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C-SECTION RECOVERY · WEEK 6

Week 6 After C-Section:
Your Clearance

Six weeks marks the end of the formal C-Section recovery window. Your 6-week clearance is a genuine milestone — but cleared at 6 weeks doesn't mean fully healed. The work of pelvic floor and core recovery extends well beyond today.

Recovery window
Day 42
Week 6 of 6
100%
Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6
What's normal this week
Incision well healed externally — internal healing continues for months
Scar may still feel numb, tight, or occasionally sensitive
Core weakness still present — expected, improves with rehab
Pelvic floor still adapting
Hormones still adjusting — especially if breastfeeding
Energy significantly better than the early weeks
⚠ Any incision concerns — raise at today's appointment
⚠ Postpartum depression or anxiety — tell your OB today
⚠ Persistent pelvic pain, pressure, or bladder symptoms
What to do this week
Attend your 6-week OB clearance — the main milestone
Ask about: exercise, sex, contraception, pelvic floor PT
Be completely honest about your emotional state
Book your pelvic floor physiotherapy assessment if not done
Understand: cleared means gradual return, not full intensity
Celebrate — you grew, birthed, and recovered. Remarkable.
Frequently asked questions — Week 6 of 6

Your OB will examine your incision, check blood pressure and uterine involution, and ask about bleeding, pain, and emotional wellbeing. They'll typically clear you to return to sex, exercise (gradually), lift more than your baby, and end remaining restrictions. Don't leave without discussing contraception, pelvic floor PT, and mental health.

Externally — yes, for most moms. Internally — no. The uterine scar and fascia continue strengthening for 3–6 months. Core and pelvic floor often needs 3–12 months of rehabilitation. 'Cleared' means you've passed the main safety threshold, not that your body is back to pre-pregnancy.

The evidence-based recommendation is to wait at least 12 weeks before starting a return-to-running programme — and only after pelvic floor physiotherapy. Running is high-impact and places significant load on the pelvic floor. Starting too early increases risk of prolapse, incontinence, and abdominal complications.

Yes — and it can take longer than couples expect. Hormonal changes (especially breastfeeding) reduce lubrication. The scar can cause pulling or tightness. All of this is normal. If you experience persistent pain with sex, mention it to your OB or pelvic floor physiotherapist — it's treatable.

A women's health physiotherapist will assess pelvic floor strength, coordination, scar mobility, bladder function, and diastasis recti. They create a personalised programme — which may include pelvic floor exercises, core rehabilitation, scar mobilisation, and breathing retraining. Not the same as generic Kegels.

Longer than most expect. Surgical recovery — managing daily life without significant pain — takes 4–6 weeks. Internal healing of the uterine scar takes 3–6 months. Core and pelvic floor function often takes 6–12 months of active rehabilitation. Being kind to yourself about the pace is not weakness — it's understanding what your body has been through.

🚨 Raise at today's 6-week appointment:
  • • Any incision concerns
  • • Postpartum depression or anxiety — a medical condition, not weakness
  • • Bladder or bowel symptoms
  • • Persistent pelvic pain or pressure
  • • Any physical concern you've been putting off
When in doubt, always call. This app does not replace clinical judgment.

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