A Caesarean Section (C-section) is an invasive operation to give birth to your baby through a horizontal cut in your abdomen and uterus. There are many reasons why people may plan to have a C-section. Some of these reasons can be medical, personal preference, or an unplanned emergency. More than 1 in 3 babies in Australia are born via C-section with the number increasing each year. Therefore, it is vital that mothers are receiving appropriate care from health professionals. Women’s health physiotherapists can play a critical role to ensure optimal recovery following a C-section. Read how below. 

Due to the invasive nature of a C-section, some mothers may experience incision site pain. The incision site will be located across the abdomen and can take weeks to recover. This timeframe is dependent on the type of incision and other complications such as infection. Research has shown that 1 in 4 women who underwent a C-section had continued pain at the incision site 3 months post-partum (after birth). A women’s health physiotherapist uses scar tissue massage and mobilisation techniques to reduce incision site pain and tightness. When appropriate, the physiotherapist can also guide mothers towards a safe return to functional activities.

Following a C-section, the abdomen and pelvic muscles can become tight. Tension increases in these muscles as they attempt to ‘protect’ the impacted area. This is called pelvic floor dysfunction and can lead to urinary and bowel issues, painful sexual intercourse and pelvic organ prolapse. 

It is not uncommon for mothers to experience incontinence following a C-section. This is because the muscles responsible for urination become weakened. As you can imagine, this can cause discomfort and distress for mothers as they resume to usual activities following the birth of a child. 

A women’s health physiotherapist can treat this through targeted pelvic floor rehabilitation to strengthen and/or reduce tightness in the pelvic floor muscles.  

Pelvic floor rehabilitation includes but is not limited to:

• Stretching and strengthening pelvic floor exercises
• Bladder training 
• Internal and external mobilisation of joints and soft tissue in the pelvic area
• Postural training 
• Nerve retraining

A study investigating the effect of physiotherapy on the recovery of women following a C-section found that “participants who received physical therapy once or twice per week achieved substantially lower pain levels more quickly than participants in the standard-of-care group.” This advocates the role of a women’s health physiotherapist during the rehabilitation of mothers following a C-section.

If you’re reading this blog because you’re a new parent, soon-to-be parent, or simply curious, the take-home message is that women’s health should not be neglected. The post-partum period can be an exciting yet overwhelming time of unexpected hurdles. A women’s health physiotherapist can offer a person-centred and comprehensive treatment plan following a C-section that can help mothers to return to what matters most to them.

“I’m interested in women’s health because I’m a woman. I’d be a darn fool not to be on my own side.”
Maya Angelou