Postpartum recovery not going as well as I would like.(A little TMI)

[elaineandmichaelsmommy]

Anyone have any advice? I could also use a little sympathy honestly. Last night made me pretty nervous.

For starters-the day of my discharge from the hospital the nurse noticed some slight bruising above my incision. No big deal right? Go on home, probably nothing. That was a saturday morning. The next morning I wake up and the bruise has doubled in size and hurts like a s.o.b. Go to the ob's office and after a rather uncomfortable ultrasound exam find out everythings fine. It's just post-op bruising that'll take time to recover from.

So I've been on the percocet a lot longer this time than with my other 2 recovery's, I'm going nowhere and have cabin fever like crazy.

Then yesterday after a week of everything going as smoothly as it could I'm at home alone with ds and dd2 chilling out in the recliner and I stood up to go into the kitchen and started bleeding like crazy, I actually soaked an entire pad in about a minute. Then got to the bathroom,clots and more blood to the point that I couldn't see the bottom of the toilet, and more heavy bleeding after that.

So of course we spent the night in the emergency room. My blood counts came back fine but of course I had to have a pelvic exam by the er doc (oh what fun.) We get sent home of course because by this time the heavy bleeding has stopped and everything is normal again. Sheesh!

And in the end no one can tell me anything! What caused it? Will it happen again? Should I be concerned about anything? Nope, don't know,sorry. Go home and take it easy is the response I get. Duh doc. What do you think I've been doing?

I haven't been driving or even picking up my 3 year old. I've been good darn it. I've been behaving myself and dh has been doing ALL the work. I feel awful, so many of our meals have been takeout or something already made and just popped into the microwave or oven.

When I tried to tell them that I have been taking it easy the doc says "well, that's all I can tell you to do. If it happens again we'll have to give you something to help your uterus contract. Oh joy-that sounds like fun.

I've still got 4 days left until I can drive or go up and down my stairs as much as i need. My 6 year old was in tears tonight because she misses me singing to her at bedtime and the 3 years old was crying for me to read him his book. I don't dare go against the doctors orders and start doing stairs and heavy lifting before the 2 weeks is up but this is driving me NUTS!!!

Why can't I just get better already!!!

[gatorsmom]

I"m so so sorry you are going through this. Remember, the hormones are making you feel extra yucky right now. Since the doctors say the bleeding is normal, I"m sure it is. I remember having heavy bleeding for doing nothing more than climbing the stairs. Just monitor it and try to relax. Try to relax. The sooner you get better, the better it is for your family. Don't feel guilty about just relaxing. And don't feel bad about not cooking, or doing anything else. Even if the recovery takes a month, that is really not that long (and it probably won't take you even 3 weeks). And again, it's importnant for you to get your health back as quickly as possible to take care of your family. So, get some sleep whenever you can.

Big hugs. I remember that time. All that bleeding is so scary, especially with the bruising, I"m sure. But if you think about all the pulling and pushing they have to do to get the baby out, it's not really surprising. Hope you feel better soon.

[sariana]

I'm so sorry you are having such a difficult time. I don't have any advice, but that must have been really scary. It is so frustrating to be reminded that medicine is more trial and error than science. "We just don't know." Thanks.

Don't feel guilty about the meals or anthing else. Your family can live on cereal for a few days if necessary. Take care of yourself.

Is there any way you can sing and read books right where you are (in the recliner?)? I know how difficult it is to have to miss out on rituals. I was n bed rest for 2 1/2 months with DD, and I missed the entire holiday season with DS.

I hope you feel better SOON.

[o_mom]

I don't have any specific advice, but recovery from my third was longer than the first two. I had more bleeding and for longer, with a couple episodes that had me close to going to the ER (baseball size clots, etc), but the on-call doc had me wait it out and it stopped. Just try to take it easy, was all they told me. Make sure you are taking your iron supplements as well.

[JTsMom]

I don't have any advice- just wanted to send a :hug:. Just keep reminding yourself this part won't last forever.

