What aftercare?!!! C-section infections

[Millerkidz]

Hi ladies,
I was wondering if anyone had suffered scar infections as long as I have and when it is likely to end...baby is four months old, he is my second child but first c-section and I've had infections one after the other, countless amounts of antibiotics, a trip back to hospital-more antibiotics which sorted me out for 2 weeks until now. I'm on antibiotic cream as recent infection is 'superficial' although doesn't feel it! I've been told there's nothing I can do about it other than keep scar clean and dry which I have been doing...and although I have been losing weight slowly I still have the lovely overhang of skin.

Last week was told by doctor to do pilates and the nurse told me I'm more prone to them because I'm a 'big girl' which I wasn't before I was pregnant. Haven't found either of these comments from particularly helpful at all and at times have relied on a friend to check my scar as she is a wound nurse.

Have to say the aftercare has been horrendous, I had to inject myself twice with blood thinning drugs because the midwife would only visit me twice after I returned home 3 days after surgery. In the end I had to change midwives but to be honest have found the whole thing a complete ordeal and left wondering who cares for c-section patients. The HV and midwives are ok to deal with baby issues but who looks after C-section patients...even doctors aren't always experienced enough to deal with wound care and my doctors surgery doesn't have a treatment room and wound nurse. Plus I have been expected to go back to the doctors to be checked out as they were reluctant to visit at home. so how do people do this when they can't drive or are single mums? I've been fortunate enough to be able to rely on my partner, but feel outraged by the way women are treated.

I had my first child naturally 11 years ago and the whole thing was a breeze in comparison. I'm heading back to the doctors tomorrow as I've been in bed all day due to dizziness and worried this is another symptom of the infection.

Sorry for the rant but am really getting to the end of my tether...so any advice you can give me will be greatly received :)

[Gillybean73]

The best thing you can use to heal your scar and kill any infection in your wound is Manuka Honey. Get the 18+ strength version which isn't cheap but I swear you will think it's the best money you've ever spent in your life! Most good health food shops like Holland and Barrett stock it or you can buy it online too.

I know it probably goes against rational thought to smear honey on a wound but trust me, google Manuka Honey if you don't believe me. It's the only thing that kills MRSA 100% because of the active agents in the honey and more and more doctors are using it on their post-operative patients.

I've used it loads of times on wounds, spots, burns etc and have been astounded and my friend's son has multiple surgeries every year because of a medical condition and he swears by it for healing his wounds and minimising scarring and keeping the wounds infection free.

I used to date a medical rep who specialised in dressings impregnated with Manuka Honey so that's who put me on to this and I know a little bit about it. Give it a try, you will not regret it and you'll be all healed in no time and wishing you'd found it sooner! Good luck x

[diyqueen]

Poor you. I had an infection for 8 weeks, that felt long enough! For me the problem was that I had dissolvable stitches but the knot at the end never dissolved off like it should have done, so ended up with a gaping hole round the knot that got infected and took ages to heal. I know what you mean about health visitors, mine didn't want to know and I didn't know what to expect from healing so left it too long before going to the GP. Have they taken swabs to check what the infection is so they can target it properly? I think that's what worked for mine in the end, combined with savlon cream and dressings over the end that was infected. Getting to the GP for regular checks was a complete pain, I agree, and I was told off for bringing my baby in with me - with my partner at work what else was I supposed to do?! Hope you get it sorted out soon.

[QTPie]

I am afraid that it is down to your GP's practice. You could ask for a referal to an OBGYN, but that may take some time on the NHS (do you have private healthcare or a reasonable amount of cash? If so, ask for a referal and go private).

MW SHOULD take care of you, but they tend to discharge you 10 days after birth. At which point the HV takes over and - as you say - they are there for the baby and not for the mother (I wouldn't expect an help from a HV re a CS scar infection...).

You could, however, try the maternity ward where you gave birth: explain your problem (continued CS scar infection and that you feel that you aren't getting any care) and ask what can be done?

