What are signs of C-section infection?

Last reviewed June 19, 2026 by Dr. Sapna Jadhav, General Physician. Sources from ACOG, NHS, Mayo Clinic, CDC, NICE, NIH, Cochrane, and peer-reviewed journals.

Bottom lineSigns of a C-section infection include increasing pain, redness, swelling, warmth, or pus at the incision, the wound opening, and a fever; contact your provider promptly, as early antibiotic treatment usually clears it.

Signs of a C-section wound infection include increasing pain, redness, swelling, warmth, or discharge at the incision, and a fever. Catching it early means it's usually easy to treat with antibiotics.

Wound signs to watch for

• Increasing or new pain around the incision
• Redness, swelling, or warmth spreading from the wound
• Pus or fluid leaking from the incision, or a foul smell
• The wound opening up or edges separating

Other signs of infection

• A fever of 38C (100.4F) or higher, or chills
• Feeling generally unwell
• Pain or burning when you pee (possible urine infection)
• Heavy or foul-smelling vaginal discharge (possible womb infection)

What to do

Contact your provider promptly if you notice these signs - wound and other postpartum infections respond well to early treatment. Don't wait to see if it settles.

Seek urgent care for

A high fever, spreading redness, severe pain, confusion, a very fast heartbeat, or feeling extremely unwell, which can signal a more serious, spreading infection.

Femora helps you log wound and recovery symptoms so you can describe changes clearly to your provider.

Know the red flags: signs of postpartum infection