Cesarean Delivery Resources for Patients and Caregivers

Enhanced Recovery Canada™ (ERC) resources for patients undergoing cesarean delivery explain what you can do before your surgery, at the hospital and at home to heal better and safely. These resources include instructions on things like eating and drinking, physical activity and controlling your pain and nausea.

Download the patient booklet

Watch the animated video (available in 16 languages)

What is cesarean delivery?

A cesarean delivery is a surgery. Your baby is delivered through a cut in your abdomen, usually called an incision. A cesarean delivery is commonly called a c-section.

You may be having a planned cesarean delivery because:

• you have had a cesarean delivery in the past and it is recommended for you to have one again
• you have had uterine surgery, such as removal of uterine fibroids
• your baby is breech, which means that your baby is positioned bottom down instead of head down
• you have placenta previa, which means that your placenta is covering your cervix.

How can you heal better, safely after a cesarean delivery?

There are three important periods of time during your surgery journey. The time before your cesarean delivery, at the hospital, and back at home. You can participate in your own health and care at each time.

Our patient booklet and animated resource are designed to help you navigate all three of these periods of time so that you can feel better and recover faster. They offer evidence-informed guidance that can reduce complications after surgery and the length of time you stay in the hospital. They can also make your experience in the health system better, helping you work as a team member with your healthcare providers.