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Original poster

C section scar dressing - do they put one on?

25 replies

Vap0 · 21/07/2016 19:17

Hi Ladies

Anyone who has had a c section before please can you let me know if they will put a dressing of any type over the wound? I keep reading about people saying massive knickers so maternity pads will cover it and soak up any seeping, this sounds like a quick way to get an infection to me? I had a similar operation a couple of years ago and they stuck on a very waterproof dressing which had a plastic kind of front and was left on for a few days until it fell off and the wound was assessed after the few days to see if it needed a new dressing. I really don't like the idea of an exposed scar.

What's the norm?
Will they put a dressing on if you ask for one?
Is there any reason I keep reading people don't tend to have them dressed?

Thanks in advance

OP posts:

KnockMeDown · 21/07/2016 19:22

I had a dressing which came off first time I had a shower. Wound was then checked, and a fresh dressing applied. This was done daily, but I was in for a week due to high blood pressure, and was on a ward run by a very old school midwife.

Crazycatlady83 · 21/07/2016 19:29

I had a waterproof dressing applied which was changed at the hospital once and once by the visiting midwife on one of their visits. I think you would definitely need the wound dressed! Good luck

Aus26 · 21/07/2016 19:30

After my section 4 months ago they put a big plastic sticky dressing over the wound that stayed there for 1 week. I was in the hospital for quite a while so it was removed by a midwife, but apparently for most women who are lucky enough to go home after a day or two the dressing is removed by community midwife. Once dressing is off it is still v sore so you need to make sure to keep washing and drying it. One consultant recommended that I wash the wound then blow it dry with a hair dryer several times a day, that seemed to work quite well, so that's my hot tip for keeping it clean and dry once dressing is off.

blackteaplease · 21/07/2016 19:35

I had a waterproof dressing on for about a week with my last section. When I took it off it left loads of sticky residue that stuck to my black granny pants. That fluff took ages to get off.

After that the wound was left to heal, I was told to leave it to air dry completely after showering. The mw checked it for signs of infection.

AndersArms · 21/07/2016 19:40

I had a section 2 weeks ago. The dressing stayed on until day 3 and then came off in the shower. Have been told to keep it as dry as possible and air it as often as possible.

Original poster

Vap0 · 22/07/2016 00:39

Thanks all

Not sure if I've been reading these other posts wrong. Very pleased to hear it is properly dressed.

OP posts:

seven201 · 22/07/2016 01:25

I think different hospitals do it differently. Last month I had a big sticky bandage. 5 days later the midwife at home watched me peel it off. Didn't hurt and it definitely wasn't going to peel off by itself in the shower like someone else's on this thread. Like someone else my knicker fluff got stuck to the sticky residue for a further few days.

scoobyloobyloo · 22/07/2016 05:22

I had one for 48 hrs til I showered when they told me to remove it. After that you just have to keep it clean and dry.

You can use nail varnish remover yo get rid of the sticky residue. Don't get it on the wound tho!

Mommym24 · 22/07/2016 05:30

Gosh no! Nail varnish remover !!! I had a dressing put on straight after then changed after 24 hours . Don't get dressing wet though as that can cause infection . 3 days later midwife took mine off at home then just gently wash in shower don't use any soaps on the area though. And make sure you pat dry and let air get to it to ensure really dry before getting dressed. After about 2 weeks I even forgot is had c section so there's nothing to worry about

DorotheaHomeAlone · 22/07/2016 05:36

Day 1 they put the dressing on. Day 2 I went home. Day 3 a community midwife visited and removed it. Day 7 (I think) midwife visited and removed the stitch. There was no seeping from the wound from day 2. I was amazed after both sections how quickly and easily I healed.

Marshpillow · 22/07/2016 06:53

My dressing was removed after about 24 hours and not replaced.

SnugglySnerd · 22/07/2016 06:56

Mine came off in the shower the morning after my section and was not replaced.

