Stomach muscle changes after a C-section

Pregnancy stretches the abdominal wall, and surgery affects tissues at the lower abdomen while they heal. You may notice reduced strength, tenderness, altered sensation, or a gap between the abdominal muscles. A soft change in shape is not the same as a firm, painful bulge. A bulge that becomes more obvious with coughing or lifting may need examination for a hernia.

Recovery differs between people. Pain, wound healing, sleep, feeding, and the demands of caring for a baby all influence movement. Your clinician can assess the scar, abdominal wall, posture, and pelvic floor before suggesting exercises.

Follow your discharge instructions, walk gently as tolerated, and avoid lifting more than advised. Support the incision when coughing and roll onto your side before getting out of bed. Begin breathing, pelvic-floor, and deep abdominal exercises only when your maternity team says they are appropriate. Postnatal physiotherapy can tailor progression when weakness, back pain, or a persistent muscle gap is affecting you.

Contact your maternity team for increasing wound pain, redness, discharge, fever, or separation. Arrange review for a persistent or painful bulge, worsening abdominal pain, vomiting, difficulty passing urine or stool, or weakness that limits ordinary movement. Seek urgent help for severe pain, fainting, breathing difficulty, or heavy bleeding.

Ask when to resume driving, lifting, walking longer distances, and core exercises. Ask whether your scar, abdominal wall, and pelvic floor need examination, and whether physiotherapy would help your specific symptoms.