THE NUMBER ONE THING new mums always ask us in clinic is “can I get rid of my c section overhang? The bad news is it may never go away completely. However, there is good news too! You can take steps to greatly reduce your overhang!
Firstly, watch this video of my top 5 tips to reduce C section scar overhang and read on for more below.
What is The C Section Overhang?
Whatever you call it a shelf, pouch, pooch, bumbag or overhang – this is the pouch of extra skin which is usually positioned above the scar from your C-section (although it can sometimes be under the incision – and sometimes even both!).
Why do you get an Overhang after a C Section?
There are a variety of reasons why you get it, and this might not be explained to C-section mums in either your planning stage or after a C-section birth. The first main cause is that you are no longer pregnant. The skin and the collagen will have stretched to allow room for the baby to grow and now that you’re not pregnant, the tissues have stretched and appear “softer.”
Diastasis Recti can affect the Appearance of the Overhang
Additionally, at around 35 weeks, the abdominus recti (your 6 pack muscles) must separate to make space and sometimes this takes time to go back together. These muscles may not come back together on their own and need extra help. This is called diastasis recti (DRA), or muscle separation or tummy gap, this can affect the appearance of the overhang. During a C-section birth they have to part the several layers of skin and muscle, the rectus sheath (the covering over your six pack), which can contribute to the overhang.
Dehydration & Weight Gain can be Factors
As a natural part of pregnancy, we gain excess weight. This weight can contribute to the look of the overhang as it sits in the “pouch” area above the C Section scar. Also, being dehydrated can affect the appearance of the overhang as well as losing a bit of the core strength that you had before or during pregnancy.
So, how can I reduce my C Section Scar Overhang?
See a Women’s Health or Pelvic Health Physiotherapist
At around 6 weeks after your C Section, we advise you to see a women’s healthy physio, or pelvic heath physio (if you are in the Leicester area, we offer Women’s health physiotherapy here in clinic). A specialist Women’s health physio will assess your abdominal wall and devise a rehab programme for you to help rebuild your core strength.
Start Scar Massage
If it’s been 6 weeks and your scar is not open and has no stitches and staples, you can start with C-section scar massage. Again, this is something that we offer in clinic, but you can also follow some gentle techniques in this video to try at home:
Hydration & Nutrition
Hydration and nutrition are so important to ensure you are giving your body the fuel it needs to recuperate after your birth. You need to drink around 2 litres of water unless told otherwise. Also eating a nutritious diet filled with protein will help build up the cellular activity your body needs to recovery from surgery.
Pelvic Floor Exercises
Pelvic floor exercises are a great way to reduce overhang. If you haven’t heard of it before, the Squeezy App is fantastic for helping women take control of their pelvic floor with exercises and movements to follow correctly. It’s an app designed by physiotherapists – which is why we recommend it. If you prefer to have a tailored plan for recovery, we recommend booking in for a women’s healthy physiotherapy assessment.
All of these factors can influence the overhang above and below the scar. Please remember that no one scar or recovery journey from pregnancy and birth is the same. Take your time, invest in yourself, you are amazing!
Please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions or follow us on Instagram or Youtube for more information.
Read more about How to treat your scar at home. >>
Comments