Healing

Day 13 postpartum

In short: what happens on day 13 postpartum?

On day 13 postpartum the skin over a caesarean wound has usually closed, but the muscle and tissue layers beneath take weeks to heal. Keeping the wound clean and dry, lifting nothing heavier than your baby and supporting your tummy with a pillow when you cough speed healing. Redness, discharge, opening or fever need a doctor.

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Day 13 postpartum – animated guide

Day 13: the 40-day postpartum dial, your womb shrinking, postnatal bleeding, your baby’s stomach capacity and weight change (illustrative animation).

What the animation shows

RING: Coloured ring: the 40-day postpartum period and its stages; the gaps in the ring mark the weeks
LOCHIA: Inner band and pad: the colour of postnatal bleeding (red → pinkish-brown → yellowish-white) and how heavy it is
BLUES: Blue arc: days 3–14, when the baby blues may appear
UTERUS: Womb: its weight (g) and height relative to the belly button (cm); the dashed line marks the belly button
STOMACH: Circle: roughly how much milk your baby can take per feed (ml); dashed rings show day 1, day 3, week 1 and month 1
FEED: Drop and nappy: feeds in 24 hours and the minimum number of wet nappies to expect
WEIGHT: Graph: your baby’s weight compared with birth weight (%)
ICONS: Outer icons: first feed, milk coming in, heel prick test, cord falling off, back to birth weight, 1 month, 6-week check

Stage

Healing

Postnatal bleeding

Yellowish-white (lochia alba)

Womb

≈ 320 g

Milk

Transitional milk

Baby’s stomach (per feed)

68 ml

Baby’s weight (vs birth weight)

+0.9%

Wet nappies (24 hours)

Days until day 40

27 days

What’s happening in your body?

After a caesarean you may feel numbness, mild itching or pulling around the wound as nerve endings and tissue heal. After a vaginal birth, your stitches are largely healed by now and most have dissolved on their own.

Your baby today

Your wound may feel tender when your baby leans against your tummy. When feeding, placing your baby to your side or on a pillow rather than on the wound is more comfortable for you both.

Feeding and nutrition

After a caesarean, the rugby-ball (underarm) hold and feeding lying on your side keep your baby’s weight off the wound. Include foods containing protein, vitamin C and zinc in your meals to support wound healing.

Emotions and rest

If your birth was different from what you planned, feeling disappointed is understandable. How you gave birth is not a measure of your bond or your effort as a mother.

Care and hygiene

In the shower, letting soapy water run over the wound is enough; pat it dry with a clean towel without rubbing. Loose, high-waisted underwear whose waistband doesn’t sit on the wound reduces friction.

Tips for today

Press a pillow against your tummy when you cough, laugh or sneeze
To get out of bed, roll onto your side first, then push up with your arms
Don’t lift anything heavier than your baby

When to seek medical help

See your doctor without delay if there is increasing redness, warmth, swelling, yellow-green discharge, a bad smell or opening at the wound, or a temperature above 38 °C. Pain and swelling in one leg, or breathlessness, also need urgent assessment after a caesarean.

Postpartum day-by-day table

Day	Topic	Stage
Day 1	The First Day After Birth	First 72 hours
Day 2	Colostrum (First Milk)	First 72 hours
Day 3	Milk Coming In and Jaundice	First 72 hours
Day 4	Breast Engorgement	Milk comes in
Day 5	The Baby Blues	Milk comes in
Day 6	Stitch Care and the Toilet	Milk comes in
Day 7	The End of Week One	Milk comes in
Day 8	When Can I Have a Bath?	Healing
Day 9	Sleep and Tiredness	Healing
Day 10	The Umbilical Cord Falls Off	Healing
Day 11	Eating Well After Birth	Healing
Day 12	Yellowish-White Discharge	Healing
Day 13	Caesarean Wound Care	Healing
Day 14	The End of Week Two	Healing
Day 15	Postnatal Depression	Settling in
Day 16	Cracked Nipples and Mastitis	Settling in
Day 17	Visitors and 40-Day Beliefs	Settling in
Day 18	Pelvic Floor and Kegels	Settling in
Day 19	Night Sweats and Hormones	Settling in
Day 20	Can I Go Out With My Baby?	Settling in
Day 21	The Three-Week Growth Spurt	Settling in
Day 22	Tummy, Binders and Diastasis	Settling in
Day 23	Lifting and Driving	Settling in
Day 24	Support From Partner and Family	Settling in
Day 25	Medicines, Tea and Coffee	Settling in
Day 26	Expressing and Storing Milk	Settling in
Day 27	Anaemia After Birth	Settling in
Day 28	Week 4: Is the Bleeding Ending?	Settling in
Day 29	Exercise After Birth	Recovery and day 40
Day 30	Your Baby’s First Month	Recovery and day 40
Day 31	Losing Weight After Birth	Recovery and day 40
Day 32	Sex After Birth	Recovery and day 40
Day 33	Contraception After Birth	Recovery and day 40
Day 34	Hair Loss and Skin Changes	Recovery and day 40
Day 35	Week Five: Building a Routine	Recovery and day 40
Day 36	Preparing for Your 6-Week Check	Recovery and day 40
Day 37	Pelvic Floor and Core Strength	Recovery and day 40
Day 38	Saunas and 40th-Day Bath Rituals	Recovery and day 40
Day 39	What to Watch for After Day 40	Recovery and day 40
Day 40	Day 40: The End of Postpartum	Recovery and day 40

Frequently asked questions

How long does a caesarean wound take to heal?

The skin usually closes within 1–2 weeks, but the inner layers can take 6 weeks or longer to heal fully. So keep avoiding heavy lifting even if it looks fine on the outside.

When can I lift heavy things after a caesarean?

For the first weeks, lifting nothing heavier than your baby is advised. Discuss when to start heavier lifting and demanding housework with your doctor at the 6-week check.

Is itching around a caesarean scar normal?

Yes, itching and numbness are common in healing tissue. Instead of scratching, press gently; if itching comes with redness or discharge, get it checked.

Postnatal care at SoftCare Clinic

Book an appointment with our specialist doctors for a postnatal check, breastfeeding problems, a stitch or wound check, or support with postnatal depression.

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The information on this page is general guidance for an uncomplicated postpartum period and does not replace a medical examination. Heavy bleeding, fever, breathlessness, chest pain, or thoughts of harming yourself or your baby are emergencies: call your local emergency number (999 / 911 / 112).

Medical content editor: Op. Dr. Şükrü Sanus