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.

Everything was all gummed together. Expect it just depends on our bodies, my father has adhesions etc from past surgeries and my physique is like his.

I also had an EMCS and I think it took a good 3 years before the scar area felt properly back to normal. Maybe even a bit longer. I know that probably isn't what you want to hear, but better late than never eh?! If it's any consolation my baby is now 6 and you can barely see my scar now. I had a pouch/shelf for the first couple of years even though I was very slim, I hated it (but obviously small price to pay for healthy baby) and thought I was going to be stuck with it forever, but it's totally gone now and I actually have a flat stomach again. Also I found my scar really itched for the first couple of years, but I can't say I've noticed it itching for years now. Moisturising definitely helped.

I think we really underestimate how long it takes to fully recover from CS (and giving birth in general actually), maybe because it's so commonplace and new mothers are expected to just get on with things regardless. Also, there was a long period of time (probably starting when my son was about your DC's age) when I felt physically back to normal, but didn't look physically back to normal. So it felt like my new body was permanent, but actually it just needed a lot longer to fix itself than I thought it would.

I had my second CS almost 4 years ago. The scar itself is white and very faint. I have a couple of permenant broken vein type blemishes next to it. It feels fine but if I scratch my skin anywhere on my lower belly it still feels quite numb. Also if I have a belly which I do post-lockdown it does an overhang shelf thing which I hate.

Mine is just like yours - still reddish and purplish and completely numb on the touch. Had DD 18m ago.

YLRC, yes thanks for making that point about the recovery from birth / small baby, in general. I expected myself to snap back sooner! It’s not fair to my body & mind, the whole thing is such a huge adjustment.

I’ve only recently finished BF. Only now do I feel like losing more weight. And only now that I feel less tired / totally wrecked. Feeling better reading about everyone else’s experiences, scar & the rest of it!

Doesn’t sound a normal recovery to me (and I’ve had four c sections; two with difficult recoveries). Have you massaged the area regularly?

OP your body has actually healed "too well", better than any of us with "normal" scars. This type of scar appears when the body overheals!

Your body produced excess collagen when you were healing and that's the reason for your scar being the way it is.

I had similar, a hypertrophic scar which is like what you describe but red rather than purple and probably not as large. In my own experience, nothing made it fade BUT I highly recommend these (below) to stop it catching on things. They were a life saver.

I've had another section since then and they cut the whole scar out and I've healed normally this time. However I've ended up with a tissue infection in the internal incision lol.

No stretch marks either time, these are unrelated.

alivercosmetics.com/products/aliver-silicone-scar-removal-treatment-sheets-4pcs?variant=39438393540793&gad=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0IGnBhDUARIsAMwFDLkhU3NlXNl_yj-ZalT1XlphdNOlbJUgV_xr91irov59DRndnyDWR84aAmiPEALw_wcB

Highly recommend these if the scar catches on clothing

https://alivercosmetics.com/products/aliver-silicone-scar-removal-treatment-sheets-4pcs?variant=39438393540793&gad=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0IGnBhDUARIsAMwFDLkhU3NlXNl_yj-ZalT1XlphdNOlbJUgV_xr91irov59DRndnyDWR84aAmiPEALw_wcB

I has a hypertrophic scar from my c-section scar - it's a milder form of keloid. I had a series of steroid injections into the scar to flatten it The scar was numb but the injections were quite painful - something about nerves trapped in the scar.

That should be "had" a hypertrophic scar. I did try silicone patches but they were always falling off and I kept finding them on the floor covered in carpet fluff.