What a kind and thoughtful partner you are Rich 
I was young, fit and absolutely horrified to find I was at the copped for severe pain afterwards end of the spectrum after my emergency section and took absolutely ages to recover even after a 2 week hospital stay. Baby was in SCBU and carrying my heavy hospital pillow from my bed to there was like doing a marathon.
Imagine your insides between your hip-bones in a band over 4 inches wide being sandpapered with a coarse grade sandpaper with any slight movement, that's how it was for me for months afterwards.
Anything like trying to lift the baby, a half-full kettle, stand up straight, walk normally, sit, stand, lie down was more than painful for a long long time afterwards. It took about 9 months for the pain to recede enough for me to have an ordinary life.
Trying to push the buggy on a gravel drive was almost impossible.
Partner getting dressed in a morning, insisting on sitting on the edge of the bed to put socks pants and trousers on, the bouncing around caused by that was painful.
Driving on bumpy roads was agony as a passenger, find a lovely cushion for her and do help getting the car seat in and out of the car and please carry the car seat.
Hopefully your wife won't be affected as badly as I was, from reading this thread it seems most women aren't, you lucky things! It was a real shock to me, I wasn't prepared to feel like that at all. I asked the consultant how long it would take to get back to my normal and he snapped, 'What do you expect? You've had major surgery, it can take two years to fully heal.'
Like everyone else has said, this is only one experience, all recoveries are different. Hopefully hers will be nothing like mine. 