Second C-Section Recovery: My Scar Healing Timeline + Photos

I’ve now had three c-sections, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that no two c-section recoveries are exactly the same.

My second c-section was especially different from my first. I delivered my daughter at 35 weeks after complications with severe IUGR, experienced a postpartum hemorrhage after delivery, and spent the following weeks recovering while she was in the NICU.

I documented my incision along the way because after my first c-section (you can read about my first c-section birth here), I remember constantly wondering, Is my scar supposed to look like this? Is this normal? What will it look like next week?

So in this post, I’m sharing my second c-section recovery and scar healing process with real photos from day 1 through 8 weeks postpartum, along with what recovery felt like for me and how it compared with my first c-section.

Now, after three c-sections and becoming a labor & delivery RN, I can look back at this experience with a completely different perspective.

Just remember that every c-section and every recovery can look different. The experience and the photos shared here are for educational purposes and shouldn’t replace guidance from your own OB or healthcare team.

My Second C-Section Birth Story

My second c-section was very different from my first in many ways, but they did share one big similarity: neither of them went according to plan.

With my first baby, I went to the hospital thinking I was in labor. When the nurses checked me, I was only 3 cm dilated. At the time, I wasn’t able to be admitted to Labor and Delivery until I was at least 4 cm, so they had me walk around the hospital for a while.

I was in so much pain. About an hour later, I went back to be checked again and, thankfully, I had made it to 4 cm.

I continued laboring and eventually made it all the way to 9 cm. During shift change around 6:30 that evening, the new doctor came in and performed a cervical check. That’s when we found out my baby’s head was asynclitic, meaning her head was tilted instead of being positioned straight down into the birth canal.

They tried to reposition her and told me that if they couldn’t get her into a better position within the next 30 minutes, I would need a c-section.

And that’s exactly what happened.

Going into my second pregnancy, I hoped to have a VBAC (vaginal birth after c-section). But throughout my pregnancy, my baby continued measuring very small and was eventually diagnosed with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR).

Because my pregnancy was considered high risk, I was going in for routine nonstress tests (NSTs) to keep a close eye on her.

On February 22, 2022, I went in for what I thought would be another routine NST and OB appointment. Instead, my baby started having heart rate decelerations and I was unexpectedly admitted to the Army hospital’s Labor and Delivery unit.

Because I wasn’t at least 36 weeks pregnant yet, they needed to transfer me to another hospital that had a maternal-fetal medicine specialist and a NICU equipped to care for a premature baby in our situation.

So off I went in an ambulance—my first ambulance ride, lucky me.

I was admitted to the new hospital on February 22 and stayed there until I was discharged on February 26.

On February 23, we met with the maternal-fetal medicine specialist. We learned there was very little blood flow carrying oxygen and nutrients to my baby, and she was measuring below the 1st percentile for growth. She was considered to have severe IUGR.

At that point, continuing with my plan for a VBAC was no longer the priority. Getting my baby here safely was.

The specialist decided that a repeat c-section was medically necessary and scheduled my delivery for the next morning, February 24, 2022, at 9:00 AM.

At 9:24 AM, Kennedy Raine was born.

She weighed just 3 pounds, 5 ounces and was 15.16 inches long.

I was exactly 35 weeks pregnant to the day.

My second c-section itself also felt very different from my first. Kennedy was breech, and during the delivery, the doctors had a difficult time getting her out because her head became stuck.

I remember there being a lot of pressure and tugging. I could feel my entire body shifting from side to side as they pushed down hard on my abdomen trying to deliver her.

Parts of the surgery are honestly a blur because I remember going in and out of consciousness. I also remember the surgery feeling like it took much longer than my first c-section, especially because of the difficulty they had getting Kennedy out.

And unlike the birth I had pictured in my head, there was no immediate skin-to-skin or getting to hold my baby on my chest.

Kennedy was taken straight to the NICU after delivery.

So while both of my c-sections were unexpected, they happened for completely different reasons. My first came after laboring all the way to 9 cm and discovering my baby’s head was asynclitic. My second came after weeks of monitoring a high-risk pregnancy and learning at 35 weeks that delivering Kennedy early was the safest option for her.

Neither birth went the way I had imagined, but both taught me very quickly that sometimes the birth plan changes—and the only thing that matters in that moment is getting your baby here as safely as possible.

