: "Recovery from a C-Section | Sutter Health"
description: "Does recovery time after a C-section differ from a vaginal birth?"
url: "/ask-an-expert/answers/recovery-from-a-c-section-1051061512"
---

1.  Home /
2.  Recovery from a C-Section

# Recovery from a C-Section

* * *

Medically reviewed by

-   Robert Altman, M.D.

## Question

Does recovery time after a C-section differ from a vaginal birth?

## Answer

Yes, the recovery time for C-section births is generally longer than that of vaginal births. For example, time in the hospital for vaginal births is generally between one to two days. On the other hand, C-section hospital stays range from two to four days.

Since a cesarean section is a major surgery, the body will need adequate time to heal following the procedure. Typically, six to eight weeks is required to fully heal from a cesarean section. Vaginal births typically require two to six weeks for full recovery.

During recovery from a C-section, mothers may need to find ways to hold the baby for breastfeeding that don't cause more pressure on the surgical incision, and they may need to be sure to get adequate rest as their bodies recover from not only birth, but from a surgical procedure.

## Explore related topics

PregnancyC-Section

## Related questions

View all questions

-   Health Q&A
    
    ### Risks of C-Section Births
    
    Do C-section births have increased risks for me and my baby?
    
-   Health Q&A
    
    ### Vaginal Birth vs C-Section
    
    I am afraid of having a vaginal birth. Can I request a C-section delivery?
    
-   Health Q&A
    
    ### Avoiding a C-Section Birth
    
    Are there ways that I can help avoid a C-section delivery?
    
-   Health Q&A
    
    ### Bonding with Baby After C-Section
    
    After a C-section birth, how long will I have to wait before I can bond with my child (breastfeeding, skin-on-skin contact, holding my baby)?
    
-   Health Q&A
    
    ### Vaginal Birth After a C-Section?
    
    If I have a C-section with my first pregnancy, does that mean I will have to have one for any future pregnancies?
    

View all questions

```json
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalOrganization","name":"Sutter Health","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org","logo":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/static/images/sutter-health-logo.svg","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"2200 River Plaza Drive","addressLocality":"Sacramento","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"95833","addressCountry":"US"},"areaServed":{"@type":"AdministrativeArea","name":"California"},"sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/SutterHealth","https://www.instagram.com/sutterhealth/","https://x.com/SutterHealth","https://www.youtube.com/sutterhealth","https://www.linkedin.com/company/sutter-health","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutter_Health"]}
```

```json
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/recovery-from-a-c-section-1051061512#breadcrumblist","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Recovery from a C-Section"}]}
```

```json
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalWebPage","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/recovery-from-a-c-section-1051061512#medicalwebpage","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/recovery-from-a-c-section-1051061512","name":"Recovery from a C-Section","description":"Yes, the recovery time for C-section births is generally longer than that of vaginal births.","inLanguage":"en-US","medicalAudience":{"@type":"MedicalAudience","audienceType":"Patient"},"isPartOf":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/recovery-from-a-c-section-1051061512#breadcrumblist"},"mainEntity":{"@type":"Question","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/recovery-from-a-c-section-1051061512#question","name":"Recovery from a C-Section","text":"Does recovery time after a C-section differ from a vaginal birth?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/recovery-from-a-c-section-1051061512#answer","text":"Yes, the recovery time for C-section births is generally longer than that of vaginal births. For example, time in the hospital for vaginal births is generally between one to two days. On the other hand, C-section hospital stays range from two to four days. Since a cesarean section is a major surgery, the body will need adequate time to heal following the procedure. Typically, six to eight weeks is required to fully heal from a cesarean section. Vaginal births typically require two to six weeks for full recovery. During recovery from a C-section, mothers may need to find ways to hold the baby for breastfeeding that don't cause more pressure on the surgical incision, and they may need to be sure to get adequate rest as their bodies recover from not only birth, but from a surgical procedure.","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/recovery-from-a-c-section-1051061512","author":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/recovery-from-a-c-section-1051061512#expert"}}},"publisher":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization"},"reviewedBy":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/recovery-from-a-c-section-1051061512#expert"}}
```

```json
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Person","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/recovery-from-a-c-section-1051061512#expert","name":"Robert Altman","honorificSuffix":"M.D."}
```