Caring for Perineal and C-Section Scars After Delivery
Let’s talk about Scars! And not the Lion King variety, though I have a lot of thoughts about how one child got named Mufasa and the other Scar but I digress. Scars are a common occurrence during birth no matter your mode of birth, Vaginal or a Cesarean. And in both scenarios we are often left without instructions on the scar and how to take care of it.
Don’t Fear Scar Tissue
First let me say the scar is a good thing if tearing or an incision occurred during birth. We can be grateful for scars even if you were hoping to come away from birth without any physical scars. It means the body is healing and it is a natural process.
A scar is made of the same stuff that the surrounding tissue is made up of which is collagen. The main difference between the scar and the surrounding tissue is the scar tissue is laid down in a different pattern than the rest of the body. This change in pattern means that the scar moves differently than the surrounding tissue. This can cause pulling, tugging and/or pain as a person returns to activities postpartum. This is also the cause of what some women post cesarean birth refer to as the “shelf” appearance of their scar.
Why Scars Matter to Your Pelvic Floor
Scars can also affect more than just the site of the scar. It can also limit the function of our pelvic floor muscles, abdominal muscles, rib cage, low back etc. It can even cause issues down the road with our bladder and bowel function
How can we help scars? We need to touch them and get them moving! This encourages the collagen fiber reorient to the surrounding tissue. The When and the How to get them moving depend on your phase of healing, birth mode and what you feel comfortable with.
How We Can Help
This is where a pelvic health therapist can help! We can assess your scar and come up with a plan to help get it and the surrounding tissue moving. We want to help you in this current phase and also set you up for success down the road.
Want a beautiful scar that doesn’t tug, pull, cause pain or limit normal function? Want to be set up for success during your postpartum phase? Call our clinic to schedule your evaluation or free screen today!
We offer:
- Postpartum Recovery Programs
- Postnatal Massage Therapy
- Mommy & Me Yoga Programs
Written by Dr. Jesse Rapp