Bottomchops · 22/07/2016 07:07

I've had 2 sections. I had dissolvable stitches. I had a white plastic strip on mine for 24 hours!!! I couldn't believe it when the doctor came to see me the day after the op and just bloody removed it! I thought my insides would fall out! It already looked healed. After every shower you dab it with tissue paper. Writing that, it all sounds a bit crazy after major surgery! I had the big size 22 tesco pants. I never got an infection. I couldn't bring myself to lift my stomach and look at it though

RhubarbAndMustard · 22/07/2016 07:10

I had a big plastic dressing over mine and some small thin strips underneath. This was 4 months ago. Midwife took the dressing off at home day 4/5 I think (well I did it, with her there) and I took the strips off myself that night in the bath. All fine and wound virtually shut except a tiny section at the end. No infection.

ShowOfHands · 22/07/2016 07:12

Here they remove the dressing when you shower after the cs so mine was gone within 8 hours after each cs. I was encouraged to wash with plain water only, pat dry and air as much as possible.

Do not put a hairdryer anywhere near it. They are a germ breeding ground.

eurochick · 22/07/2016 07:25

I didn't have a dressing as such. My scar was glued and I had a sort of sticky layer over the area that wore off over a couple of weeks.

MamehaSan · 22/07/2016 07:34

I had a sticky dressing on for a day, they told me to peel it off when I had my first shower after 24 hrs. After that, they gave me a dry dressing (a bit like a sanitary towel but without the sticky strip on the back) which my big pants held in place. And that was it. So I don't think you've been reading posts wrong at all. Seems there's a bit of a mix of ways of doing things, according to these posts!

SockQueen · 22/07/2016 07:39

The massive knickers are as much about making sure the waistband doesn't dig into your scar as they are holding any pads etc in place.

mouldycheesefan · 22/07/2016 07:43

They sent me home without appropriate dressings and it became infected. Midwife put some dressings through my letter box but they were not the right ones. #shit

Roomba · 22/07/2016 10:17

I got the big dressing with waterproof backing, like others here. But my hospital was v keen to get the dressing off asap - during my first shower. After that they expected the scar to just be aired I think, which was just silly and painful. I attached a sanitary towel sideways across the scar inside my big pants IYSWIM.

Second time round was the same, but I couldn't get the dressing off in the shower as it was stuck far too tight. So it got left on for 3 days, but when they came to discharge me they were shocked it was still on and made me remove it before I could go.

It was a few weeks each time before I could wear knickers without having a pad underneath covering the scar. I did send my DP round several chemists to see if they stocked large dressings like the ones used in the hospital, but nowhere appeared to stock them at all.

Roomba · 22/07/2016 10:21

Forgot to add, I had the same aftercare each time despite having 'beads' (thin metal wire threaded through wound with beads on each end) the first time and 'Superglue' the second time (and oh, how much better that healed, it was miraculous).

Ihatechoosingnames · 22/07/2016 10:21

First time dressing came off 12 hours later when I stood up to go for a shower. Second time it was a waterproof one with some sort of chemical that promotes healing (what a midwife said, she probably explained it better but I was dazed!) and it stayed on for 48 hours til just before I was discharged. Other than that no further dressings. Just lots of air and wearing big knickers. Got an infection first time round and not the second. Not much you can do about infections dressing or not, both times I aired the scar out and kept it dry and clean (DO NOT EVER USE A HAIRDRYER!) so was just the luck of the draw for me

BeardMinge · 22/07/2016 11:01

I had like a big clear sticky dressing over mine, think it came off after a few days, can't really remember.

The big pants are to avoid the waistband rubbing the scar, and the pads are because you still bleed even if you have a c-section, you don't need to cover the wound with a pad, the more air you get to it the better.

Mummyme87 · 22/07/2016 16:09

Dressing on until first shower so next day after CS usually. Then keep clean and dry. Theory of dressings being on too long is more risk of infection due to being enclosed with no air

Southy84 · 24/07/2016 08:09

my dressing was taken off on day 3 and not replaced, my scar healed amazingly. A tip a midwife gave me to get the stickiness off your skin from the dressing was to use baby oil, it worked really well! I just put a load on a piece of cotton wool and gently rubbed it off, just being careful of your scar of course :)

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