Here are some recovery facts and how C-Panty was designed to help. *Please see your MD with any individual concerns!
DID YOU KNOW THAT...
IT TAKES 6 WEEKS FOR A UTERUS TO RETURN TO PRE-PREGNANCY SIZE.
Since a Cesarean entails an incision in the uterus and your clothing and intimates rest there, you have good reason to feel that your underwear and pant waistbands feel uncomfortable...even after the skin wound is closed!
C-Panty's waistband is wide, non-elastic and slightly fluted to avoid pressure and address this comfort concern. (Yes moms, you can toss the mesh panties! No more digging waistbands!)
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THE CLINICAL STAGES OF WOUND HEALING GO ON FOR A YEAR POST-OPERATIVELY.
No worries though, most of us feel much better before then! Just remember that a gentle recovery curve exists for quite some time so some patience may be in order. *Follow your MD's directions for lifting and tasks!!
- Week 1: Inflammatory Stage: Active phase where cellular "workers" rush into the area to begin recovery. This is where you really feel that you had surgery!
- Month 1-3: Proliferative Stage: Initial rebuilding period. New collagen and capillaries form. Swelling may still be fairly active. These are the days that you feel recovery progressing but still need to take it pretty easy!
- Up to Year 1: Remodeling Stage: "Finish carpenters" are tidying up. Collagen has reformed, the scar is maturing. This is where you feel better and better, but have days where you still remember that you had surgery. Many moms report recovery leaps at 3 months and 6 months. Common complaints at this time are itching or occasional soreness around the scar after active days. Those with keloids or symptomatic scars can have a longer remodeling period.
C-Panty is washable as a delicate for a year to encompass the full wound healing stages. We often hear, they were my "go to" underwear for the first few months!
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THAT ITCHING OR BURNING IS PROBABLY NOT JUST YOUR STITCHES (OR STAPLES OR GLUE!)
Sensitivity including itch and burn can be attributed to a few physiologic factors. Tiny nerve endings are unavoidably involved in incisions and can be sensitive regenerating. Some cells involved in recovery, especially mast cells, are known to cause itching. Cold therapy, compression and silicone are known techniques to address these problems. *See your MD with incisional pain or drainage!
The compression and silicone in C-Panty was designed by medical professionals to address these physiologic concerns of recovery.
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ALL COMPRESSION AND SUPPORT IS NOT CREATED EQUALLY.
Clinically, post-surgical compression is often indicated to support weakened tissues and control swelling. Compression for a loose post-partum belly and compression for surgical recovery differ. Tummy control panties and abdominal binders provide circumferential (all over) support for the abdominal muscles. For many undergoing a cesarean incision, the support is too high and often too strong to be comfortable for an incision located lower in the torso at the uterus. Post-surgical compression should be localized to the incision with the most compression focused at the surgical site so that the weakest point has the most support. If you do like abdominal support, our Tummycut includes the tummy but still focuses on the incision area while providing moderate (not boa constrictor!) support. It also does not require the cumbersome on and off of a belt.
C-Panty's compression is designed to be localized to the Pfannensteil (Cesearean) incision as well as be integrated into an easy pull on and go panty.
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NOTHING CAN MAKE SCARS TOTALLY DISAPPEAR BUT THERE IS "SCAR MANAGEMENT".
Compression, scar massage and silicone therapy are three conservative (non-surgical) modalities reported to assist in minimizing scar appearance (see resources). Smaller scars are often less symptomatic. Silicone therapy, along with minimizing appearance and scar size, has also been cited to assist in scar symptoms such as itching, burning and redness. (this is why we have it in our panties!) If you have an especially ropey, thick or sensitive scar you can try scar massage as well, but please get your MDs approval first.
Only begin scar massage after full wound closure with no scab remaining.
- Provide gentle fingertip pressure on the scar with or without your choice of oil or lotion.
- Make small circles and up/down strokes (about 1 cm of glide) along the incision and then reverse for a total of 2-3 minutes, 2-3 times per day.
- Spend more time on thick areas and move in a direction to place gentle tension on where you feel resistance.
- It should not be painful or cause any swelling or discomfort after stopping!
TISSUE CHANGES AND BODY TYPE (AND LUCK!) CAN INFLUENCE THE DREADED C-SHELF.
The ever discussed c-shelf is the little (or not so little!) bulge around the incision area. First, for the moms frustrated at 2 months that they have a shelf, remember that you are still in the stages of wound healing as well as have weight changes from pregnancy and loose skin. These factors do get better over time as we know incisions and tissues mature over a year. That being said, a scar, the unavoidable result of surgery, and its more dense and adhearent tissue properties can cause some pocketing around it which can show fat deposit more. Loose skin, genetics, recurrent surgeries and body type all contribute as well.
For a persistent c-shelf, try C-Panty shaper with only front pelvic compression (no silicone since the incision is mature) to tuck that bulge in without the all over compression of a control panty.
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RIGHT AFTER THE BABY IS BORN, THEY OFTEN TAKE YOUR UTERUS (FALLOPIAN TUBES AND ALL!) OUT OF THE INCISION TO EXAMINE IT.
Yikes that blew my mind too. My uterus was lying on my belly?? No wonder I was sore. The good news is, at least they took a good look at all your parts. Talk about a GYN exam!
This is just to remind you to be patient with your recovery. Your body took months of pregnancy and then surgery! Rest, time and love are key. Hopefully C-Panty's support, comfort and incision care can help a little bit too!
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