Stiches and discharge after vaginal birth

**Fuzzywuzzy** · September 10th, 2009, 07:50 PM

Sorry about the following TMI but I suppose that you have been warned by the thread title

I had a vaginal birth and had a tear which needed stiches (not sure what degree tear it was) and had bleeding for about 2 weeks and then a yellowish discharge that hasn't stopped. I spoke to my GP about it at my 6 week checkup and she took a swab and sent it for testing to make sure there was no infection and it came back fine. About a week later I had a little membrane thing pop out about 3cm from between my stiches which burst overnight and was filled with blood. I went to the GP again and she said that I had a hematoma and took another swab closer to the site which also came back fine. If I look with a mirror I can still see a little bit of the membrane, enough to grab between my fingers and pull which starts it bleeding again. DD is just over 5 months old and is fully breastfeed, I haven't had AF return yet.

So I guess I have 2 issues, one is the discharge which is extremely annoying as I am having to wear panty liners constantly. Has anyone else had it last this long?

The second is the hematoma. I'm not entirely sure that i've healed properly. Should I be seeing the GP again and be asking for a referral to a gyno?

Thanks in advance

**amberj** · September 10th, 2009, 09:08 PM

You poor thing! I don't know the answer to your questions, but if I were you, I think I would be asking for a referral. 5 months seems a long time to still have things unhealed (although I don't know much about hematomas, so maybe its normal?). I just know that I had a complicated recovery (stitches coming apart, infection, heaps of pain etc) and by 3-4 months after birth I was feeling much more normal again- so to me 5 months sounds like a long time. If nothing else, its a long time for you to be going through all sorts of problems down there. Its good there is no infection, but there are other things that might need addressing. I'm sure your GP is doing their best job, but they just aren't specialists in these things and you have some complicated things going on, so I think it makes lots of sense to get a referral.

Hope it all goes well- I really feel for you still having to go through all that so long after birth.

**Olive** · September 10th, 2009, 09:17 PM

hun 5 months is a long time like amber said to have not healed, i had two haematomas, one dissolved the other i kind of pulled out (yes it was gross) id be getting someone else to check out hun, is the discharge just that or is it mucos??

**Fuzzywuzzy** · September 10th, 2009, 09:29 PM

Thanks guys I am going to try and get an appointment tomorrow, I have been putting it off for ages. Going to try and see a different GP though, hopefully I can see one at my old practice in the city.

AJP - I was going to just keep pulling on it but decided against it. It's mucousy (is that a word

) discharge but it is pretty liquid. I thought that it was going to be light enough to go the the breathable panty liners but it leaked through. It smells different but doesn't have a really offensive smell.

**Olive** · September 10th, 2009, 09:48 PM

my haematoma looked like

a big leech!!! i too have a discharge ive put it down to mucos, i too find it smells, though im sure it doesnt, ive found probiotic tablets have helped with that, definatly see someone else

**Fuzzywuzzy** · September 10th, 2009, 10:01 PM

my haematoma looked like

a big leech!!! i too have a discharge ive put it down to mucos, i too find it smells, though im sure it doesnt, ive found probiotic tablets have helped with that, definatly see someone else

Mine looked like I had a baby finger sticking out until it burst overnight - was pretty freaky when I first saw it. Just saw your other thread AJP. I hope that your girls get better super quick and that you manage to get some sleep tonight.

Will let you know how I go tomorrow.

**Olive** · September 10th, 2009, 10:08 PM

thanks hun!!

goodluck tomorrow!! definatly let us know how you go!

**Fuzzywuzzy** · September 11th, 2009, 12:20 PM

Got a referral to a gyno - appt next tues. I'm so glad that I went back to my old gp

**Olive** · September 11th, 2009, 12:53 PM

awesome!! did your GP have a look??

**Fuzzywuzzy** · September 11th, 2009, 08:24 PM

Yeah and took another swab to test for infection again. She said that it looks red and tender and mentioned that it could be granulation tissue instead of haematoma