bleeding after caesarean question. Af or not?

[Danni]

ok maybe TMI!

I have never bled much since my c/section. In the beginning I only needed one pad all day, so it was never heavy. I only had "blood" for about a week and then I mainly just had tinged mucous iykwim?

All the mucous disappeared about 5 days ago and then yesterday I am bleeding bright red blood and HEAPS of it. The heaviest since giving birth. It is clotty too.

I am exclusively breastfeeding. I feed and pump every 3-4 hours...6 hours at the most!

So whats going on?

[*mitch*]

Danni I got AF back 5 weeks after Lexi was born... I was expressing for the 1st 4 weeks & then gave up (was a dry old cow & she was still tube fed in NICU)...

I never had much Lochea after lexi was born either (c-sect too)...

Not much help really.... LOL

Just keep an eye on how much you are bleeding & if all else ails give ya Dr a ring...

[AmandaJ]

It maybe it is AF, but it could also be a bit of retained placenta? I would just keep and eye on it and if it gets worse mention it to your doctor at your 6 week check next week, or if it's really bad call the doctor immediately.

hugs xoxo

[blackbird]

I agree with Amanda. Can you call your Dr and ask about it in case it should get checked out straight away?

[castle]

Danni,
Since you had a c/sec it's very unlikely that it's retained placenta (still possible, though). Before 6 weeks, it's almost certainly lochia. I've had 2 c/secs, my first & last deliveries. I had a "last gasp" of lochia at week 5/6 with both. With my first baby, like you I thought it was AF & I couldn't understand why, since he was feeding so well. The last time, I rang my doctor. He told me to give it 48 hours & then come in to Delivery Suite if it hadn't lightened up. Sure enough it was lighter by then, & within 5 days that was the end of it. I just got my first post-birth AF earlier this month.
I read a book years ago called "The Ecology of Breastfeeding" (or something like that) which mentioned this phenomenon. It's the only place I've ever read about it, but the book described exactly what I've experienced & said that it does happen to some women, & specifically at about the 6 week mark.
Do ring your doctor within a few days if it's not lighter. HTH.

[Danni]

thanks guys...its still here and its very red blood and very heavy just like AF before I fell pregnant

[Rouge]

I got AF exactly 4 weeks post c/s and I am not normally that regular. So it very well could be AF. Goodluck!

*hugs*
Cailin

[Danni]

and you were exclusively breastfeeding too weren;t you Cai? Did you continue to get AF every 4 weeks there after?

[Rouge]

Yep I did for the first few weeks till PCOS kicked back in. And yep was breastfeeding when I got AF.

*hugs*
Cailin

[Danni]

omg so much for textbook birth and post birth!

[Rouge]

LOL I know! You'd be surprised how many c/s mumma's this happens to. A lot as far as I know.

*hugs*
Cailin

[~Raven~]

Danni you haven't been overdoing it about the house have you?

[Cherie]

Danni, I had a similar thing happen wrt the bleeding starting up again, which I wrote about in my thread HERE. Although I think mine happened a little earlier than yours.

[diva det]

mine started up again at about 4 weeks. Same as you, really minimal B/loss up unitl that point. The all of a sudden it started up again for about a week - like a last whoo ha! It definately wasn't AF for me as I get migranes when i get AF and when I ovulate. I was pumping every 3 hours and didn't get AF back until kids started to wean off B/milk at 11 months. I certainly knew when AF came back as so did the migranes.

Ring you o/b if you are unsure, although you should be going back to him soon for your 6 week check up anyway, if I remember the routine??
good luck and keep on pumpin!!!
been there and done that. Any Q's just holla!
odette