Early C-Section Recovery

C-Sections are major surgery, and put moms at higher risk for Diastasis Recti. Tension along the C-Section scar area can create abdominal wall dysfunction and pelvic floor muscle dysfunction.

Healing from a C-Section requires a lot of scar tissue work and core rehabilitation.

In addition, C-Section scars create scar tissue around the organs in the body, which can result in bladder and bowel irritation, and there are some emerging schools of thought around the effects of abdominal scar tissue and fertility.

Despite this, moms are not given any direction around healing following a C-Section.

The following blog will provide you with guidelines around early C-Section recovery.

Early C-Section Recovery

Immediate following a c-section it is important to focus on managing constipation, relaxing your pelvic floor on the toilet for bowel movements and urination, and rolling on your side to get in and out of bed rather than sitting straight up.

You can begin gently abdominal massage can be employed to help mobilize the organ so long as it avoids touching the scar. This can help with swelling and bowel movements as well.

After scar tissue healing has occurred, scar tissue mobilization can begin. This will require daily mobilization for 3-6 months after your surgery, and will likely extend into a weekly or monthly life-long practice.

Ideally, scar tissue should be as mobile and pliable as the skin around it. Ropy and tight C-Section scars are problematic because a tight scar can disrupt muscle function.

Your pelvic floor physical therapist can help mobilize your scar and teach you how to perform this at home.

Early Core Strengthening

After scar healing has occurred, it's safe to begin gentle core strengthening. One reason for pain around the scar site after healing is clenching and pulling of our six-pack ab muscle, Rectus Abdominis.

We can help to decrease this by working on restoring proper breathing breathing mechanics, which is the first step in restoring abdominal function.

Try the exercise below to get started.

You can also begin gently activating our lower abdominal wall. One technique is to flatten out our belly just underneath the scar on the exhale.

Don't continue if there is any pain or discomfort with the exercises. C-Section healing is not something we want to be pushing our bodies though.

If you find you are struggling with healing your abdominal wall or C-Section scar, make sure you book your session today!

If you are dealing with diastasis, make sure you book your session here today!

Want to know more about pelvic floor physical therapy and how it can help before you book? Check out our Comprehensive Guide To Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy here!