Cesarean infection signs: When to Seek Medical Advice

An infection after caesarean birth can affect the incision, the womb or the urinary tract. The outside of the wound is only one part of recovery. New or worsening symptoms deserve assessment even if the scar looks tidy or you have already had antibiotics around the operation.

Look for changes around the incision

Contact your maternity team promptly if the wound becomes increasingly painful, hot, swollen or red, produces pus or unpleasant smelling fluid, or starts to open. Redness may be harder to see on darker skin, so notice warmth, swelling and changes in pain too.

Our caesarean wound care guide explains routine care. Cleaning more often, adding creams or waiting for the next dressing appointment is not a substitute for assessment when symptoms suggest infection.

Notice symptoms beyond the skin

Fever, shivering, worsening lower abdominal or pelvic pain, or vaginal discharge with an unpleasant smell can suggest infection after birth. Increasing or heavy vaginal bleeding also needs review. A clinician must assess the cause; these symptoms cannot reliably identify the problem at home.

Pain or burning when passing urine should also be reported. Mention if you had a catheter and whether you are passing urine normally. If you feel unwell, explain that you have recently given birth and had surgery, even when speaking to a service that does not have your maternity notes.

Get help without waiting for every sign

Contact your maternity unit or urgent medical service without delay if you suspect an infection or feel increasingly unwell. You do not need to have a fever, a visibly infected wound and unusual discharge together. If you cannot reach your usual team, use another urgent care route.

When calling, give the date of birth, your symptoms, when they started and any medicines or allergies. Ask where you should be seen and how quickly. A brief description of what has changed is more useful than deciding which infection you think you have.

Recognise a possible emergency

Sepsis is a serious reaction to infection that can develop quickly. Confusion, difficulty breathing, unusually pale or blotchy skin, or feeling extremely unwell can be emergency signs. Call emergency services rather than driving yourself if these occur. Sepsis can involve a high or low temperature, and not everyone has all the signs.

Chest pain, severe breathing difficulty or collapse also need emergency help, whether or not infection is the cause. Do not assume every postoperative problem is an infection.

Follow the assessment plan

Your clinician will decide what examination, tests and treatment are needed. Ask what improvement to expect and whom to contact if symptoms worsen. The postpartum bleeding guide can help you describe bleeding changes, but new symptoms should be assessed directly rather than managed only with online guidance.