by Sara McGinnis posted in Mom Stories

If you have ever wondered what c-section scars look like just after giving birth, or years down the road, get ready  to be enlightened.

Whether you're expecting for the first time and know cesarean birth is a possibility, or are an experienced mom who's just plain curious, take a look at BabyCenter moms who've proudly displayed their badges of honor:

Two days after giving birth: This mom's incision has been closed with surgical staples, often referred to as being "stapled shut."

Four days after giving birth: You can see two c-section scars here. The new one has been stapled shut, and the older one, from a c-section two years earlier, is faintly visible.

Not long after delivery: When a c-section incision becomes infected, it can delay the healing process, as happened to this mom.
Two-and-a-half weeks after giving birth

Four weeks after giving birth

Seven weeks after giving birth

Seven weeks after third c-section: This mom has had three c-sections. Her vertical scar ? from a type of incision made only in special circumstances ? is from the most recent. Her two horizontal scars came from standard c-sections seven and eight years ago.

Twelve weeks after giving birth

Four months after giving birth

One year after giving birth

Two years after giving birth

So what's it really like to have a c-section" Over in the BabyCenter Community seasoned moms are sharing about their cesarean births, and it seems...