Why is my C-section incision red?
While this may just be a reaction to the suture or staples, it could also be a sign of a wound infection. You should call your doctor or midwife to be seen.
Many women who have a C-section notice a little bit of redness around their C-section incision, especially if the skin was closed with staples. Often the points where the staples enter the skin cause a small reaction and the skin may be temporarily red. However, if you notice that this redness (called erythema in medical terms) is spreading or is accompanied by hardness, drainage of fluid or pus from the incision, or incisional separation, then you definitely need to be checked out to make sure you do not have a wound infection. Do not scrub at it or put on any creams or ointments in the meantime! This can often make matters worse, so it is best to talk with your doctor or midwife first.
Reviewed by Dr. Jen Lincoln, November 2018
I’ve had 2 c-sections and never had staples. I had dissolvable stitches. Which do you recommend?
There is no good evidence either way that one is better than the other. In fact, this was just confirmed in a really nice paper from Oct 2013 about the evidence behind every step of a C-section (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23467047). Some patients and even doctors themselves will have a preference, but it is personal and not based on any studies that prove one has a better cosmetic outcome in the longterm or has a lower risk of infection etc.