How My Second C-Section Was Different From My First

The overall experience of my second c-section was very different from my first.

One of the biggest differences was how I was prepared for surgery. With my first c-section, I had already received an epidural while I was laboring, so when the decision was made to move forward with a c-section, they were able to use my existing epidural for anesthesia.

With my second c-section, things were a little different because we knew the night before that I would be delivering the next morning. I remember waking up that morning and getting myself ready to finally meet my little girl. When it was time, my nurse came to get me and walked with me to the operating room. I sat on the edge of the operating table while they placed my spinal block before getting me positioned for surgery.

The surgeries themselves also felt completely different.

During my first c-section, I don’t remember feeling a lot of tugging or pressure. Everything seemed to happen so quickly. With my second, I remember feeling a lot more pressure and tugging. Kennedy was breech, and the doctors had a difficult time getting her out because her head became stuck. I could feel my entire body moving from side to side as they pushed and pulled. The whole procedure also felt like it took much longer than my first.

But probably the biggest difference between the two was my anxiety.

With my first c-section, almost all of my anxiety happened before surgery. I had labored all the way to 9 cm and desperately wanted to deliver vaginally. When they told me I needed a c-section, I was terrified. I remember having a panic attack because a c-section was the last thing I wanted and I hadn’t mentally prepared myself for it at all.

With my second, I had much less anxiety going into the operating room. I had already experienced a c-section before, so I had a better idea of what to expect.

This time, my anxiety came during the surgery.

I knew Kennedy was going to be extremely small. I knew I was only 35 weeks pregnant. And I knew there was a very good chance she would be taken straight to the NICU after she was born.

So instead of being afraid of the c-section itself, I was afraid for my baby.

I just wanted to fast forward through everything and get to the moment when I could finally hold her which I wouldn’t get to do until 35 hours after she was born.

Looking back, that’s probably the simplest way I can explain the difference between my two c-sections: the first time, I was scared of the surgery. The second time, I was scared of what would happen after it.

My Postpartum Hemorrhage After My C-Section

One thing I remember being incredibly grateful for after my first c-section was that I didn’t hemorrhage. As much as I hated the reality of being rolled back to the OR for an unexpected c-section, I had always heard horror stories about moms bleeding heavily after birth, and I was thankful that wasn’t part of my experience.

Well… it happened after my second c-section.

Because apparently a complicated pregnancy and difficult c-section weren’t enough. 😂

Thankfully, I didn’t experience a uterine rupture or lose enough blood to need a blood transfusion.

Gotta count your blessings, right?!

I was completely exhausted after Kennedy’s birth, so some of that first hour is honestly a blur. But I do remember the bleeding.

I was soaking through pads incredibly quickly, what felt like every 15 minutes or so. There was so much blood that I remember looking down and seeing it on the bed beneath me. I was exhausted, going in and out, and honestly didn’t fully understand the seriousness of what was happening around me at the time.

Several nurses came in and repeatedly performed fundal massages, firmly pressing and massaging my uterus to encourage it to contract and help control the bleeding.

And my goodness, it hurt.

I remember screaming because they were pressing so hard on my abdomen. I was already sore from having just had a C-section, and the repeated fundal massages left me bruised. But despite everything they were doing, the bleeding wasn’t stopping.

My nurse contacted my OB-GYN, who came in to evaluate where the bleeding was coming from. There was a significant amount of clotting, and eventually the decision was made to take me back to the operating room.

So shortly after delivering my baby by c-section, I found myself being rolled into the OR again.

I received another spinal block, and my OB-GYN performed a D&C (dilation and curettage) to remove the blood and clots from inside my uterus.

After the D&C, I was taken back to my room for continued monitoring before I was eventually transferred to the mother-baby unit.

Meanwhile, I think Vince was officially traumatized after watching everything that happened to me that day. 😂

Looking back now, one of the things I remember most is how thankful I am for the nurse who cared for me. She paid attention when something wasn’t right, continued monitoring me closely, contacted my doctor, and advocated for me when I was too exhausted to advocate for myself.

Postpartum hemorrhage can become a serious emergency very quickly, and I will always be grateful that I had a nurse who took what was happening seriously and stayed on top of my care.

