14/04/2025
April is C-Section Awareness Month
Find me a photo that better sums up what life after a C-Section is like. Meet this beautiful mumma who is one of my clients, and Master L who, mid way through mums abdominal and scar release session, decided he needed his mumma. While she’s healing from major abdominal surgery, she’s still caring for a little person who needs her for everything.
After a c-section, these two things, healing and motherhood, don’t have the chance to happen independently. From the minute the baby comes out, while mums insides are still open, she instantly starts caring for her baby, connecting, nurturing, loving, all while she’s being stitched back together.
7 layers deep of wounds. Seven! Then she’s required to sit, feed, stand, settle, change, and repeat numerous times over within the first few hours after surgery. It’s absolutely wild, and such a rough start to the magical journey of motherhood.
Societies expectations of the modern mother can be such a burden on healing from any mode of birth, but particularly from c-sections. I’m so passionate about c-section recovery and I honestly could go on and on for hours.
But instead, here are my top tips for recovering from your c-section:
🌟 “Sitting isn’t rest” - where possible, try to lay down flat as much as possible in those early few weeks post c-section. This will help your scar to not heal too tight.
🌟 Scars take 12-16 weeks to knit properly. Avoid heavy lifting and abdominal work including Pilates until the 16 week timeframe. An individualised assessment here is vital!
🌟 Gentle opening movements. Stand, take a small step backwards with one leg and reach your arms up to the sky, step back in. Repeat on the other side. Do a few in a row.
🌟 Deep belly breathing - use your breath to help mobilise your scar. Daily. Multiple times. It’s a game changer. Try to reconnect to your abdo, and if you’re having trouble here, we can help you!
🌟 Watch for pain/ache/dull throb, at the end of the day or before you get out of bed in the morning. If this is happening, pull back, you’re doing too much! Beg, borrow and steal help wherever possible.
🌟 Keep your scar covered for 6 weeks with Hyperfix. If your scar is dark or raised, once scabs have totally healed and you’re 8+ weeks post birth, start treating your scar with silicone tape (we sell this and can advise if you need it or not).
🌟 Book in for C-Section / Abdominal Release from 8-12 weeks post birth. These sessions are the BEST things ever and can help not just the appearance of your scar, but for any pain, pulling, numbness etc that you might be experiencing (no matter how many years/decades - truly! - after). Make sure you book a review 3 weeks later, and another one another 3-4 weeks after that for best results.
And to a third of you out there who are belly birthing mums, you’re superwoman. We are here for you, please don’t be living with pain or discomfort in your scar, we are here to help! X
Book online at www.plwp.com.au
