View Full Version : 7 months on.. how's your scar?
Blue&Pink
11-11-2005, 13:52
I've only just been able to look down there :p But mine is still pink and fresh.
It's been giving me a bit of pain recently, I went to the Dr as it's been hurting more so in the two ends where it became infected post-ceaser.
The Dr reassures me that it is just the scar maturing from a fresh wound to an old wound and that he'd give it another 12 months before I could consider myself healed :eek:
Did anyone else's scar hurt and give them trouble 7 months on? Or am I just a big fat whimp? :D
Hi Siobhan
I agree with your dr that you need to give your scar more time, however, there are ways that you can assist in it's healing. I'm an Occupational Therapist and have worked fairly extensively in scar management (burns, and surgical as well as caesar).
Your nerve endings heal slower than anyother tissue in your body and so that's one of the main things you'll still notice down the track - numbness and itchiness. (I've had a caesar and the itching used to give me the wallies months down the track). Some really positive things you can do include massage and different dressings to keep the scar soft and prevent adhesions being formed. Although your doctor was right to say your scar hasn't finished healing, it's the same as anything, the earlier you get to it, the better outcome you'll get. I definitely wouldn't recommend leaving it another year. In my last job, I used to work fairly closely with an OB in the hospital I was based and saw women within a couple of weeks from when their sutures were removed. Not trying to scare you - if your scar is still pink, there's still a lot of healing going on so a lot you can do to better your outcome.
The area will still be quite sensitive, but the more you can massage (gently!) around the area, the more you can desensitise it. I'm usually a bit reluctant to give professional advice over this type of forum as it's hard to phsically show techniques and I don't know your whole story (eg. you had an infection - when/did you need reopening up etc). The main thing I wanted to state is that there are professionals out there who deal in this sort of thing and if it's impinging upon your life, then I'd recommend you seek advice.
PS. I'm happy for you to PM me if you want a bit more personalised advice.
bubbles28
11-11-2005, 14:24
Hi, I had my c-section right on 9mths ago and it doesn't look any better than when I had it done. It's very red and like you really sensitive to touch. I just don't even touch it. I think it will take a long time for the redness to go.
It's a horrible feeling isn't it?
Caitlin's Mum
11-11-2005, 15:52
Hi, I had my c-section 4 months ago and my scar is fine. No pain at all and not red or pink either. It has been like this for quite a while now. I wouldn't think it should still be sore after 7 months? Hope it gets better soon. :)
Mine is 2 yrs old and the scar itself is fine but I find the numbness on my belly pretty disturbing. My sister has a 7 year old scar and still has trouble with leaning on it on the wrong angle sometimes. Some women have really good results helping the healing by massaging it with rosehip oil which is very high in Vit E. HTH :)
madvoice
11-11-2005, 20:06
Its now 7 1/2 months on from my c-section and my scar has healed very well. Its lightened a lot and doesn't itch and isn't numb. I've found that my abdominal strength has returned really quickly as well (though my muscle tone isn't the same as my belly has a bit more fat on it than before). I opted for the continuous stitch instead of staples as the staples react with my skin. I'd be interested to see how many of us c-section mums had stitches or staples and how the healing process compares.
I had staples for my c-sect and made myself get up and walk around with 12 hours of the operation .... my obs said this had a little to do with how long it took for my wound to close over (I was still gaping in part when staples where removed after day 6). Despite this it has been 2 years and apart from the itching which plagues me throughout this rainy weather my scar is clean and clear.
I had staples and then put opsite on after their removal. This was followed by a hydrocolloid dressing then silicon when it was healed over. If I didn't have a dressing on, I massaged with sorbolene cream. Sorbelene is cheap, but research shows it works as well as most other creams. Other alternatives, I and my patients have found helpful are paw paw ointment, emu oil, vitamin E cream and rosehip oil. The best thing for desensitising the area is massage and touching the area with different textures. It does sound a bit funny for some people (especially if you're not too comfortable with touching the scar or the area). However, the nerves respond better to stimulation - after trauma, nerves go into shock for about 3 or 4 weeks then only regenerate at the rate of about 1mm a week (depending upon the repair).
