For Catherine Brooks, necessity truly was the “mother” of invention. Surprised when her first child had to be delivered by Cesarean in 2004, Brooks, a rehabilitation therapy specialist and her orthopedic surgeon husband were even more shocked with the poor post-surgical care provided to C-section mothers. They learned after going through a fairly extensive surgical procedure, c-section mother’s receive little more than mesh panties and patience, neither of which addressed the unique needs of a the recovery process.
So Catherine and her husband combined their medical knowledge and personal experience to create a product to address both the postpartum and post-surgical factors relating to a Cesarean delivery.
“We came up with C-Panty. The After Cesarean Underwear designed to address the recovery of a c-section including swelling, scarring, sensitivity and tenderness,” Brooks explains. “I decided to apply what I knew about wound care and being a postpartum and post-surgical mom to a product, honestly never intending to start a business. I really just thought I was doing something that needed to be done.”
Less than one year on the market, the requests for C-Panty products kept pouring in accounting for five figure sales. Plus, C-Panty was named a “top product” by Pregnancy Magazine.
The key to C-Panty is an interior silicone panel localized tot he C-section incision. Silicone increases the moisture content of the area and addresses scar formation issues. A gentle compression panel addresses swelling and provides support for the incision area. The panty has a fluted waist to avoid the discomfort of elastic panty waistbands, plus C-panty’s compression panel helps provide a little post-baby shaping. Most importantly, the c-panty helps a new mother get back to taking care of her baby in comfort.
Since the inception of C-panty, Brooks has had two more children by Cesarean. Today, she has her hands full building the business and raising young children, but she is passionate about her company’s success.
“It’s probably the healthcare worker in me, I really want C-Panty more accessible to the 1.3 million c-section moms, not just those in metro areas or those that can afford it,” Brooks states.
C-Panty products are currently available both domestically and internationally. You can find them in stores as well as online.
