It took longer than 12 mths for my scar to stop hurting completely, I was still having twinges around 18 mths. Having said that, I had dreadful drs for the first 6 mths who wouldn't acknowledge the problem. It was a pretty messy tear not helped by the dr's creative needlework afterwards. One thing that really helped was some vaginal oestrogen, that I took after the 6 month mark, it helped the tissues generally to be softer and in better condition (I was BFing and that keeps your oestrogen levels low). Ask your Dr about this and if you're not happy with their response, ask for a referral to a gynaecologist, who will take it seriously and help you. It shouldn't still be hurting!!