Anyway, as I said, I don't like giving advice over the internet (as there are too many unknown factors - such as skin type, medical history, lifestyle etc...) so please pm me if you want to discuss this any further. I might bow out of this forum now I've given my whole story.
Blue&Pink
12-11-2005, 09:18
Thanks for the replies girls. At least I don't feel like a weird alien anymore! :p
I still get pretty weirded out by the sight of my scar. I won't even touch it because it just feels.. weird?... to me. Plus it's very sensitive around there but also almost numb at the same time. It's really strange.
I had the long continous stitch. I actually didn't get an option in what I got, that was just what I got :confused: Oh wasn't it fun on day 5 when the midwife pulled it out. YUCK :eek:
I had staples. It was the worst experience getting them out!
Firstly being pregnant my pain threshold for waxing down there was non existent, so while I had kept everything trimmed (I refuse to shave that area because of the itching it creates - sorry if I am grossing anyone out), when they put the dressing on they hadn't shaved a big enough area. So you can imagine what it was like when the incompetent nurse I had tried to take it off :eek:!!
It probably wouldn't have been quite as bad if the nurse I had wasn't pulling the dressing off hair by hair and hissing inwards as she went :eek: (kind of like a tsss tsss), I knew it was going to hurt even before the pain hit because of the noises she was making and the horrified expression on her face :eek: !!!
The staples were nothing after that!
So by the end of that wonderous medical experience I had the option to either ball my eyes out and howl with pain or eat a whole packet of AC Decadent cookies. Since everything was done in the ward and I was in a ward with 5 other ladies I chose to eat the whole packet of cookies and cry on the inside instead.
Now it's nearly 9 months and the numbness is nearly gone, the scar is light pink in colour but still uncomfortable and a little bit sore to touch.
Natasha'smum
14-11-2005, 07:28
16 months on for me and I am still sore. Still can't over stretch or let my daughter jump on me. I must admit I have never gone back to the dr :o which I probably should because of the time that has passes.
C sections are major abdominal surgery so of course it will take time to recover I imagine
Yvonne
Hi Tiasmama,
i also had an infection in my wound. I think it does make it alot different than just the reg. c-sec. Y? , because i dont know if it was the same for you but i had mine opened up at one end and left open to heal from the inside out wich took 4 months ...and a nurse came to the house every morning to change my dressing. For me its been 19 months and ive just found out im pregnant again , and im so worried because my scare is disgusting and sore and on the side they opened up is just so tender and it feels prickerly or tingerly . But yeh apparantly it takes time . I think what you have gotten from this is that your not alone thats for sure. So yeh dont worry too much , im going to have a c-sec for this one and have the scare corrected at the same time
+ a tuimmy tuck...... good luck im sure it's fine......
ThomasMum
14-11-2005, 08:01
Thomas is almost 9 months now, the scar is OK. I know that I can't no longer being a superwoman lol, so I'm taking it easy and the plus side I get to boss my husband around he's the one who does all the lifting stuff ie grocery bags etc etc...
I'm pretty sure that when Thomas's old enough to play basketball with me, I shall be more than fine by then!
:D
H&B'sMum
14-11-2005, 08:43
It's been 19 1/2 months since my c/s and the other day Dh noticed that one side of my scar is now skin colour where as the rest is still pink. It is still numb as well but doesn't generally bother me so I don't worry about it.
TinyStar
15-11-2005, 06:46
I had self dissolving stiches, whcih melted away after about 10 days. My wound was left open with steri strips covering the sutures, until yucky yucky I get an infection.
The site where the wound was opened is a bit lumpy, although the colour is not so pink anymore. There is a general tightness when I pull the skin, but I don't tend to find the scar painful or really numb.