[JenaW]

First off - I have never had a c-section, but I did work for a few years as an OBGYN PA. y first thought was that you had a hematoma - a collection of blood either caused by a small vessel that was still slowly bleeding or just some blood that was collecting in an area that couldn't get released. However, the u/s should have revealed that (they are usually pretty obvious, and unless tiny, rarely missed if the sonographer is experienced). The large gush of blood could have been from overdoing it. I had much more bleeding this time than ever before, and most of it occurred days to weeks after my delivery. In part, because I had a non-traumatic delivery (we won't discuss the labor part, becasue that was DEFINITELY traumatic :) ) and I felt good so I resumed activity way earlier than I should (like a 2-3 mile bike ride when I was about 50 hours postpartum!). Think of your uterine lining, especially where the placenta was attached, as a HUGE brush burn that keeps oozing. It starts to scab over, then you brush it against your leg and it starts oozing again, then scabs, oozes, etc. Any increase in activity can cause bleeding to resume, even if it has slowed or stopped previously. Sometimes, based upon your position (i.e. sitting or lying) the blood can pool in a lower area and when you stand it all starts gushing out (it has to go somewhere). The large clots are typical of that - that you had been bleeding inside for a period of time but it was not coming out. As blood sits, it clots. If your pelvic exam was normal (meaning your uterus did not feel boggy or excessively enlarged) and it was not extremely painful (more than just uncomfortable) this is probably what happened, and as long as you lay low for a few more days, it should not happen again (to the same extent). HOWEVER, if it does happen again (without any significant increase in activity to stimulate it) I would make sure your own OB is aware of the situation.

Good Luck! Again, while I have never personally experienced recovery from a c-section or ANY surgery, I know that it can be very difficult, and it does vary from pregnancy to pregnancy AND person to person. If you are off the percocet, you should be able to drive. You just shouldn't drive while taking pain meds, or if you are still having significant pain. I would definitely avoid heavy lifting and minimize the stairs as much as possible. And don't forget (or underestimate) the power of postpartum hormones! They can make everything a lot harder to deal with. Hang in there!

J

[DrSally]

I had secondary postpartum bleeding exactly 1 week after DS was born. Of course at midnight when DH was out of town. The doc on call said I had to be soaking a pad a minute to come in, by 2am it I was onto towels and huge, grapefruit size clots. The bathroom looked like a murder zone with blood all over. The ultrasound found nothing, so I didn't have to have a d/c. It was from the traumatic birth of DS (21 hours labor, 4 pushing, vacuum extraction) that my uterus stopped contracting and got "boggy". They gave me methergin (sp?) and that got things going again. Do they know if the bleeding was from the uterus? I would be very cautious of any more clots that are larger than a quarter, try not to do much lifting, etc. I agree with pp about making sure your own OB knows the situation.

ETA: Sorry, I didn't catch that you had a c-section. What does your own OB say. I think really taking it easy is the best advice and also, like pp said, keeping up with your iron. You may want to have it checked again next time you go in. Can you do stories downstairs before bedtime? It's so tough recovering when you have other kids who need you too. Hugs.

[stella]

That happened to me about 2-3 weeks after my 3rd c-section. We were out shopping and I felt the gush, and I panicked. the nurse assured me that it was normal. I didn't believe her because it was my 3rd c-section and it had never happened before, so I asked her to tell my doctor about it, and she, too, agreed that it was scary(to me), but not unexpected.

I'm sorry. You may think you're taking it easy (compared to your normal life!), but the C-sec is major surgery, and most non-moms would be taking it a LOT easier - like not getting out of bed.

It actually happened to me one more time after that, but I didn't worry as much that time given my prior experience. 17 months later, I seem to be okay.

[alexsmommy]

Oh, that just sucks. Every now and then I meet someone who seems to feel c-sect recovery is easier than vaginal and wants an elective c-sect for their first kid Ummm, no, it's not easier. It's major surgery where they cut through your abdominal muscles. A wonderful lifesaver, no doubt, in some cases. But the recovery can be a bitch from what I've heard. I was begging the midwife not to send me to c-section as long as DS2 looked resonably ok on the monitors. I wish you a fast recovery from this point on - and going up and down the stairs with no pain.

[bubbaray]

I had a hematoma that burst and my incision stayed open and draining for nearly a year after my c/s with DD#1. My advice -- don't mess around and if it looks odd, get yourself into a dr asap.

I had excessive PP bleeding with DD#2 and my OB wanted to do a D&C. Thankfully, I got bumped off the OR list (after fasting for 24hrs, which is NOT fun while BFg). The bleeding stopped around 6wPP. But, it was VERY similar to a m/c that I had had previously. Heavy, at times SEVERE, bleeding with very large clots. My peri said it was not abnormal, but my OB said it was (then again, he thought I would have my first PP period by 7wPP -- um, NOT).

I hope you are feeling better soon!

[elaineandmichaelsmommy]

Thanks so much everyone. Jera-thanks for the explanation. Things are getting better and I've only got a couple more days until my restrictions are over although dh thinks I should forgo driving for another week or so, so cute how he worries about me.