Is it normal for c section incision to be hard

The stretched skin of your belly and the fat above your scar become more noticeable. Your c-section incision is going to be pretty sore for at least two to three weeks post-surgery, says Mustaleski. The Birth Injury Health Center explains the three c-section scar healing stages:. Inflammatory stage.

Lasting for the first few days after a c-section, this is when bleeding stops and white blood cells gather at the site to guard against infection. Your incision will be swollen and red or pink. Proliferative stage.

During this next three- to four-week phase of healing, collagen gathers at the incision to strengthen and pull it together at the edges. New blood vessels form, and your c-section scar will get thicker and change color as it recedes.

Remodeling stage. This final stage of healing can last up to a year, during which time your thick, puffy scar tissue flattens and fades in color.

Before you leave the hospital, be sure to write down any wound-care instructions your nurse or ob-gyn gives you. You may have received a pain medication prescription to help you through the first couple of weeks, when the incision site will be most sore. According to Mustaleski, other steps you can take to care for your c-section incision include:. Check with your healthcare provider for the correct dosage and combination of ibuprofen and acetaminophen.

If they were used on your c-section incision, let them fall off on their own; pat dry after showering. Once the scab over your c-section incision is gone, coat your fingers with some vitamin E or coconut oil and gently start to massage the area around it, says Barnes. She recommends three different types of motion with your fingers: circular, horizontal and vertical; only press as much as feels comfortable.

The idea, says Barnes, is to stop the tissue from scarring down to your fascia, the underlying layer of tissue that keeps your scar moving. As you massage more, your scar and the area around it should loosen up and become less tender. As with all major surgery, cesarean section recovery may entail a few uncomfortable weeks of pain and unpleasantness as your c-section incision heals and you figure out life with a newborn.

Here are a few important things to keep in mind as you navigate this stretch of time:. If you notice redness, swelling or pus leaking from your c-section incision—or if you have a fever—your wound may be infected. Horizontal cuts are the most common, as they tend to heal better and cause less bleeding. That said, stitches can sometimes also open or cause complications. In some cases, a C-section incision might have opened because some or all of the stitches or staples holding it closed came undone or broke through the skin.

This can happen if the incision opens due to too much pressure being placed on the area. If this has happened, you might be able to see some of the stitches or staples that are no longer in place. Your C-section might look like a fresh wound, with redness or bleeding. If necrosis is the cause of C-section opening, you might see gray, yellow, or black discoloration around the area, as opposed to pink or your normal skin color.

The area may also smell bad. The internal C-section incision on the uterus can also open or rupture. These include:. Another rare C-section complication is intestinal evisceration. This happens when parts of the body, such as intestines, gastrointestinal organs, tissue, or muscle just under the skin, poke into or through the C-section site. The pressure from the moving parts under the skin can force the incision to open.

This complication might also present as a fleshy growth or lump coming out of the incision site. Alternatively, the site might feel hard or lumpy in some places. This complication can likewise happen with other kinds of abdominal surgeries. If your outer incision is opening, your doctor will probably give you a local injection to numb the area and then remove the skin or tissue just around the site. Then the freshly opened site will be sutured, stapled, or glued again.

If you have an infection or dead skin cells around the area, the C-section site will have to be cleaned up further before it can be closed again. An internal C-section opening or rupture is rare, but much more serious. This surgery is called a hysterectomy. If the area is infected, your doctor might give you a stronger dose of antibiotics, or you might be given antibiotics via an injection or intravenous IV therapy.

Try these tips:. Straining can worsen pain and put pressure on the C-section site. Keep the C-section area clean by changing the bandages as needed. Just avoid rubbing, scratching, or scrubbing the C-section site. Most times, C-section scars heal properly. The issues that could crop up include:. By two weeks, your scar should look and feel much better.

Though the C-section scar will fade on its own over time, a few simple tricks can help minimize scarring:. Itching is very common since the nerves in the area have been disrupted.

Avoid scratching. To calm itchy skin, you can apply a minimal amount of OTC sunburn cream to the skin around the scar. Or hold an ice pack or ice wrapped in a towel to the area for about five to 10 minutes. Many women experience numbness or a tingling sensation in the area, which usually goes away with time. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only credible sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected health organizations.

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