Medical Benefits of C-Section Bandages

A Cesarean section delivery, also known as a C-section, is a surgical procedure that is often a vital, life-saving procedure for both mother and baby. Cesarean section deliveries account for about 32% of all births in the United States each year and while many are planned, there are many that are unplanned or performed in an emergency.

Whether yours was planned or not, recovering from any abdominal surgery is difficult, and bringing a new baby home at the same time means you have less time to rest, recover, and focus on yourself. All of these factors influence how you might heal after caesarean birth, and ultimately how you might feel in your postpartum body. 

With the right tools in your recovery kit, you can help ease the recovery process as you navigate life with a newborn. C-section dressings are one a few tools to help encourage healing—protecting your incision site wound, helping to reduce the risk of wound infection, and minimizing over-development of scar tissue.

Immediately after cesarean surgery, your body's first goal is to close the incision. Your surgeon will use stitches or glue to assist this process, but your body does the rest of the work. During this stage, your cells are focused on stopping the bleeding and preventing infection.

The best dressings to use in this stage are those which will keep bacteria away from your incision site so it stays clean while it's closing fully. These bandages should be waterproof and sterile in their packaging.

They provide a protective layer that won't slip, rub, or stretch too much as you go about your daily activities. Inside their waterproof later, most bandages contain some material that helps to absorb any exudate (clear discharge) from the wound. While the outer edges of the bandage should be adhesive to create a secure seal, the portion that directly touches your incision site should not be. No one wants to remove a bandage that is adhered to a tender, healing wound! 

As always, speak to your healthcare provider to be sure you're using a bandage that is appropriate for your stage of healing. If you have staples or steri-strips over your incision, you may need to wait until they come off before applying. 

Most providers recommend changing these early bandages once per day until no more exudate or discharge is present. Ask your surgeon if you need to change yours more or less often.

Once your wound site has fully closed, your body starts forming a scar. Scar tissue is a normal part of tissue healing. Scientists call this the "proliferative" phase of wound healing: your body is sending a ton of cells to the area to create new tissue. Think of it like a team of firefighters throwing everything they've got at a fire, all at once.

By the time you reach this stage, your incision should be healing well and no longer producing any discharge. Even if you're past the discharge stage, your scar site will still be sensitive. If you're breastfeeding or chestfeeding after a C-section, you probably know this all too well: your little one tends to put their feet right on top of your incision site!

Needless to say, a comfortable, supportive, and secure bandage is a game-changer for those early days. The best C-section dressing for this stage provides sterile coverage and protection, but it should flexible and thin enough that you can move around comfortably.

Some bandages include hydrogel, a material that helps keep your wound protected and moist as it builds early scar tissue. These materials are also anti-adhesive, which allows for easy removal. 

If the bandage's outer layer is waterproof, you can wear it for protection when showering and exercising. However, you should still avoid swimming and soaking in a spa or hot bath until your healthcare provider clears you.

Change your bandage at least once per week, as long as no concerning signs or symptoms arise. Always change your bandage after excessive sweating. Don't hesitate to change a bandage if it gets wet or dirty: this is the perfect opportunity to check your incision and monitor for signs of infection or delayed healing.

If you're experiencing symptoms such as redness or warmth of the surrounding skin or increased discharge from the incision site, remove the bandage and inspect the area closely. It's better to replace an older bandage with a fresh one than ignore signs of concern!

By this stage, your incision site is fully closed, and the "firefighters" of stage 2 have gone home. In their place, you've got the clean-up crew: the cells that come in to tidy up after the fire is out. This remodeling stage of wound healing can last weeks, months, or even years, depending on the wound site and individual factors.

During this phase, your body is working hard to make the scar tissue softer and more pliable. Young scar tissue can be sensitive and restrictive, so remodeling isn't just about looks: it helps those tissues work and feel better!

Some dressings designed for this stage of healing contain polyurethane gel, which serves to soften and mobilize scar tissue. Polyurethane gel has a moderately adhesive quality that sticks slightly to your skin. This creates tension across the surface of the scar, which encourages your scar to move with you throughout the day.

A good dressing can help, but it can't prevent every possible complication. C-section bandages are designed to limit the risk of infection in your C-section incision, but even if you are extremely diligent in caring for your incision and keeping it clean, your infection risk isn't zero.

Regardless of how you're bandaging and protecting your incision, be aware of the signs and symptoms of infection. Up to 10% of C-section incisions become infected, and sometimes this is due to factors beyond your control. Reach out to your provider if you experience any of the following signs of potential infection in your C-section incision: 

1. Fever, chills, body aches

2. Redness along or near the incision 

3. Increased swelling along or near the incision 

4. Increased pain near the incision

5. Pus or foul-smelling discharge from the incision 

6. Hardening of the skin around the incision 

If any of these signs or symptoms appear in the early days to weeks after a C-section, call your provider's office immediately or head to an urgent care center near you. This is NOT a time to "wait and see": infections can spread quickly and become very serious. Keep a close eye on your incision throughout the healing process, and don’t hesitate to ask for guidance from your healthcare provider if you have any concerns. 

C-section dressings may not make postpartum recovery completely effortless, but they can help you keep your incision healthy and make you more comfortable as you heal. A supportive and comfortable bandaging system can also make it easier to use other postpartum recovery tools, including a postpartum compression garment. Together, an appropriate C-section dressing and compression garment can greatly improve your comfort during recovery from a C-section birth. 

At Aeroflow Breastpumps, we believe every postpartum person should have access to the best products and tools to serve their recovery.