Pain & bleeding after caesarean (warningTMI)

I just wanted to know if anyone else had experienced this, and if anyone thinks I should see my GP/OB about it, as it's starting to worry me.

I had a c-section 2.5 weeks ago, after prolonged (3 days) PROM and an induced labour which wasn't successful.

While in hospital, I bled heavily for about 1-2 days, then my flow became brownish and fairly light (ie. a panty liner would have sufficed). I experienced no tummy cramping or afterpains at all, whilst in hospital.

For the last week and a half, my bleeding has become bright red again, and COPIOUS. I go through multiple pads a day, and when I wipe after I go to the toilet, it takes about 7-8 lots of toilet paper to get rid of all the blood. There are long stringy bits that sometimes reach from my hoohaa, all the way down to the water in the toilet bowl.

I have also started to experience what I thought were afterpains at first, but these occur up to 3 hrs after I have finished nursing DS, so I'm starting to think they are cramps unrelated to b/feeding. They are severely painful ... I have to breathe heavily through them (and this is in contrast to my contractions during my induced labour, which were completely painless). They come and go, but I usually get one every 5-10 minutes. The remainder of the time, my uterus feels so tender it hurts to stand up/sit down. It hurts to roll over in bed.

Last night and the night before, I had a fever with chills .... it seems to go away during the day, but comes back again late afternoon.

I'm worried that I've sustained some sort of infection because of my prolonged rupture of membranes. However, immediately after DS was born, the hospital staff took a sample of amniotic fluid from his stomach to check for infection. Nothing was said to me, and he wasn't started on any treatment - so I have assumed up until now that there was no infection present in the fluid.

Has anyone else experienced this? It's only 2.5 weeks, so I don't want to overreact if the bleeding and pain is normal ....

Cherie - I`m advising strongly that you should see your OB/Dr asap especially since your experiencing chills, it all sounds all too familiar to what I`ve been through, it may be nothing but it`s best to be checked out jic.

I just had a thought, normally up to 6 weeks post birth you can ring the delivery suite for advice and they will see you if they think you should be seen, perhaps give them a call.

Hugs to you Cherie.

Cherie, I dont know if it is all to do with your c/s, cause I know sometimes my AF has been like that after having the kids. The worst one I had afterbirth pains with was Erin and I would have to take panadol before I fed her to try to help. maybe you just didn't get rid of all the lochia afterwards and now it is finally coming out? Please if it is worrying you, go and see your Dr or ob OK? and if it is nothing then there is no big deal.

ETA - Cherie, are you sure they got all the placena out?

Thanks Dee ... that was pretty much what I was thinking too. I don't like running to health professionals with every little ache and pain, but this is causing me a bit of worry.

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ETA - Cherie, are you sure they got all the placena out?

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I'm not 100% sure, but it would be easy enough for someone who knows what they're looking for to check ... I've still got the placenta in my freezer ;)

Cherie after my c/s I had lochia on/off for around 10 weeks. BUT with the pain & feverish feelings I would definately see a GP or your OB if you can. The biggest concern is generally that you would have some retained placenta which can still happen with a c/s but isn't common. The other thing is that you had the problem with the interior stitch & sometimes our bodies can react to the suture material or things like that. If you start feeling really crook call the hospital too, the midwives will know what questions to ask & let you know if you should go in. *hugs*

:hug: Cherie it doesn't sound all that good to me especially if you're feeling feverish.

Call the hospital I think to be on the safe side. My SIL ended up very sick from an infection after a c-sect.

From the sound of it Cherie, this isn't just any ache or pain, I think you'd be well justified in getting help.

Cherie, after my c section I had the heavy, then light and back to heavy days too. And I had shocking cramps when I fed Noah, I also bled heaps more after a feed. More than likely from the uterine contractions I was getting from breastfeeding him.

But I never had chills hun, that is the worrying part. Yes it does take a while after giving birth for your body to regulate it's temperature, but not like this. When a placenta is taken out duringa c section it is pretty much just torn from the uterus, it is very easy for a minute piece to be left over.

I suffered a PPH 2 weeks after Brandon was born because of a tiny bit of retained placenta. Caused me alot of grief. I think, if you haven't already give the delivery suite a call, they would more than likely be better than a GP in this case and see what they have to say. My bet is they will get you in for a check up.

Oh yeah, when I went back in after Brandon, he was admitted with me. That was great, no seperation as he was breastfed. So if for any reason you need to be re admitted be sure to ask them about this.

Goodluck hun and I hope all is ok for you.

I'm with the other girls, the other stuff you might be able to pass off but the fever makes it worth checking out.

I remember clearly that I found it pretty painful to roll over in bed for about 3 weeks after my c/section - that still hurt even after pretty much all other movements were fine.
I hope you're ok.

How are you today Cherie, I`ve been really worried about you.

