A cesarean delivery is SURGERY where the doctor cuts open your belly to deliver your beautiful baby. Another joy of motherhood. That cut may look great on the surface but has to heal in multiple layers on the inside.  The healing process can be quite long. As a doctor, I used to tell my patients exactly what the book said: 6-8 weeks of healing. After my own c-section, I saw that was quite far from reality. First of all, the pain is very intense.  After about 6-8 weeks, the initial burning and numbness and pain ease up. I found that wearing an abdominal binder helped tremendously with movement. I remember having such a hard time getting up from a sitting or lying position without the binder. For at least a year, I felt weird sensations and sometimes outright pain. Eight years later, the pain and tingling resolved but the numbness is still present. The numbness is great if you have to take injections on the belly for any reason. At least, you have a “pain-free” zone! In some women, the pain actually does not go away. It could be present and worsen with movement or even menstrual cycles.  Have you heard of “scar endometriosis?” That’s when endometriosis spreads from inside the belly to a scar. This could happen with a c-section scar.  Hint: does the pain of the scar worsen during the menstrual cycle?  Some other possibilities include nerve entrapment or adhesions or scar tissue on the inside. Whatever the case, it is not all in your head! See your doctor to explore the possibilities.