Dormant Cesarean Section Scar – What Could It Be?

The whole process of having a child can be extremely exhausting for a woman. From the anxiety she feels during the time she’s trying to conceive up to the moment of delivery, which can be very tiring, there is a lot of worry involved. Things like the anxiety over the baby’s arrival, various types of symptoms, and countless physical and psychological changes can turn a woman’s world upside down. But it’s a mistake to think that concerns about her own body end after childbirth. Some issues may still arise, such as when the cesarean section scar becomes numb, for example. This worries many women, but is it dangerous? What does it mean? Is there any treatment? We will address all these questions in today’s text, but first, we need to explain in more detail how a cesarean surgery is performed.

How Is a Cesarean Section Performed?

Cesarean section¹ is the name given to the surgery performed to deliver a baby without using the natural birth canals. It is often recommended for women who may have problems with a normal delivery, when this could pose a risk to the mother or the baby. This type of procedure is normally scheduled in advance, but it can also end up happening during labor if necessary. The cesarean section involves several steps. They are:

• Anesthesia: At this stage, the woman is anesthetized so the surgery can be performed without pain. The anesthesia is administered into the spinal column, and a catheter is also placed to collect urine.
• Incision: In this step, the doctor makes an incision, which is usually between 10 and 12cm long and goes through 6 layers of skin to reach the location where the baby is.
• Baby removal: Once the incisions are made, the doctor carefully removes the baby from the mother’s womb. This is a painless and relatively quick process. The doctor checks if the baby is breathing normally and after that, the mother can see her child. Before she can breastfeed, the baby should be cleaned and weighed.
• Closing the incision: This is the final step, when the doctor sews up all the layers of skin that were opened to remove the baby. This process is also painless and is generally quite fast.

In the past, the cesarean incision was made in a much more aggressive manner, leaving not only a larger scar but also one that was harder to care for. Nowadays this process has become more modern, and in addition to the scar being less noticeable, caring for it is also much easier. This medical advancement also helped aesthetically, since previously many women felt uncomfortable with their own bodies due to a scar that extended across the entire abdominal area, even reaching the navel area. After childbirth, it is very important for the woman to know how to care for her incision so that it heals in a healthy way, does not become inflamed or cause any problems². This care should be taken with any cut, but special attention is needed in this case, since you now have a newborn who depends on you for many things. To talk about how to care for the cesarean incision, it is necessary to understand that the recovery process involves your entire body, not just the scar. You have just come out of a pregnancy that lasted about 42 weeks, and your body is now adjusting to a new reality. The most important care to bring things back to normal needs to happen during the first 15 days. The main thing to do is to rest. Allow your body to adjust on its own. Resting during the first 15 days is crucial for your incision to heal in the best way possible. Washing the scar well with soap and water is also extremely important to avoid infections. Do not use any creams or lotions on the incision, as they may irritate your skin. Do not return to your normal routine all at once, take it slowly. Understand your limits and don’t overexert yourself. By following these recommendations, you will notice that your body will gradually return to normal and your incision will heal naturally without any problems. It can be challenging when you think about caring for your baby and how this might interfere with your healing process. At this time, it is important to count on help from the father and anyone else who can assist you.

Is It Normal for the Cesarean Section Scar to Be Numb?

Now that you understand how this procedure works and the care required for the incision, we can talk about problems that may arise. When we talk about a numb cesarean section scar, we are referring to something quite common that is not inherently negative. This numbness generally occurs due to the aggressive nature of the surgery. It is quick, cuts through many layers of skin, and involves strong anesthesia. Yes, it is normal for the cesarean section scar to be numb, but it can still be uncomfortable for many women³.

How Long Can This Last?

There is no exact time frame for when this numbness will go away. There are cases where it lasted only a few weeks, some months, some years, and even cases where the numbness lasted a lifetime. This depends on several factors, including how the woman’s body recovers, her genetic tendencies, her body’s reaction to the anesthesia, and many others.

Are There Ways to Treat or Reverse It?

Although many women turn to plastic surgery to eliminate the numb cesarean section scar, there is no scientific evidence that this is an effective method. It is true that in some cases it ends up working, but, as we mentioned earlier, there are countless factors that can influence whether or not the numbness disappears—and precisely for this reason, we cannot claim that any method can definitely make the desired results appear. Having a numb cesarean section scar is not the end of the world. In fact, it is something that happens to many women and is often part of a natural process of your body. Even so, it is concerning and may even lead to despair for some. The best thing to do is to research thoroughly about the situation so you can understand that this is something normal and that there is no risk of greater harm to your health. And if you still have doubts, it is advisable to talk to your doctor so all your concerns can be addressed. See also: Inflamed Cesarean Section Photo: Matt Burtchaell