C-Section Incision Care at Home
How to clean it, keep it dry, what healing looks like week by week, and when to call your OB.
Reviewed by Inspiration Medical Technology, Inc. All articles are reviewed for accuracy and brand-voice compliance by the team behind AllaQuix®. Not a substitute for medical advice from your doctor.
The first few days after a C-section
The first dressing usually comes off 24 to 48 hours after surgery, though some hospitals use a long-wear dressing that stays on for up to a week. Your incision may be closed with dissolvable stitches, staples, skin glue or adhesive strips. Staples are usually removed before you go home or at a follow-up visit.
With a newborn to care for, it's easy to forget about the incision. Set a daily time, such as right after your shower, to look at it and change the dressing if you're using one.
How to clean a C-section wound at home
Most OB teams recommend simple soap and water once you're cleared to shower.
The routine
- Wash your hands.
- Let warm, soapy water run over the incision in the shower. Don't scrub.
- Skip hydrogen peroxide and alcohol. They irritate healing tissue.
- Rinse well.
- Lift the belly fold if you have one and pat the incision completely dry with a clean towel.
- Let it air dry for a few minutes before you dress.
- Put on a fresh dressing if you're using one.
Keeping the incision dry under a belly fold
After pregnancy, many people have a fold of skin that rests over the incision. That fold holds warmth and moisture and rubs on the incision, which is why this area needs extra attention.
A breathable dressing over the incision protects it from waistbands and absorbs light drainage. The AllaQuix® Basic 4 × 14 has a 12 inch non-adherent pad that covers the full length of most C-section incisions in one piece. The 4 × 6 covers a shorter section. The Basic line is designed to protect the wound to allow faster healing.
Soft, high-waisted underwear that sits above the incision helps too.
FOR C-SECTION INCISIONS
Island dressings long enough for the whole incision
One sterile piece with a non-adherent pad and a 1 inch border.
ISLAND DRESSING · 4×14
AllaQuix® Basic Island Dressing 4 × 14
A 2×12 inch pad that covers a long incision in one piece. Box of 25 or a case of 10 boxes.
Best for: long incisions, abdominal and back sites
ISLAND DRESSING · 4×6
AllaQuix® Basic Island Dressing 4 × 6
A 2×4 inch pad inside a 1 inch adhesive border, for longer incisions and larger areas. Box of 50 or a case of 12 boxes.
Best for: longer incisions, larger cuts
C-section incision healing stages
Every recovery is different, but most incisions follow a similar path.
What most people see
- Week 1: soreness, mild swelling and bruising, and a little clear or pink fluid early on.
- Week 2: the incision is usually dry and closed. Strips or glue start to loosen.
- Weeks 3 to 6: a pink or red line, mild itching, and less tenderness. Your six-week checkup looks at the incision.
- Months 2 to 12: the scar fades and flattens. Numbness around the scar is common and can last for months.
C-section incision leaking yellow fluid: when to call
A small amount of thin, clear or pale yellow fluid in the first few days can be normal. Thick, cloudy, yellow or green drainage, drainage with a bad smell, or drainage that starts or increases after the first week can be a sign of infection or of the incision separating.
Call your OB the same day if you see any of those. Don't try to treat a suspected infection at home. Until you're seen, keep the incision covered with a clean, dry sterile dressing and change it when it's damp.
When to call your OB
Check the incision every day. Problems are easier to treat when they're caught early.
Call your OB team if you notice
- A fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher
- Redness that spreads outward from the incision, or red streaks
- Warmth, swelling or pain that gets worse instead of better
- Cloudy, yellow or green drainage, or a bad smell
- Edges that pull apart or an incision that opens
- Bleeding that soaks through the dressing. Press firmly over the dressing and call.
- Pain in one calf, or swelling in one leg
For chest pain, trouble breathing, or bleeding you can't control with pressure, call 911.
FAQ
Common questions on this topic
How do I clean my C-section incision at home?
Let warm, soapy water run over it in the shower, rinse, and pat it completely dry, lifting any skin fold. Skip hydrogen peroxide and alcohol unless your OB told you to use them.
Should I cover my C-section incision?
Follow your OB's instructions. Many people keep it covered while it drains or where a waistband or skin fold rubs, and leave it uncovered once it's dry and closed.
How long does a C-section incision take to heal?
The surface usually closes in about two weeks. Deeper healing takes about six weeks, and the scar keeps fading for a year or more.
Is numbness around my C-section scar normal?
Yes. Small skin nerves are cut during surgery, so numbness or tingling around the scar is common and can last for months.
When can I take a bath after a C-section?
Wait until your OB clears you, usually after the incision has fully closed. Showers are usually fine sooner.
FOR YOUR HOSPITAL BAG
Pack dressings before your due date
General patient education, not medical advice. Always follow your OB team's instructions. Not for emergency, arterial, or severe bleeding.
Dallas, Texas
FDA reviewed and cleared. Nearly one million AllaQuix® sold.