Let’s Be Frank About: C-Section Recovery
Whether you are planning to have a C-Section or have recently experienced a huge curveball from your birth plan, here’s a lil tender but cheeky 101 on how to best care for yourself and your new scar post C-Section.
First off I want to acknowledge that although I am being Frank and light about this topic, I am very sensitive to the fact that birth can be heartbreakingly traumatizing. Recovering from birth must gently address the physical and emotional sides of our experience. If you are struggling postpartum please contact your preferred medical professional or come see me in clinic for support. Click here to book in with me.
So Let’s Begin!
In this article we will cover:
What should I expect early post C-Section?
What do I do when I’m starting to feel better?
Can C-Sections cause pelvic floor issues?
p.s I offer these pictures to normalize the fact that all scars are different! Each person who offered these pictures had no idea how their scar compared to others.
1- What Should I Expect Early Post C-Section
Let’s all set the expectation that the first week(s) is going to suck.
Major abdominal surgery is no walk through the park and for the first 7-10 days but honestly - neither is a vaginal delivery. After any kind of injury (muscle strain or tear) it’s normal to expect the classic features of acute inflammation; pain, swelling, heat, redness, loss of function. During this stage your body is hard at work trying to digest the initial “injury” and when things are this inflamed it can feel super sensitive to do anything. This is a time of REST. Considering the incision runs through many (7) layers of tissue including your core muscles (or tendons), your core is gonna completely out of order for the first while and it’s very weird and scary but if you navigate movement gently, your incision is incredibly capable and resilient.
Here are some gentle suggestions on how to navigate the first week.
Spend so much time in bed: Tissue that is trying to recovery does not like being loaded and stressed. Week one is in bed or around bed. I promise you a slow approach to your recovery will lead to a faster overall recovery.
Move as if you’re still very pregnant: Given you wont have access to your rock hard abs, it’s important to keep rolling over when trying to get up out of bed. Reduce the demand on your belly. Move slowly. Move properly. And ask for help!
Exhale to transition: Exhaling when you’re doing the harder part of a movement can help reduce pain and reduce pressure on your incision. It’s great to practice throughout pregnancy and postpartum but it can be a great tool to move a bit more comfortably.
Do 2 sets of 10 deep breaths daily: It’s normal to have a lot of protective tension around your abdomen and pelvic floor after surgery. Taking mindful breaths can help gently mobilize this tissue within safe ranges and slowly reduce tension that hinders healing. It’s natural to feel safer when things are protectively tight but tension reduces blood flow, pulls more on your incision and doesn’t actually help very much. It’s also so good for your nervous system. It will need it.
Stand up tall from the very beginning: It’s common to be afraid to stand up straight but its so important to prevent further restriction around your scar tissue. Keep in mind that people getting total hip replacements and spinal surgery are standing on Day 1. The body is incredible. We need to be mindful of how much we’re doing but moving properly sets the foundation for proper tissue recovery.
Live in a pillow fort: Surround yourself with pillows like you're building a castle. Use them for support while sitting, lying down, or even just hugging so that you can use minimal effort to stay in x position. Pillows are also excellent to hug/splint when you need to cough, sneeze, laugh, move around.
2- What do I do when I’m starting to feel better?
There is a window of time, typically around 2-3 weeks post op where people start to feel so much more capable and comfortable in their body. They feel healed ! Hooray! This is the moment I want you to think of me 🙋🏽♀️, pulling the reigns on your “I’m all better” parade, reminding you that the sweet lil baby collagen tissue being laid down at your incision site is still very new and trying so very hard to close up that wound and it doesn’t need the added strain of you going around power cleaning your house. BUT there is a lot more wiggle room and it is time to start gently opening up the body and starting to reconnect to some sleepy muscles.
This is where Frank comes in!
In the Postnatal Frank Platform there are education, mobility, and gentle activation videos specifically for the time where “You Feel Better but it Hasn’t Been 6 Weeks.” The instagram videos below also contain some simple ideas to incorporate as your recovery progresses.
3- Can C-Sections Cause Pelvic Floor Issues?
People often think they have been spared from PF issues because they have had a C-Section… and while it’s true that you’re much less likely to develop a prolapse, or stress incontinence from PF weakness, C-Sections are associated with more tension related issues such as:
urinary urgency
urinary frequency / overactive bladder
painful sex
Why?? Is all boils down to the restrictions that build up around the tight abdominal scar tissue. Given the scar lives right above your bladder, tightness around this area can restrict the bladders ability to stretch and distend as it fills. This restriction can increase frequency of urination and can also increase the intensity of needing to go pee. Due to the fact that our connective tissue is allllll connected, the adhesive scar tissue around the belly can pull down into the pelvic floor restricting its ability to lengthen and accommodate something or someone vaginally. (On top of the fact that hormonally and emotionally postnatal people … are not interested in sex.). All of this is treatable with gentle and progressive scar mobilization which you can learn ALL about here ◡̈
Scar mobilization is an essential part of C-Section recovery and should only be started approximately 6-8 weeks post op or once the incision has completely closed.
Watch this video to learn why it’s important, and how to do it!
In Summary
Recovering from birth, whether C-Section or Vaginal, is a process that requires patience, humility, and progressive overload. I sympathize that recovering from pregnancy takes far longer than anyone would like, but rather than focusing on "I was told I’d be better by 6 weeks” we should focus on - it took 9 months to grow a baby, it should take 9 months to regain our strength and sense of self. Here are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to is this normal or not and of course - if you have any questions or concerns go check out your preferred medical professional or pelvic floor physiotherapist!
By Rachelle Bonneville - Founder of Frank
