Physical Recovery from C-Section

Do you long for an invisible scar, smooth belly, and flatter stomach with no “c-section shelf”?

You’re not vain. These qualities can be a reflection of optimal health.

Most doctors don’t inform us about the physical impact of cesarean birth. And although cesarean surgery is the most common surgery in the US and Canada, it’s the only one that isn’t accompanied by a rehabilitation plan.

What are some common physical impacts of cesarean surgery?

• A belly that continues to stick out, even months or years after birth. Some people call this a “mom pooch” but it is caused by a condition called diastasis recti, or separation of the abdominal muscles. Special exercises are needed to help bring them back together. This condition happens to all bodies that undergo pregnancy, but can be more difficult to heal in cesarean bodies.

• Raised or hypertonic scar

• Scar sensitivity or numbness

• Belly sensitivity above or below scar

• Chronic pain in hips, lower back, and pelvis (often caused by scar tissue)

• Painful sexual intercourse (this is often caused by scar tissue and adhesions)

• A “shelf” of fat on the belly above the scar (also caused by scar tissue)

While your OB might not offer any guidance beyond your 6 week appointment, there are some incredible Physical Therapists, massage therapists, and fitness trainers around the globe offering in-person and internet-based cesarean recovery support. Many of them are cesarean mothers who have first-hand experience with healing.

I’ve included some of my current favorites below.

For most bodies, recovery after a cesarean will require a combination of scar massage, special exercise, and patience.

And, I also want to say this…

The definition of recovery is not to return to how things were in the past, but to find a new basis for resilience, strength, and equanimity.

My personal recovery journey involves grieving the loss of the body I had before my pregnancy, birth trauma, and unwanted cesarean.

It involves grieving the loss of my entire pre-birth self.

This means that I am constantly working to release my desire to “get my body back” to the way it was before.

It doesn’t mean that I’ll stop trying to be as fit and healthy as I can. But that I’m working to let go of my desire to look exactly like I did before as my measurement of beauty, strength, and self-worth.

This motherhood journey has changed me, inside and out. Hasn’t it changed you?

Read more important insights about body image after a difficult cesarean here.