At the time, I was exhausted and just wanted to recover enough to go see my tiny baby in the NICU. Years later and especially now working as a Labor & Delivery nurse myself, I have an entirely different appreciation for the nurses who cared for me that day.

Watch My C-Section Vlog

My Second C-Section Scar Healing Timeline

After everything that happened with my c-section and postpartum hemorrhage, I was eventually transferred to the mother-baby unit, where I would stay until I was discharged.

At this point, the recovery process officially began.

My c-section incision was covered with a dressing like the one pictured below. After the initial dressing was removed, I kept a pad over my incision for about the first week to help protect it from rubbing against my clothes.

The first 24 hours after my c-section were definitely the most painful for me. I was sore from the surgery itself, but my abdomen was especially tender after all of the fundal massages and pressure that had been applied to my uterus while they were trying to control the bleeding.

Everything hurt, and even the smallest movements—getting out of bed, standing up straight, coughing, laughing, or adjusting myself—reminded me that I had just had major abdominal surgery.

This is what my incision looked like as it healed over the following several weeks.

Day 1

The next day, I had Vince take the first picture of my c-section incision so I could document the healing process.

Honestly, it didn’t look nearly as gruesome as I had imagined it would after everything my body had gone through the day before. I think sometimes the thought of seeing your incision for the first time can be worse than actually seeing it.

I had documented the healing process after my first c-section too, so I knew I wanted to do the same this time and be able to compare the two recoveries.

If you’re curious what my scar looked like after my first delivery, you can see my first c-section incision recovery from the day of surgery all the way through the one-year mark.

That night after I showered, Vince and I noticed something strange about my incision. It almost looked like I had a second, much smaller incision on my left side (the right side if you’re looking at the picture) just above my actual c-section incision.

Of course, I immediately wondered what the heck it was.

Thankfully, it wasn’t another incision at all. It was just the way my skin had been taped down after surgery. Once the tape came off, it was much easier to see what was actually going on. I’ll show you what it looked like without the tape below, so keep reading!

As far as pain goes, days 1–3 were definitely the hardest for me. I started feeling noticeably better once I was home and a few more days into my recovery.

One thing that helped me during those first few days was staying on schedule with the pain medications my doctor prescribed. I set timers on my phone so I wouldn’t accidentally miss a dose or lose track of when I had taken each medication.

If you’re recovering from a c-section, follow the medication instructions given to you by your own healthcare provider and don’t be afraid to ask questions if your pain isn’t being well controlled.

Day 4

By day 4, my c-section incision didn’t look drastically different, but I could tell it was slowly healing. The biggest difference was honestly how I felt. Each day brought a little more relief, and by this point, I was starting to feel much better than I had during those first few days.

That weird little line above the left side of my incision was still there too, and I’m not going to lie, it still looked suspicious to me. Even though it seemed like it was just the way my skin had been taped down, it really did look like there was another tiny incision hiding underneath there.

I was still taking the pain medications prescribed to me, including ibuprofen and oxycodone, to help manage my pain while I recovered.

2 Weeks and 2 Days

I’m not sure why I waited until 2 weeks postpartum to take another picture, but this is what my c-section incision looked like once the tape and Steri-Strips were off.

I removed my Steri-Strips right around the 2-week mark because my OB-GYN had told me that if they were still attached by then, I could remove them.

And remember that mysterious little “second incision” I kept talking about?

Well, this is what it actually looked like without the tape.

As you can see in the picture, I had an indent above my c-section scar that created a small pocket of tissue that bulged out and hung slightly over the incision. At the time, I wasn’t sure what had caused it and planned to ask about it at my 6-week postpartum appointment.

Update after my third c-section: I later learned that the way I had been closed internally during this c-section contributed to the indent and pocket of tissue above my scar. When I had my third c-section, my doctor actually tried to correct that area while closing my incision. It significantly minimized the appearance, although I do still have a small indent and some tissue that sits above my scar today.

As far as recovery went, by 2 weeks postpartum I was feeling pretty good physically. I was moving around quite a bit, especially because Kennedy was still in the NICU. After I was discharged, I was regularly driving back to the hospital and walking through the halls to visit her.

By this point, most of my pain had subsided and my postpartum bleeding had become very light.

4 Weeks and 2 Days

Here’s a closer look at my repeat c-section scar at 4 weeks postpartum.

