I went to the dermatologist recently for a routine skin check—one of those adulting things you know you’re supposed to do, especially with a family history of skin cancer like mine. I expected it to be straightforward: a quick scan, maybe a suggestion to wear more sunscreen, and then off I’d go. But of course, women’s health doesn’t let anything be simple.
During the check, I pointed out a mole that seems to puff up around my period. And the PA nodded and said, “Yeah, that can happen—your hormones fluctuate during your cycle, and that can affect your skin.”
Wait, what?
I mean sure, I knew about hormonal acne (who didn’t live through puberty?). But moles? Changing size or appearance based on where you’re at in your cycle? That was new info for me. Turns out, hormonal shifts can absolutely affect the skin—everything from increased sensitivity to pigmentation to mole changes. Totally normal… but not exactly common knowledge.
Add that to the mental file of “things about my body I’m just now learning in my 30s.”
When Major Surgery Isn’t on the Form
But what really kicked off this post wasn’t my mole—it was the medical intake form.
Under “Surgical History,” there were boxes for every possible joint replacement: hip, knee, shoulder, ankle. But nowhere on the list was a C-section. I get it—they can’t list every surgery—but given that nearly 1 in 3 births in the U.S. are cesareans, it felt like a pretty glaring omission.
I made a joke to the PA about how apparently pushing out a baby—or in my case, having one (well, two) surgically removed—doesn’t count as real surgery. She laughed and said, “You’d be surprised how often that comes up. We do check incision sites when we’re told about them, but we’re almost never prompted to ask.”
Not surprised. Just… annoyed. Once again, women’s health is an afterthought.
My Scar Is Still Healing—And I Didn’t Even Know It Needed Help
She checked the scar (shout out to Dr. Taki), and 15 months later, it’s still healing nicely. But it blew my mind that healing can take that long. And no one really tells you that. The last time a doctor looked at it? My six-week postpartum checkup.
Which leads me to my next discovery. One I didn’t hear about in any doctor’s office, but instead—of course—on a reel on Instagram.
What No One Tells You About the C-Section Shelf
Have you heard of the C-section shelf? I hadn’t either.
It’s the small overhang of skin or fat that sits above your scar. It’s not just about body image—although let’s be honest, it can mess with your confidence—it’s about scar tissue and adhesions. After abdominal surgery, you’re supposed to massage the scar as it heals to prevent this buildup and promote healthy tissue mobility.
Makes sense, right? We do this with other kinds of surgical scars. But I was never told to do that with my C-section. Not by the OB, not by the nurses, not at my six-week visit. No pamphlet, no checklist, no follow-up plan. Just… vibes.
Pilates, Pelvic Floor Therapy, and the Muscles We Forget We Have
Once I stopped pumping (shout out to all the exclusive pumpers—that’s a full-time job), I gained a few hours back in my day. With a little more breathing room, I finally rejoined the Pilates studio near my house. What used to be my pre-baby go-to suddenly felt like a whole new experience. The “beginner” classes lit up muscles I forgot—or maybe never knew—I had.
More importantly, it reminded me how much strength and control I’d lost without even realizing it. I’d heard of pelvic floor therapy, but assumed it was only for women with major complications. Turns out, it’s useful for everyone postpartum—especially those of us who had a C-section and assumed we were off the hook.
The pelvic floor doesn’t get “skipped” just because you didn’t push. In fact, many women still experience weakness, incontinence, or tension because pregnancy alone puts pressure on those muscles for months.
At my first class back, the instructor casually mentioned core and pelvic floor engagement in nearly every move. And that’s when I realized: no one ever taught me how to reconnect to that part of my body. I had to stumble my way back—one shaky plank at a time.
So, Why Don’t We Know This Stuff?
It’s not that the information doesn’t exist. It’s just not offered. Unless you ask the right question, at the right time, to the right specialist, you may never know what’s normal, what’s treatable, or what’s avoidable.
And that’s the real problem with women’s health: it’s a scavenger hunt. You hear about things through friends, in Facebook groups, or from influencers doing the work our healthcare system should be doing.
We Deserve Better—But Until Then, We Talk
We deserve routine postpartum care beyond six weeks. We deserve to know how long healing takes. We deserve guidance on how to recover—not just survive.
So let’s talk:
- Ask about scar massage if you had a C-section.
- See a pelvic floor therapist (even once!) to check in on recovery.
- Tell your derm about your C-section when they’re checking your skin.
- Share the reel. Forward the article. Normalize the conversation.
Because women’s health shouldn’t be full of secrets. And we shouldn’t have to learn about our own bodies by accident.
Further Reading & Resources:
- How Hormones Affect Your Skin – Bend Dermatology Clinic
- Births—Method of Delivery – CDC
- Scar Massage After Surgery: What You Need to Know – Journal of Wound Care
- Why You Might Want to See a Pelvic Floor Therapist – The New York Times
If this post had you nodding along, send it to a friend or drop a comment with what you learned way too late. And if you’re tired of Googling your symptoms at 2 a.m., stick around. We’re talking about all the stuff that should’ve been in the pamphlet.
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