It's been 5 months since my c-section.
justtwogirls22
15-11-2005, 08:27
it's one year since i had my c-section & the scar is almost back to skin colour though has a lump in the middle of it - i still have no feeling from my belly button down but that's ok cause it's all skin that i don't want to feel anyway ;) does get itchy though
lil monkey
25-11-2005, 22:10
nearly 10 months down the track and some parts along the scar are numb and red and others are almost the normal colour.
A month ago I had an ingrown hair in the middle of the scar and that was the most painful experience - it was like someone had stabbed me down there!
Apart from that, all is ok, tayla jumps up and down on me when playing and it is fine.
What I have noticed though is that i have a little dip in my lower stomach area above the scar and then a raised bit. Looks like I have a bit of a hollow the size of a 50cent coin and then it's a bit raised. lucky for me, my pants cover it but it still looks weird!
Anyone else got this?
I find it funny myself how the scar itself and the area around it is all numb but yet is itchy. How is it that we can't feel the touches and scratches but can feel the itch. That to me is evidence enough that whoever created us is a male ... only a male would have such a sick humour!!!
clairereid
26-11-2005, 23:43
Hi Girls
I had my baby by Emerg C Section in Scotland and I had desloving stitches. I must admint, I dont like the thought of having to have stiches removed, but they always seem to use the desloving ones so you dont have to go through that!
My scar is fine. I went back to the gym 10 week after but am still taking it easy on the stomache exercise front, I agree, I also have more fat than before and less muscle def! boo hoo! My son will be 1 next weekend.
The area round about it still numb aswell, and it is a weired feeling.
It is always good to hear how everybody heals and know what each persons recovery process is.
Take care x x
Siennasmum
27-11-2005, 08:16
Five months on and mine is light pink in some places and skin colour the rest.My OB didn't use stitches or staples on the outside,he used this wide sticky tape stuff.It worked really well,and gave a bit of extra support for the five days it was on.I thought it would hurt when taken off but didn't.
Thanks for the info on desensitizing it,cause any time DH goes near it I shudder.I just hope the numbness on one side eventually goes away!
stormanet
30-11-2005, 22:42
heya :) 7 months since I joined the zipper club... no pain from scar and it is virtually invisible.... sorry you didn't have the same experience :)
katesmom
01-12-2005, 06:17
After 2.5 years, mine is almost invisible now. Unfortunately, I do have the belly flop over it - no matter how much I excerise. I was amazed how weak it made my ab muscles when I started excersing again (a year later). It's taken a long time for them to get strong again. I understand I may have to get a tummy tuck to get rid of my huge gut. I was already a big, gal, now, i'm a big, bellied gal. ((shucks)) If you're still have some problems at 7 months, I would talk to my dr about it. ((hugs))
I am almost 6 months post c/s
My scar has faded heaps, no pain, no numbness, no 'pouch' or 'belly flop', its barely made a difference in the shape of my belly at all.
3 weeks after the c/s it already looked and felt fantastic! In a bikini you can't tell I've had a baby :o
I have been doing pilates, walking, and other light exercise, and I was walking every day right up to 2 days before the c/s, my doc said its because I was so fit and healthy and young (if 23 is really young:rolleyes: )when I had the c/s that I healed so well.
sugar n spice
24-12-2005, 15:05
11 1/2 Mnths on and my scar is fine, the odd itch but it is hardly noticable.
mumworkingoverseas
24-12-2005, 17:32
DD is now 22 months and I can barely see my scar. No overhang or numbness. My OB has done at lot CS's, I wonder if that makes a difference?
All Obs do a lot of c-secs, they're surgeons LOL. That's their primary skillset. How our bodies react is an individual thing, I think :)
I just remember that when I had a 10 month old baby I still couldn't sit up without pain. I had a rotten c/sec experience! My stitches burst and the pain relief didn't work on me (which is common in my family I found out years later). Now after 7.5 years though, it's good, although recently (as I'm 4 months pregnant) my scar did a lot of painful stretching. It makes me envious of all the women who took their c/sec in their stride, but very empathetic to the rest of us who had painful experiences, physically and emotionally.
busylizzy
27-01-2006, 18:12
Just wondering, does anyone know the best ways to prevent a c/s infection from happening in the first place?:confused:
I would love to know tooo.