Compared to my first c-section scar, this one definitely looked more uneven. You can really see the indent above the left side of my scar and how that area seemed to pull upward, creating the little pocket of tissue I mentioned earlier.

It wasn’t painful, but I did notice quite a bit of tightness and a pulling sensation on that side, especially when I moved or stretched.

At this point, I was mostly curious to see how much the indent and pulling would change as my incision continued to heal.

For comparison, here’s what my first c-section scar looked like at 4 weeks postpartum.

You can already see how differently my two incisions were healing, especially around the area where my second scar had that indent and pulling above it.

If you’d like to see how my first scar changed over time, I documented my entire c-section scar healing process from the day of surgery through one year postpartum.

Here’s a side view of what my repeat c-section scar looked like at this point in my recovery.

You can really see the indent and the small pocket of tissue above my incision from this angle. At the time, it felt and looked to me like that area had been pulled tighter internally when my incision was closed, especially because of the pulling and tightness I continued to feel on that side.

It wasn’t painful, but it was noticeably different from the way my first c-section scar had healed.

Check out 10 Weird Things About Your Healed C Section Incision Women Don’t Talk About

8 Weeks C Section Incision

My second c-section scar definitely didn’t heal as smoothly or evenly as my first. The indent and little pocket of tissue above my incision were still noticeable, but honestly, I was just thankful my incision was completely closed, healing, and nothing was oozing out that shouldn’t be. 😂

And surprise…

I found out I was pregnant again at 2 months postpartum. 🙂

Definitely wasn’t on my 2022 bingo card.

So while I was still documenting the healing process from my second c-section, my body was already preparing for pregnancy and, eventually, c-section number three.

What Helped With My Second C-Section Recovery

Even though my second pregnancy, c-section, and postpartum experience were far from smooth, I actually felt like my physical recovery from the c-section itself went much better the second time around.

I think part of that was simply knowing what to expect. With my first c-section, everything was new. I didn’t know how painful it would be to get out of bed, how my incision would feel, how long I would be sore, or what recovery would look like from one day to the next.

The second time around, I wasn’t going into recovery completely blind. I knew the first few days would probably be the hardest, but I also knew they wouldn’t last forever. Mentally, that helped me a lot.

I also knew what not to do. During my first c-section recovery, there were times I pushed myself too hard and ended up hurting so badly afterward. I remembered that going into my second recovery, so I was much more intentional about finding a balance between getting up and moving and knowing when my body needed me to slow down and rest.

Staying on top of my pain medication was a big one. During those first few days, I tried not to wait until I was already in a lot of pain before taking the medications that had been prescribed to me. I set timers on my phone to help me remember when I had taken each medication and when my next dose was due. Having my pain better controlled also made it easier for me to get out of bed and move around.

Gentle movement helped me tremendously too. Once my nurses cleared me to get up, I started with short, slow walks and gradually moved around more as I felt able. After I was discharged, Kennedy was still in the NICU, so I was driving back to the hospital to visit her and walking through the hospital halls to get to her. I was naturally up and moving around quite a bit during those first couple of weeks.

But I wasn’t trying to see how much I could do or push through the pain. I had learned that lesson the hard way after my first c-section. If my body was telling me I had done too much, I rested.

I really think movement and rest both played a role in my recovery. I didn’t stay in bed all day because I was afraid to move, but I also didn’t treat feeling a little better as a sign that I was completely healed. I had just had major abdominal surgery, and my body needed time.

Getting adequate sleep was another big priority for me. Obviously, getting enough sleep postpartum isn’t always easy, but I tried to rest and sleep whenever I had the opportunity and accept help when it was offered.

I also tried to stay hydrated and nourish my body with foods that would support my recovery instead of putting pressure on myself to “bounce back” immediately after having a baby.

Once my incision was completely healed and my OB-GYN cleared me, I also began gently massaging around my scar. I used scar treatment sheets starting around 6 weeks postpartum, and I personally had a good experience with them.

After going through three c-section recoveries now, one of the biggest things I’ve learned is that recovery isn’t something you have to rush. Move when your care team says it’s safe, take your medications as prescribed, rest when your body is telling you to rest, stay hydrated, eat well, and give yourself some grace while your body heals.

Every c-section recovery is different, so always follow the discharge instructions and recommendations from your own OB-GYN and healthcare team.