To ask about your C-Section scar?

[HelloBunny]

Aibu to think that mine might have healed nicely by now? Or do some scars never really fade away to the fabled feint line?

I had EMCS almost a year ago. The recovery was brutal... The scar was very raw / lumpy, and took ages to settle down. I used a medicated lotion on it for the first three months.

Now, it’s still quite delicate. I never really touch it. It’s livid, purple, and sticks out as if it was a long earth worm across my front. Behind it the muscle (or whatever) is hard.

It still feels tight at times & gets “tired” after long walks / housework, etc... I haven’t done any heavy exercise (or lost much baby weight). I’m not a young woman, so maybe that’s a factor!

Funny thing is, I have no stretch marks & my pink freckly skin behaved quite well during / after the pregnancy (I did lotion or coconut oil every day). I’m not left with hang-y skin, either (well, perhaps when I lose more weight...)

The scar is quite low down, but catches on knickers that are not granny pants (I would to give them up!). I’ve had my bikini days, so I’m not much worried about that...

Yanbu - it will eventually improve.
Yabu - you’re stuck with it for life.

It sounds like a keloid scar. I don’t claim to know anything about them but there are patches you can put on them although I’m not sure how well they work. I’m sure someone more knowledgeable will come along shortly but have a look at keloid scars on Google.

Mine is invisible and I’ve had 2 emcs, even the midwife was surprised at how unnoticeable it was but then mind you I have loads of stretch marks so swings and roundabouts!

Mine is 10 years old and invisible , it still feels a bit weird to touch but I don't really ever think about it .

If I do touch mine, what I notice is that the muscle / flesh around / under the scar is numb.

My first one sounded liked yours - it was really sore. When I had my second c-section, the nice surgeon said ‘ooo that doesn’t look very good’ and she ‘tidied’ it up - my new scar from my 2nd is now amazing! Barely noticeable!
Not sure this helps you unless you’re planning another baby via c-section, but just so you know you’re not alone! Maybe it’s the way the surgeon does it? It should settle down a bit more with time I’d imagine but if not may be worth a trip to the doctor & see if there’s something they can do (other than have another baby!)

I’m the same as you OP as in mines was nearly a year go now ( a year next week actually) and I was thinking this exact same thing the other day.

My recovery was really great actually didn’t have much pain at all only trying to sit up and lay down for about 2 weeks but the scar itself is still really pink/purple and I still have no feeling from the scar ( very low down also ) up to my belly button and wondering if it will ever come back? Then at the sides of the scar at times, is so so painful to touch!

Apart from the pink/purple appearance it doesn’t look too bad but I do wonder if it will ever fade……

I've always been a good "healer" I've had 2 c sections and both my scars are almost invisible.
But I am also numb from my belly button down to my scar.
I had a little palm sized patch of numbness after my first and it spread to most my stomach after my second.
Its only surface numbness and only affects the skin, but its still a bit crap.
We all heal differently and at our own pace.

Mine feels weird, 2.5 years on I don't like to touch it. Not that I can see it, as it rests underneath a nice pouch of flab.

Mine started off like yours OP. I havd some keloid scarring. It's not invisible now some sox years later but it's the same colour and not obvious. I think it took two years to settle though. Certainly still visible after a year

That’s good to know @TheWitchersWife I thought something was wrong and was too scared to ask about it ( I know I shouldn’t be ) but that’s really reassuring thanks so much!

Mine was very much how you describe for ages and took about 3/4 years to fully settle down. It used to be red and raised and get irritated very easily, I wore my huge c-section knickers until DD was about 3. And then I remember one day when she was about 4 looking in the mirror and realising I could hardly see it anymore! She's 7 now and I honestly never think about it.

I remember feeling just like you about a year in, there really should be more information available so women can have a better understanding/more realistic expectations of how they'll heal. I had no idea it would take so long!

