Hi there,
I recenty went to the dermatologist for a skin rash and decided while I was there, I'd show her my c-section scar (c-section was in July) because it appeared raised and red and I had a feeling that wasn't normal. She said there was excess scar tissue and recommended something called circa-care, which is a self-adhesive gel that you wear. She didn't mention it was 40.00! Anyone else have this problem and how did it resolve? Also, anyone have any ideas of how to firm up the stomach area? Right now, it feels like jello. Even though I'm not too caught up in body image issues, it has been an adjustment....despite doing sit-ups each day and walking a lot, eating healthfully...it's still so flabby! :( Thanks!
Thanks for the great suggestions. Kristie, I'm sorry you experienced that! I labored for 36 hours and also had a "suprise" c-section. I'm worried about the scar but I have an Ob-gyn appt in mid-January and will show it to the doctor. Right now, it's puffy and redder than it should be.
My c-section scar from my first baby is still red and raised after 5 years. The second one is just a thin white line over the 1st. I don't know why but I suspect it may have had something to do with me being in full labor for so long with my first but with my second I had a scheduled c-section. So, it sounds normal to me unfortunately.
c-sections suck, but it does get better over time. With some scars (you can ask your doc if this is the case for yours) they form a "keloid" - some people have a genetic tendency to get these. I used to get them from some types of piercings back when I liked punching holes through various parts of my body. The trick I always used to get rid of them, which is probably similar to that gel stuff, is to take an aspirin tablet and make it into a paste with some water and apply it to the scar. The aspirin is a very mild acid and it slowly gently dissolves away the bump. You'll want to do it about 15-30 mins per day for several weeks, but it does work, and it's really cheap. Hope you heal soon. Be good to yourself - you had major surgery and it can take a little more time to bounce back. The good news is that the next baby can be a VBAC :) They're SO much easier to recover from....
I haven't tried that and my scar is mostly healed ( had a c-section in November) but as for the flab.. I've been doing sit ups with little result. I'm hoping to get more intensive as I heal and I think v-ups should do it.
v-up means lie on your back then ,keeping your legs straight, raise your legs and head until you make a "v" hold for 15 second slowly counting then relax. Do about `15-20 of these per day and it should lift some of the sag. Let me know if you find something that works better.
I don't know anything about the scarring, but I do know some abdominal exercises.
regular crunches (safer than situps)
reverse crunches
and leg lifts like this:
Lay on your back, with your arms either straight on the floor at your sides, or you can put one hand on top of the other under your lower back. Keep your legs straight & together. Raise your feet about 6 inches off the floor. Alternate raising one foot higher than the other & then lowering it. Keep doing that as many times as you can. Rest a min and then do it again.
These are exercises that my husband does in the Army, which he recommended to me for my after-baby stomach! My problem is doing them on a regular basis! :)
Don't worry. It will get better. I had a surprise c-section after 24 hours of labor. My c-section became infected and I had a systemic rash as I was allergic to steri strips of all things. After 8 months my c-section scar is still a bit puffy, but not as much as it was. I would recommend yoga and breastfeeding to get your figure back. I have seen several other c-section scars and I think that it just takes time for them to go down. Mine is cetainly not as flat as before I was pregnant, but it is better. I hope this helps. Happy Holidays!
It took a good year for mine to not look raised and red. I did use the vitamin E oil but not religiously. It looks really great now - I just think it takes a long time for the body to adjust in that area. When you think about it the skin undergoes a lot of trama - it is stretched, cut, and then has to shrink back to your pre-pregnancy state. Give it some time - it should improve!
I had my C-Sec almost 2 years ago. It seems like it took forever to heal. This may sound funny but it seems like my tummy may not be much flabbier than it used to be, but because everything is pulled so tight where my scar is my fat looks worse than it actually is. I know things are definately a little looser, but it seems like the tightness of the scar (which is hardly visible except that it creates a small fat roll)exaggerates this. Enjoy the holidays and don't worry to much about the tummy If you find it hard to find time to exercise get in a few minutes each day and buy some Spanx. There are really good foundation garments out there to smooth over those little bumps until you can get your body back. I've found the less I worried about it the easier it was. I only weight about 5 lbs more now that I did before my pregnancy, but things have shifted, my body will never be the same and I'm OK with that. My son adores me and my husband still thinks I'm hot so if I never wear a bikini again who cares! Enjoy the holidays with your baby and try to focus on the positive. Like if you're breast feeding your larger bust size makes your waist look smaller!
Many Moms enjoy postnatal yoga and/or pilates to firm things up over time.
C.
yoga teacher
I used vitamin E oil on mine. Just get a bottle of capsules at walmart or wherever, and open the end of one w/a pin and squeeze it on your entire scar line 3 times a day. Worked BEAUTIFULLY for me. I've had 3 and you could hardly tell it between babies b/c of the E.
Both my kids were c sections for different reasons. The stomach (more so the skin) is not bouncing back as fast after #2, which was also in July, V-ups (like one person suggested) and bicycle like crunches are helping the muscles rebound, I am using firming lotion for the skin. I used walgreens scar cream (similar to Mederma but better) since my 1st scar was very sensitive- it helped so much. Try to see what works best for you, it took a year for my 1st c section scar to flatten out so give yourself some time, Easier said than done and I am just as guilty. Vitamin E, scar cream and exercise - its finding the right combination to get the best results.
