THE c-section overhang

So, you had your C-section, stayed a couple of nights in hospital and got discharged with (if you're lucky) a leaflet about recovery. You walked around hunched over for a few days (or weeks) and eventually started to feel better. Frankly given that you had a newborn to look after, you were just thankful for the fact that you could now lift the baby pain free! With some much going on, you probably didn't give it much further thought during this early recovery period (this was certainly my experience).

A weak core and a non - mobilised scar can lead to an overhang. Women assume nothing can be done to improve this... but there is plenty! However, it does require commitment and perseverance as changes don't happen over night.

​Scars are still healing and remodelling 18-24 months after surgery so there is lots of time to manipulate change. Even if you are further down the line, it is still worth massaging your scar if you haven’t done it before. Tissues don’t stop responding to mobilisation until a joint is fused! The overhang isn’t only caused by the scar, so a holistic approach to treatment with appropriate core strengthening will yield the best results.

Any scar can become hypertrophic. This means that the scar is red and raised. In this case silicone can be a useful treatment to improve the colour and flatten the scar. It is worth asking your Physio or GP to review your scar and see if silicone would beneficial.