Regaining your pre-pregnancy body will take up to one year – especially if mom is breastfeeding. Remembering that it took 9 months to get into that condition it can take up to 9 months to lose the weight, vagina to regain muscle tone and sexual sensitivity to revert back to pre-pregnancy status.

Some women report some permanent changes to their bodies that include nerve numbness of the lower legs or abdomen over the incision site, a ‘shelf’ of muscle and fat of the incision that doesn’t disappear and a surgical scar.

Other more permanent changes are from the pregnancy itself such as increased breast size, widening of the hips, stretch marks, and potentially widening of the rib cage. The stretch marks are noticeably dark purple in color initially and then fade to white or light pink over time.

For some women the weight gained during pregnancy can be very difficult to lose. It appears the younger the woman when she gives birth the easier it may be to lose the weight associated with pregnancy. This may be that as women age their metabolism also slows making weight loss even more difficult.

Your body after a cesarean birth will never be the same. Not because the cesarean section caused permanent damage to the organs and skin but rather because pregnancy itself changes the bodies of women in such a way that they are never really the same. This doesn’t mean they are worse or better – just not the same.