Mine is hip to hip and then got infected, I hated it, couldn’t touch it and it was either numb or overly sensitive in different places for months after it had healed. Couldn’t bring myself to massage it as it made me feel queasy but I used silicon strips made to help scars and they made a massive difference over 3 months. The sensation is now completely normal, not sore or numb and it’s very pale pink (I’m very very pale) and mostly flat. No overhang - pure luck I’m sure, and no stretch marks. I’m fine touching it, wear whatever pants I like and barely ever think of it.

It does sound like it might be keloid which is tricky as even if excised it can happen again

I have an enormous scar on my arm from an accident. For the first several years it was dark, and a big ridge round my arm. It’s now 20 years old and barely noticeable - same colour as my skin and dips slightly when my arm is straightened but nothing like it was.

Mine took about 4 years and looked and felt very much as you describe before that, but it's like a barely there invisible line now. Still have the numbness, but it doesn't bother me. I didn't use any creams on it.

I’ve had two and my last was ten years ago. Nerves have mainly grown back and it’s faint and silver. Can’t see it in my pubes!

Mine is still v visible, 20 months after my last section. It’s purple, and wonky!
I don’t like to touch it because it feels weird and like it should be sore even though it’s not really. Makes me feel squeamish when I have my bikini waxed

Mine is barely visible now, DD is 18 months.

However, if I do too much in a day it can feel a bit achey.. or like I’m aware of it but not painful or sore for a day after. It also tend to go a bit purple coloured if I do something quite strenuous too.. or if my jeans irritate it.

Mines super low down and no hem of my underwear goes anywhere near it really.
It’s also mega short because DD was only 4lbs 13oz so didnt need a bigger incision to get her out

And like you OP I didn’t get any stretch marks or anything, no overhang which is nice.. but then my vamp wasn’t very big either and I didn’t gain much weight over my pregnancy, I weighed more because of baby but I guess my actual body didn’t change too much.

I think it can take years and year for it to settle completely, I don’t think yours would be quite done yet and I I’ll continue to improve slightly. But if it’s how you describe now, I don’t think your end result will be non-existent. It may always be quite purple and stuck out. Nothing wrong with that though IMO! 🥰

22 years on and still numb , and hard to touch, gets sweaty there under the hanging tum

My last one is now 5yrs old and is only very faint, both were extremely neat and I believe I was lucky but they probably took their time as my dr DH was watching them sew me up and would have been very critical if it had been anything but neat and the last one was very calm as it was planned.
Mine is still numb if you touch the actual scar I never got feeling back there but it's not painful or uncomfortable just weird.

I remember mine feeling numb for a long time, probably a little over a year. However, now (2,5 years later) it's absolutely fine feeling-wise and virtually invisible. It looks like close it's a thin white neat line (but it's below my hair line, you can only see if I wax the top of my bikini...).

I had abdo hysterectomy a month ago it’s about 20cm long, it’s nice looking though apart from one lumpy end! Mine is all numb and I expect that it might never fully return
I have the overhang 😭

Mine still gets sore after 22 years and can be uncomfortable.

I had two in the space of two years and mine still isn't invisible and I have an annoying little pouch of fat above it no matter what my weight does. What's a bit unnerving is that I have no feeling around it on the left side. It's totally numb. This was 9 years ago

I have one lumpy end, where the stitching was knotted. It bulges out a bit more there. My belly still sticks out, only now I can suck in a bit (finally!) so I hope when I lose more weight I won’t be left with too much overhang.
I didn’t put on too much extra weight during the pregnancy, but my bump was big. The rest of me is as I always was, arms, legs etc... But my middle is slack due to the muscles still healing (and cake...)
Mine’s below the pubic line (which has risen over the years!) but I can’t imagine having a bikini wax... Yikes!
Some good tips here, re. silicon plasters etc...
It’s almost a year now, and looking to step up the weight loss, get back to normal (ha ha!) after the BF / small baby phase. Been keeping active, but getting back in shape is tough (having said that, I had my DS at 44 & I’ve been well able!)
Having another baby isn’t an option! (this one was a surprise, another would be a shock...)