I'm doing a lot better today thanks Deeanne. The bleeding is still heavy, but the cramping is nowhere near as painful or as frequent as it was, and my temp is 37.5 instead of 37.9, like it has been.

I've called my OB just to be on the safe side ... I'm just waiting for a call back from him.

Hey Cherie, I was wondering how you were feeling. So how are you this morning, did your OB call you back?

Yep Sherie - he phoned back last night, and I'm going in to see him early this arvo. Since this are improving, he wasn't overly concerned, but wants to check me out just in case. He's also asked me to start taking the antibiotics I had left over from when my waters broke so early, until we know if there's anything to be worried about.

Thanks for asking :)

Good Cherie, it wont hurt to get the once over and maybe even get some more ab's if you need it.

Turns out that it's an enormous clot, and my uterus is contracting, to try to pass it. My OB did a scan, and the size of the clot appeared to be about the size of my pre-pregnancy uterus. He's given me scripts for 2 types of antibiotics, and I'm to go and see him again in a week to be reviewed.

I'm relieved that it's nothing serious, but it's also good to know there is a reason for what I was experiencing.

Geez Cherie, good thing you did go and see him in the end. At least now you can start the ab's and hopefully that will be the end of it.

Wow Cherie - I'm glad you went in! I hope the ABs clear it up quickly for you. :hug:

Cherie glad you went in and saw the OB, I`m not surprised you have a clot as your symptoms you were describing were like mine but no one would listen to me so I`m glad you were put straight onto AB`s hopefully they will clear it up in no time.

Cherie, good to hear that you got it checked out and are now on AB's. Be sure to take them all now hun.

Hopefully you will feel better in no time.

Thanks girls :)

Deeanne - how long did your symptoms take to recover? Is there a thread anywhere on BB where I can read your story?

Cherie - I probably should post about my PPH somewhere here on BB it might help me mentally but in a very short version Adrian was born 7am Tuesday by the Wednesday night I started feeling really yuck with hot and cold flushes, I got the midwife in and mentioned it to her she then called a Dr in, he couldn`t find anything wrong, next day I wasn`t feeling any better and I was also getting short of breath so another Dr came in and checked me she said I was strange and had some very odd symptoms, my bleeding was very minimal, even though I felt terrible I decided I wanted to go home, the Dr then picked up a heart murmur so I had to stay the night for an ultrasound the next day which didn`t eventuate so I was sent home even though the Dr had also picked up my uterus was divated to the right.

Friday night was terrible, I was either so very very hot I had to throw everything off the bed and lie their naked (this was early August!!!) next I was freezing cold and shaking violently.

Saturday I called the midwives as I was very concerned they said I was most likely experiencing after birth pains still, I then felt a bit better on Saturday night, sunday morning but by that afternoon I felt terrible again and very pale, Sunday night I started passing a 20 cent clot then throughout the night I was passing clots size of my hand and my pad was soaked within 10 minutes, I didn`t tell DH till morning by this stage blood and clots were pouring out of me (sorry TMI), I couldn`t get out of bed so an ambulance was called - I very nearly passed out but the oxygen was a life saver, I was then given an emergency D & C.

That is a very quick run down, so I had symptoms of a clot for 5 days before anyone would do something about it, they were hoping AB`s would fix me but they couldn`t wait too long in hospital because as fast as blood was being pumped into me I was pumping it straight back out.

So that is quite a bad case scenario and all because they didn`t diagnose me right in the beginning, I`d never have a baby under the public system again because of this.

That`s why the AB`s are so important and if your feeling any worse at all please let them know. What AB`s did your OB put you onto?

OMG Dee - what an ordeal! That must have been awful. I would have been so scared passing clots like that. So everything was then fine after the D & C?

OMG Dee. What an incredible and scary story :hug: What an awful thing to go through with a newborn bubba too. It sounds like you are lucky to be here and healthy today. Thank you so much for sharing your story.

My OB has put me on Keflex and Flagyl. The Keflex I also had when my waters broke prematurely, but the Flagyl is a new one. I'm thinking I might get some probiotics from the chemist today, as I don't want Jambin's tummy to be affected by the antibiotics ... I'm not sure how much of them passes into my breastmilk.

Dee thats so awful *hugs*

Cherie, I'm so glad that you got on the AB's. Some good probiotics are nourishing floura that the LC put me on, she also put Jovie on them at 8 weeks I would dip a finger into some breastmilk and then into some of the powder & let Jovie suck it off 3 times a day. That was for her oral thrush. She got oral thrush after I was put on the antibiotics because of the fear of something similar for me. I started bleeding again after stopping for a week & it became quite full on and I started feeling fluey so I went to the GP who sent me to the hospital and they put me on AB's straight away. That was when the oral thrush started for her. Everything resolved with the antibiotics for me within a few days.