My cut wasn't very long actually so short my OB wanted to measured it 6cms but bub was small tooo, which I'm sure helped. I got an infection and was seeping huge amounts for about 8 weeks that I have to wear my pads up really high or it stained my clothes.
So my scar may be short but is quiet wide from the gaps craeted so the seeping came out of ( I also have keloid scarring which doesn't help ) My OB said he would cut the whole scar out for the next bub if I decide to have another c-section so if I didn't get an infection...
I also had the desolving stitches but my body rejected a few of them and they made there way to the surface and popped out themselves :confused: causing another opening. Is that normal ?
Maybe just Maybe it would be a bit thinner next time if I didn't get an infection ?
Should I ask for normal stitches to ?
Heids
Hokey Pokey
28-01-2006, 13:40
3 years later and mine has shrunken heaps! And is very thin and white so I'm happy bout that, thought it would never blend in lol so to speak!
It took a good 12 months for it to go skin coloured, well not skin coloured but a silver white colour.
As for pain, it took a few months for that to fully go away and to keep mine clean i made sure I always dried it thoroughly and very gently after a shower or in hot sticky weather. Helps to reduce infection too keeping any moisture and sweat at bay. I also kept quaze pads on for 2 weeks(changed every few hours), as I was very worried it was going to open up as it did on day two and had to be sutered back up :mad: The pads made me feel a bit better and more supported and "held in" :rolleyes:
I have a small dent now where it came apart.
But yeah 3 years later and its really good now.
I have pics of my scar at 3 weeks post-op, 4 months post-op and today, 6 1/2 months post-op;
http://photobucket.com/albums/d41/aljts/c-section%20recovery/
The scar and stretchmarks have faded heaps :D Been applying Vit E cream daily, it seems to help.
Ooohh, how flat is your belly! I'm jealous! lol.
My scar is already fine. No pain, still some numbness. Not too red either and it's not even been 4 weeks + it's my 2nd one.
The belly overhang however.... Took a few months after DD1 to lose that, hopefully won't be too much longer for this one!
I had no probs with infection or anything for either of mine. I had the long continual stitch for no1 (and yeah, thats weird having that pulled out!) then it was just all internal stitches for no2 (how do they do that??? clever doctors!). Just had those sticky strips over the scar. Didn't pull them off till 2 weeks later though, cos i felt like they were holding me together! lol.
SassyMummy
30-01-2006, 15:28
I had my c-section 6 months ago...or thereabouts...and I still feel sick to my stomach just thinking about Caesareans (this thread has me feeling a little weak and sickly...lol...I'm so pathetic!).
My scar is a pinkish line...and occassionally it feels a little bit uncomfortable. Not too painful...but I have the occassional pain.
I cannot feel anything around the scar...from the scar up until just under my belly button is numb...no feeling whatsoever. It's quite strange and freaks me out a little.
I don't touch my scar...I'm scared to touch it because I have a fear of it tearing apart and leaking my insides. Paranoia I know...but I still just don't feel comfortable going anywhere near it (I run water and very gently dab soap-foam on it).
I have pics of my scar at 3 weeks post-op, 4 months post-op and today, 6 1/2 months post-op;
http://photobucket.com/albums/d41/aljts/c-section%20recovery/
The scar and stretchmarks have faded heaps :D Been applying Vit E cream daily, it seems to help.
Wow........ your scar looks fantastic and your so lovely and slim :D A yummy mummy :p
Thanks guys.
I'm actually slightly underweight (again :mad: ) and trying to put on some muscle so I can ttc again, belly's flat coz of all the exercise!
I had my CS Jan last year and everything healed up really well. Scar is low in the pubic hair and the sides have healed so much you basically can't even see that it's there. I do have numbness down the left hand side and it can still be a little sensitve to touch. I am three months pregnant now and have just started to get a little belly. I am finding as it stretches it is getting itchy and a little more sensitive.
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