Warning: Images of a medical nature below.
Mel Watts, an Australian mummy blogger who shares her parenting journey on The Modern Mumma, posted a close-up photo of her scar.
“Sometimes it doesn’t matter how clean you keep it or how many you’ve had, there is always that chance you’ll become one of the statistics,” she wrote on Tuesday 11 July.
“With a nursing background the idea of this happening freaked me out. Seriously I think of the wound tracking up into my uterus causing me to have internal uterus rupture [which isn’t even a thing] and by the time I get found unconscious of course I’d have a dehisced wound.”
Watts added: “Okay that’s not going to happen I’m on antibiotics and being extremely anal, however I shouldn’t have googled caesarean section wound infections.
“Please note the hair dryer is on cool setting not hot.”
Writing in the comments, Watts said “no one listened to her” when she said she thought her scar was infected.
“I went back last week and said it’s infected and I needed antibiotics,” she wrote. “They listened and took a swab. They put some dressing on it which made it worse and then yesterday I went back and they put silver sulphate on it.”
Other mums who have had c sections also shared photos of their own caesarean scars on the post.
Other mums offered advice to Watts.
One person wrote: “I had a c section and was advised to put a maternity pad across the wound to protect it and it’s been fine.”
Another mum commented: “Second c section scar and got an infection too. No matter how hard you look after it, it’s an open wound and prone to them. Hope you’ve got some good antibiotics and it heals quickly for you.”
And another wrote: “I used to fold a panty liner and put it in the crease to keep it dry and applied a wound ointment - that worked for me!”
Speaking to HuffPost UK, Watts said mums who have had a c section shouldn’t be hard on themselves.
“You’ve had major surgery,” she said. “Though you don’t think you have and you think you can do it all, reality is you can’t and you shouldn’t. Rest, let people help and know that you’ve created a human!”
The NHS advises new mums who have had a c-section to gently clean and dry the wound every day, wear loose and comfortable clothing and take painkillers if the wound is sore.
Women are advised to seek medical advice if the wound appears to become “more red, painful and swollen”.
For more information on c-section recovery, read the guidance here.
Before You Go
