From Surgery To Day 2: Protecting Your Incision
In the hospital, your incision is usually covered by a dressing. Your surgeon will tell you how long it should stay on, often up to 24 to 48 hours.
During these first days, your only incision jobs are to:
- Keep the area clean and dry.
- Leave the dressing alone unless your provider says otherwise.
- Ask every "silly" question that pops into your mind.
You are allowed to rest and let other people fuss over you. Your body has just done something huge.
Days 2 To The End Of Week 1
Showering and Cleaning
Once your dressing comes off and your doctor says it is okay, you can usually start showering.
Remember, do not start scrubbing the incision like a dirty pan. Just let the water and mild soap pass over it.
When you're done, gently pat the area dry with a clean towel. No rubbing. No harsh lotions or oils yet. Often, the incision can be left open to the air at this stage unless your surgeon still wants it covered because of some light bleeding.
Learning To Lie Flat On Your Back
Another key focus in the first week is learning to lie flat on your back.
If you are still in the hospital with the bed propped up, start lowering it a little at a time. Pay attention to how your belly feels. You might only manage a small change at first, and that is okay. The goal is to slowly work toward lying flat on your back before you go home, since your bed at home will be flat.
Lying flat is not just about sleeping. It gives a gentle stretch across the incision so it does not stay stuck in a bent, "curled forward" position.
Reconnecting With Your Breath
At the same time, start reconnecting with your breath. Place your hands near your incision and imagine sending your breath down to that area.
As you inhale, feel your belly rise and expand. As you exhale, let your belly relax.
This rise and fall is like a tiny internal massage that supports healing and eases swelling.
Weeks 1-6: Calming The Area Around Your Scar
Once you are home and the incision is staying closed, we can start working with the skin around it. Not on the scar yet, but above and below.
Think of the little nerves around your incision like a sensitive car alarm. After surgery, they can go off too easily. A waistband, a sheet, or a light touch can suddenly feel like "too much."
How can we help those nerves calm down?
From about week 1, if your healing looks good and your provider is happy with it, you can start desensitizing the area:
- Work a few finger widths above and a few finger widths below the incision.
- Use clean hands at first.
- Lightly stroke across the skin, side to side and up and down.
Over time, you can play with different soft textures: a soft washcloth, a cotton ball, even a clean soft toothbrush. The goal is teaching your body that these sensations are safe.
Around week 2, you can start with a very gentle massage above and below the scar. Press your fingertips into the tissue (still not on the scar or incision line) and move them up and down, side to side, and in small circles. Stay in a comfortable range. This gives the tissue around the scar more freedom to move, which helps the scar itself, even though you are not touching it directly yet.
Early Movement, Without Overdoing It
One of the most confusing parts of early recovery is figuring out how much movement is "too much." You just had surgery, but you also do not want to feel frozen.
From day 2 onward, we look for gentle, smart movement:
In bed: Practice log rolling
When you get up, roll to your side so your shoulders and hips move together, then push yourself up with your arms. When you lie down, do the reverse. This avoids twisting your belly in those early days.
Light core work
Once you can lie on your back, place your fingers just inside your hip bones in the soft area. Take a breath in. As you exhale, gently draw your lower belly in, like zipping up high-waisted leggings only a tiny bit. Feel a light firming under your fingers, then fully relax.
Glute squeezes
Lying down, gently squeeze your butt muscles, then let go. Notice if you are tensing your shoulders, jaw, or belly and try to soften.
These small contractions act like a pump. They bring blood in and help fluid move out, which supports healing.
Week 2: Adding More Movement
After that first week, if your provider is comfortable with it, you can slowly introduce more movement. We still stay in a pain free range, and we avoid big twists at first, but your body is ready for a bit more.
Some options:
Standing cat cow at a counter
Stand with your hands on a counter, knees soft. As you inhale, gently arch your back, lifting your chest. As you exhale, gently round your back, tucking your tail. Move slowly, like your spine is flowing in a small wave.
Gentle upper body twist (thread the needle)
With your hands still on the counter, gently slide one hand under the other arm, letting your upper body rotate a little. Then come back and switch sides. Keep the movement small at first, especially in the first two weeks.
Lying on your stomach again
Around week 2 or later, you can try lying on your stomach again if you were a stomach sleeper before. Start with a pillow under your chest and hips, and just stay for a few minutes. If it feels like too much, that is information, not failure. Try again in another week or two.
All of this movement is about helping your body feel less stiff and more like your own again, little by little.
Week 6: Starting Scar Massage
Around week 6, if your surgeon has cleared you and the scar is fully healed, you can usually start massaging directly on the scar line.
