C-Section Shelf (C-Section Pouch): Why It Happens and How to Fix the Lower Belly Bulge Why your stomach may still look pregnant after a C-section — and what can be done about it
Healing tissue may tether the skin to the abdominal wall beneath it.
3The scar becomes a fixed point.
While surrounding tissue moves normally, the scar remains anchored.
4Tissue above the scar protrudes.
When sitting or bending, the tissue above this fixed point can fold forward, producing the visible shelf.
C-section scar tethering (C-section ‘shelf’ or ‘pouch’)
After a C-section, the skin incision heals by forming scar tissue. In some patients, this scar becomes tethered or stuck to deeper layers of the abdominal wall, anchoring the skin at the scar line. The skin and soft tissue above the scar may then protrude slightly, creating a visible ledge or “shelf”.
Cross-sectional view showing scar tethering at a C-section incision, creating a fixed point that produces a shelf above the scar.
The important features of a C-section shelf or pouch include:
The bulge is localised directly above the scar
The upper abdomen may otherwise feel relatively flat
Weight loss or exercise has little effect on the shelf
A scar that may appear indented, tight, or adherent
