Ice packs

I am just wondering how long I should continue to ice my incisions? I have had ice packs on them most of the time since I got home and just curious what everyone else was told to do or is doing?

My nurses in the hospital told me to use them as long as I needed them and they brought me comfort. I used them for at least the first two weeks a whole lot, then as my incision got more stable and not so terribly achy, I used them less and less

The first couple of weeks they were my best friend. I couldn't imaging using heat because any time my belly got warm I felt every stitch and everything seemed very tender; the ice helped so much!

Now, at 6 weeks, I really don't seem to need the ice. In fact, I had a lot of gas yesterday and the heating pad felt marvelous. That tells me the recovery has moved to a place where I may not need the ice any more.