This is where many moms feel nervous. You might feel squeamish, avoid looking at the scar, or even feel angry when you see it. All of those reactions are normal after surgery and birth.
If you feel okay touching the area, you can begin with simple scar massage:
- Wash your hands.
- Place your fingertips directly on the scar.
- Press in gently until you feel some pressure but not sharp pain.
- Move up and down along the scar, then side to side, then in small circles.
- When you find a spot that feels tight or "sticky," pause and take a few slow breaths, then continue.
This can take about 3 to 5 minutes a day. The shower is a great time, or right before bed.
If you are not ready to touch the scar yet, you can stay with above and below, keep journaling, and keep working on looking at the scar in the mirror for short moments. Emotional readiness matters.
Week 10: Next Level Support For Your Scar
Between weeks 9 and 12, depending on how things look and feel, some people are ready for deeper scar work. This is often where working with a pelvic floor physical therapist or a postpartum PT is especially helpful.
At this stage, the work may include:
- Deeper massage that reaches the muscles under your scar.
- Techniques that gently influence the tissues near the uterus, where another layer of healing happened.
- Tools like simple cups or scraping tools used by a trained professional, or taught to you for home use.
The goal is not to "break" scar tissue apart, like a hard knot. It is more like encouraging sticky layers of tape to glide more smoothly so your belly and pelvis can move freely again.
You still listen to your body. If you find yourself holding your breath, clenching, or bracing, it is a sign to back off.
Pain Relief That Supports Healing
Pain after a C-section is real and deserves attention. Alongside your prescribed pain medication, these simple tools can help support your recovering body.
Heat
A low setting heating pad over your belly for about 20 minutes can feel nurturing and soothing. Always place a cloth between your skin and the heat source, and take breaks in between.
Red light therapy
If you already own a red light mask or pad and your provider says it is okay, you can use it over your incision to support healing and comfort.
Ice
Short bursts of ice, wrapped and used for no more than 20 minutes, can help in the moment for strong pain, but long term—heat may be more supportive for tissue healing.
None of these tools are about "toughing it out." They are about calming your nervous system so your body can do what it is trying to do anyway: repair.
The Emotional Side Of Living With A C Section Scar
Your scar is more than a mark. It is connected to your birth story.
You might feel proud of it, or you might avoid looking at it. You might feel like it belongs to you, or like it happened to you. You might feel both things on the same day.
Here are some gentle ways to support the emotional side of healing:
- Journaling: Write out your birth story, including how you feel about the surgery and the scar.
- Look at your incision in a mirror for just a few seconds at first, then a bit longer as you feel ready.
- Place your hand above the scar and send a few kind thoughts to that part of your body, even if they feel awkward at first.
- If you have always felt squeamish around blood or surgery, even before pregnancy, it makes sense that this feels harder for you. That does not mean you are weak. It simply means your body and mind need gentle support.
Quick reminder
Remember, slow progress is still progress. You are not falling behind, and you are not doing this wrong.
Healing after a C section is slow, tender work, and that is okay.
You are tending on your own healing while still caring for a tiny human, and that is a big job. Don't ever undermine that.
Reaching out, needing time, help, and reassurance does not make you weak.
It makes you wise, and it makes you deeply invested in your own well-being and your baby's.
Your Next Gentle Step
If you are in the early weeks postpartum or months after a C-section and want more guidance on healing your body, especially your pelvic floor and scar, my free guide "Take Care Down There" is a supportive next step.
I will walk you through simple, safe ways to care for your pelvic floor and core so that you are not guessing your way through recovery. You do not need to bounce back immediately. You are allowed to heal at your own pace, one small step at a time.
FAQs
1What if I am already 8 to 10 weeks postpartum and my scar still hurts?
It is okay to "go back" and start the early steps now. You can bring in gentle breathing, desensitizing above and below, and, if you are cleared, gradual scar massage. Persistent or worsening pain is always a reason to reach out to your provider or a pelvic floor PT.
2Is it too late to work on my scar months later?
In most cases, no. Scar tissue is living tissue. It can still change, soften, and move better even months or years down the road with the right support.
3When can I soak in a bath?
Usually not until around 6 weeks, when your provider confirms that the incision is fully healed. Before that, stick with showers and patting dry.
4What if I really cannot touch my scar at all right now?
Start where you are. That might be journaling, breathing into the area with your hand on top of your clothes, or working only above and below. You can pair this with support from a therapist, birth worker, or pelvic floor PT who understands both the physical and emotional sides of postpartum healing.