Whether you’re days out of your first c-section, preparing for your VBAC or are several years postpartum with all of your babies… your c-section scar is your forever companion. It’s a reminder of the beautiful children you have, and it tells the story of how you birthed them like the warrior you are.
I don’t know how many mamas are like me, but I didn’t want anything to do with my scar. It was hard for me to look at or touch during recovery and even years after my births. But the truth is that our c-section scars deserve our attention.
We’re often sent home from the hospital with a long list of ways to care for our newborn and maybe even a few things to consider for our recovery (like weight restrictions or pain med dosages), but it’s extremely uncommon for providers to tell us how to care for our scar. And it’s really not something discussed at the typically trite six-week postpartum visit either.
Why is no one talking to us about taking care of our c-section scar? And how do we do it anyway?
Well, dear friend, consider this your guide to all things c-section scar massage.
What to Expect with Your C-Section Scar
There are four different types of incisions a provider could use when performing your c-section. The most common is the low-transverse or bikini cut (read our article on special scars for info on the other three types). Regardless of what kind, an incision is made through the skin and the wall of the abdomen as well as the wall of the uterus to allow for baby’s delivery.
Surgical stitches are used to close your uterus and a combination of surgical thread, glue or staples are used to close the incision in your abdominal wall and skin. In most cases, all of these materials dissolve and are absorbed by the body (ACOG, 2023).
It’s common to experience some pain in the incision site for a few days, typically controlled by pain medications. Things you may still experience during the first few weeks include discomfort, tenderness, numbness, pinkish skin color and / or puffiness.
Eventually, that incision turns into a scar, usually flattening out and returning to a normal skin color or maybe slightly darker. And for many of us… that’s it. We don’t really think about our scar anymore because our providers don’t recommend additional care. However, there can be issues months and even years later if our scar goes uncared for. We may not see the adhesions that have formed at the scar site or the organs that could be dysfunctioning due to scar tissue below the surface. We may not realize that the discomfort, shelf appearance, mobility, fertility or painful sex issues we have are actually abnormal and treatable.
Enter: scar massage.
Benefits of Scar Mobilization & Massage
Several studies have shown a correlation between general scar management (basically any type of scar care like massage, compress, topical treatments, etc.) and positive effects on scar color, itchiness, appearance, mobilization and more. One study published in 2022, looked at the effects of scar mobilization specifically on c-section scars and found benefits to both pain and elasticity after just two sessions.
Physical therapists, fitness professionals and others trained in women’s health will be the first to tell us the many benefits of mobilizing, desensitizing and massaging c-section scars…
- Improves blood flow and healing time
- Helps to flatten and soften the scar
- May reduce the appearance of a “shelf”
- Decreases pain, itching and discoloration at the scar site
- Improves tightness and elasticity of skin surrounding the scar
- Prevents / removes scar tissue formation under the surface, improving organ function
A Professional’s Perspective
I am so excited to include an expert’s opinion on this topic! Dr. Anna Towne, a Pelvic Floor PT + owner of StrongCoreMama, has offered us a wealth of information on the topic of scar massage. Read on to hear what Anna has to say about c-section scar massage.
Why is scar massage important?
C-section scars can cause a lot of issues in the body if they are not mobilized. Not only does c-section mobilization improve core function, it also helps reduce pain. The most common c-section scar issues Dr. Anna sees in the PT clinic are the following:
- Pulling, tugging or strange sensations (burning, stabbing, itching) in the scar site
- Increased tension in muscles & fascia around the scar
- Pain during sex or when using tampons
- Back pain, pain in the tailbone area
- Heaviness in the pelvic floor
- Leaking or increased urinary urgency
- C-section “shelf” or “mama pooch”
All of these issues can be improved by desensitizing, mobilizing and strengthening the pelvic area.
Scar Massage: How to…
If you’re new to scar care, start here! Thanks to Dr. Anna, we’ve made it simple to follow these basic steps for beginning your scar care journey whether you’re newly postpartum or years down the road.
1. Start with massaging/desensitizing the tissue around the scar.
2. Progress to mobilizing the scar itself with vertical strokes,
horizontal strokes,
and small circles.
3. Finally, progress to skin rolling which is lifting up the scar and tissue around it and moving it.
All images courtesy of Dr. Anna Towne with StrongCoreMama.
When should we start these exercises? Is it too late for me?
Start as soon as possible. You can start with indirect massage around the scar (step 1 above) at 2-4 weeks postpartum. Once you are cleared by your medical provider, ar 6-8 weeks, you can move to more direct scar massage and desensitization (steps 2 and 3 above).
Dr. Anna says, “It is NEVER too late. I have patients who are years or even decades out from c-section and they greatly benefit from implementing these techniques. Moms who have had chronic back pain or pelvic floor pain for years have complete symptom resolution when implementing these strategies.”
Other Ways to Care for Your Scar
Again, your scar is part of you, and we hope you believe it’s worth taking care of. Dr. Anna recommends starting early after your c-section with gentle compress and abdominal support. She highly recommends the Baobei bloomers. Avoid tight garments if at all possible. Additionally, she highly suggests deep core retraining and rehab exercises, which are important to regaining that brain-muscle connection to the deep core.
Where to Find More Info
This is a big topic, something we know mamas in our community want and need more info on. We’ve been stacking our socials with info, and we hope the information and photos in this article have been helpful. If you feel like you still need and want more, here are some next steps…
Check out these resources for more information on c-section scar massage:
- StrongCoreMama: Cesarean Track – postpartum core rehab program with Dr. Anna
- Cesarean Recovery Program with Janette
- MamasteFit – blogs, videos, fitness programs and courses
- Expecting & Empowered – blogs, videos, podcast, fitness programs & more
- The VBAC Link Podcast, episode 123 – Cesarean Scar Massage and Care with Lynn (Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts)
Also, checkout our Amazon storefront for our favorite scar care products!
Thank you, thank you, thank you to Dr. Anna with StrongCoreMama. We always appreciate collaborating with other women who are also working to make life after cesarean better. Check her out on her socials or on her website for a wealth of information to support your c-section, VBAC or postpartum journey.
As always, my strong friend, I will leave you with this affirmation and reminder…
We’re so grateful to be on this journey with you!
Don’t forget to join our Facebook community, follow-us on Instagram, check out our Parents VBAC and HBAC Education course and give our podcast a listen where lots of incredible women share their VBAC journeys.
Sources
https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/cesarean-birth
https://www.janetteyee.com/blog?tag=scar+massage
Deflorin C, Hohenauer E, Stoop R, van Daele U, Clijsen R, Taeymans J. Physical management of scar tissue: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Altern Complement Med. 2020 Oct;26(10):854-865. doi:10.1089/acm.2020.0109
Gilbert I, Gaudreault N, Gaboury I. Exploring the effects of standardized soft tissue mobilization on the viscoelastic properties, pressure pain thresholds, and tactile pressure thresholds of the cesarean section scar. J Integr Complement Med. 2022 Apr;28(4):355-362. doi:10.1089/jicm.2021.0178
Lubczyńska A, Garncarczyk A, Wcisło-Dziadecka D. Effectiveness of various methods of manual scar therapy. Skin Res Tech. 2023 Feb;29(3):1-12. doi:10.1111/srt.13272
Red Raspberry Leaf Tea: Evidence Explained