Early post op mobilisation is beneficial to recovery after abdominal surgery, and cycling is often recommended as one of the more gentle forms of exercise to resume after giving birth. However there is little specific advice categorically looking at returning to cycling after a C section, especially as there's cycling & there's cycling.
I kept up riding my bike on an indoor trainer right through my pregnancy but I was surprised that most postnatal advice says you can start riding at 6 weeks & didn't differentiate between types of delivery or cycling workout.
I felt that this advice was written assuming you had had an "uncomplicated" & vaginal birth, focusing on tissue healing time frames to be able to sit on the saddle. But as a cyclist I know there is much more to consider, whether you are new to cycling or a seasoned pro looking to get back to training.
These are a few of the things I considered when getting back on the bike.
The bike:
-Saddle
-Bike fit
Healing:
-The wound/scar
-Pelvic floor
You:
-Breathing
-Flexibility
-Strength
-Core endurance
The workout:
-Type of riding, indoor vs outdoor
-Intensity
-Fuelling
-Route
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Bike:
Saddle - even though you in the end had a c sec that may have been decided after you had already started pushing so there may be some healing, not just tearing but possible nerve issues too. Saddles come in all sorts of shapes & sizes & so do women! One saddle that is perfect for your friend, may not suit you, & then all this may change after pregnancy & delivery.
Reduced core strength may cause you to sit more heavily on the saddle & having carried a baby may change your pelvis slightly & therefore change your saddle pressure mapping.
Fit - even in a normal race season I have to tweak the geometry of my bike set up as my fitness improves. So even if you've had a bike fit before don't be surprised that you could benefit from a review. If you decide to change any bits yourself make sure to take accurate measurements before you start so you can put it back if needed!
Healing:
Wound- Although the scar on the skin heals pretty quickly, the internal stitches can take a while longer, even months. Obviously you can't see them to check, that's why it's important to listen to your body if you have any pain or bleeding you are doing too much.
Its important to touch your scar even if you're squeamish! Then you'll be familiar with if it still feels sore, numb, or if it is stuck to the tissues below. In this case it could affect how you are able to move, or breathe when working hard doing big deep belly breaths. Scar tissue tethering is a common cause for local tenderness & stiffness but can also affect how things work further away from the site.
Pelvic floor- although there isn't the impact of running, your pelvic floor is part of your core muscle team & pressure management. Any exercise is a whole body exercise so we want everything to be working. Going through pregnancy is a long sustained load on the pelvic floor, you don't have to have pushed a baby through it to have stretched & weakened it. So even though there isn't the same sudden stress on the pelvic floor as there is running, we still don't want our shorts chamois acting as a tena liner!
You:
Breathing- before you start working too hard, make sure you are able to take deep breaths. Having had a baby shoved up in your diaphragm under your ribs, then sitting feeding & carrying can make things all a bit skew & stiff. Deep breathing exercises will make sure things are moving freely & efficiently helping you feel better as the intensity goes up.
Flexibility- even though I'm used to doing regular stretching, yoga & even writing bitesize workouts for others, I found I did literally nothing for weeks! So getting back on my bike even for a short workout would need some prep so that I didn't stiffen up further & risk injury. I particularly felt stiff in my upper back from breast feeding. This could impact my breathing, as well as potential neck & shoulders issues leaning forwards cycling. And of course the legs always need a good stretch!
Muscle strength- Alongside flexibility is strength. We want the glutes ready to fire & quads. As with the upper back, having done some prep with core exercises on hands & knees will help you hold that cycling position without resting too heavily through your arms.
The workout:
I think it is easiest to start on an exercise bike or turbo trainer. Then the environment is totally controllable. Near me, even a short easy ride involves some hills & terrible road surfaces which can be pretty uncomfortable at the best of times! You are always near hydration & you can make any adjustments needed easily.
Take it really easy initially, think of it like a walk on a bike. Make sure to work at an intensity you could hold a conversation. Then gradually introduce short intervals of higher intensity. I personally would suggest using cadence to increase effort rather than resistance until you are totally comfortable with your recovery & just focusing on normal fitness workouts.
Make sure to think about your fuelling & hydration. Have extra on stand by especially if you are breastfeeding.
I think the biggest thing to remember is not to put pressure on yourself, it's a sportive not a sprint!