Postpartum Underwear: What Kind of Underwear Should I Wear After a C-Section?

It's day five with your new baby.

You're getting the hang of nursing, swaddling, and changing diapers — but what about the big c-section incision right in the middle of your abdominals or the postpartum bleeding? What do you do about that?

Often, public perinatal care post-cesarean birth is focused on infection prevention and external wound closure. Questions of how c-section moms or birth parents are supposed to recover from this major abdominal surgery and return to pain-free living, however, are generally not addressed. 

So, let me — a perinatal and physical therapist with 19 years of experience — tell you about a few tricks that will help your c-section incision heal while minimizing swelling and pain simultaneously.

While there's a trove of accessible resources you can turn to, the healing tonic we're exploring in-depth today is: c-section underwear that provide all the support, compression, and core support you need to embrace postpartum recovery (without having to use adult diapers).

It may sound simple, but such are the building blocks of ensuring a recovery that's as smooth and comfortable as possible. So, let's dive in!

High Waist Postpartum Panties Are Your Friend

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After a c-section surgery, there's lots of swelling, and typically the incision site is focused from your bellybutton to your pubic bone. Swelling causes pain and, as a result, can slow healing. When it comes to finding the most supportive postpartum underwear, high waist styles are the most c-section friendly.

High Waisted Underwear that envelops the entire surgical area will gently compress the swelling and allow for a faster recovery.

To boot, High Waisted Leakproof Underwear combines the benefits of subtle compression and protection with an absorbent gusset (like lochia, the vaginal postpartum bleeding you're likely to experience as your uterus heals). 

In contrast to high waisted underwear, low waisted underwear may compress the wrong area, causing swelling to accumulate above the underwear band. This has the potential to aggravate pain or exacerbate the “C-section shelf” or overhang. 

From a perinatal therapist's perspective, swelling accumulation means you're likely to have to do additional scar massaging in that area. From an aesthetic standpoint, chronic swelling accumulation can make a “C-section shelf” more permanent (read: tougher to treat. And yes, it's generally treatable!). 

Natural Fabrics Are Key

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The underwear you put on before heading home from the hospital may be different from the underwear that best suits your needs months later — and that's totally normal. 

Generally, my C-section mamas may find that sizing up by one size provides more comfort post-cesarean — especially in the first three months when your body is stretched and swollen from pregnancy (when in doubt, refer to the size chart here).

From day one to week six is when your incision is most vulnerable to infection. To help prevent one, you'll want to opt for comfortable underwear and clothing made of natural fibers. This will feel more breathable and help protect from bacterial and fungal overgrowth post c-section.

Modal cotton is a bio-based fabric made from beech tree cellulose. The cloud-soft material used to make Luxe Modal Leakproof Boxer for instance, absorbs light leaks from postpartum bleeding and still looks cute. 

Week six to 12 tends to be a safer time to switch to postpartum panties made using synthetic fabrics, if you'd like. You can opt for everyday underwear or stick to Leakproof options, which may prove useful when your period makes its return. 

To recap: I recommend including high waisted underwear in your pre-packed hospital bag and planning to wear them for the first three months of your recovery. In tandem with daily c-section scar massages and regular movement, your healing body will thank you. 

As always, listen to your body. It will tell you what's most comfortable. 

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We hope you found this post informative — but remember: we’re not doctors and this post is not medical advice! While all posts are fact-checked and well researched, we always recommend you chat with your doctor about any questions or concerns you might have regarding a medical condition. 

We’re here to support and educate, but never with the aim of disregarding professional medical advice you’ve been given. Phew, now that that’s out of the way, you can go on living unapologetically free.