How about the Consultant who delivered the baby? Presumably you had your 6 week check with him/her? What did they say? Can you contact them - or their secretary - explain the problem (i.e. infection/s that wont clear up) and ask if there is some way to get a follow-up appointment with him/her?

If you are in/near a major city, then a "NHS Drop-in Centre" can be another place to get checked up and can sometimes help with referal....

I didn't have any problems with my CS scar (no infections), but I had a very slow closing (but non-infected) knee laceration this past February. I had a fall whilst skiing (DS 12 months old) and the ski sliced into my knee. I had 8 stitches to close it up, but it didn't close, the stitches were taken out and it was open for about 7 weeks. The laceration (and treatment hospital) were in Colorado, but my follow-up treatment was back in the UK. I just kept pushing ("when is my next follow-up appointment?", "if it doesn't close by..., then what do we do? When will you refer me to a specialist?") - so that a referal to a specialist was always on the radar (although I had private medical insurance which helped with speed of referal). I did see a specialist, but it was just on the turn of closing naturally (and did close up naturally). But I would always push to be over-cautious than to keep waiting and waiting.... I was very polite with it, but very insistent: I am sure that the practice nurses thought that I was a bother, but they did get on with things.

It is not easy to do just after a baby (you have so much on your mind), but I would say "explore all the avenues above, be insistent and firm, but polite" (you can get "forgotten" if not....)

QT

[lizandlulu]

you have my sympathy millerkidz

i had a c section 4 weeks ago and have had infection in the wound and now i think i have a womb infection. the gp said to go back in a week if its no better, but i dont understand if i have an infection then why not just give me the antibiotics now and clear it up, why wait till it gets worse???

[harrygracejessica]

I'm afraid it's quite standard!!! With my first I had an infection, the midwife checked it once at home and said it was fine then checked again on the last day of her coming after I had just been to the emergency Docs as was a horrific infection and I couldn't even climb the stairs. With my twins I got fab care as they were in scbu so every other day I was send across to have it checked properly but split part of it open when they came home and got an infection then ( overdoing it!). 4 months ago I had more twins, wound checked until 4 days at home!!! After 7 days I was putting warm salt water on it and laying on the bed under the ceiling fan until it dried and laying with the wound out as much as possible and this time I escaped an infection.

That honey which was mentioned is supposed to be superb!!

[lizandlulu]

so with the honey, do you put it on and leave it on, or wash it off after a while?

[Millerkidz]

Hi ladies thank you so much for your comments and pearls of wisdom it's greatly appreciated! It's nice to know I'm not on my own on the other hand I wish it wasn't happening to any of us.
Many thanks to Gillybean73 after reading your message I went to the local pharmacist which deals with homeopathic remedies too and purchased some manuka honey and 3 days later the redness has been reduced significantly. I can't believe how quickly it's worked! :)
Lizandlulu if you've got a wound infection too it might be worth asking for a referral to the hospital as soon as you can. I did this and saw someone that afternoon, they took swabs, did blood tests and prescribed me - it took 3 hours in total but got a stronger set of antibiotics. However, the infection did return 2 weeks later. I also suffered with oral and nipple thrush which the baby then got but I was on antibiotics for weeks so if you could always try the homeopathic route. As mentioned I have an antibacterial wound gel which has manuka honey in it. You can get it on prescription although I bought 3 tubes for about £5 each, because some doctors wont prescribe it.The product is made by the same company as the manuka honey (comvita) but it's sterile. I smear it in once a day and use a tape free sterile dressing they're about 90p each. The pharmacist suggested I blast the scar with the cream for about 3/4 weeks to try and see off any further infections. He also suggested I take allicin max tablets 3 times a day for 10 days or more, apparently these will help kill any infection from the inside. Although I bought these, I'm waiting a few days due to feeling dizzy recently, am waiting to see if I'm anaemic. So it may be worth giving these a go too, you can use both of these methods whilst breast feeding too. Salt water baths also sound like a really good idea!

[Millerkidz]

In response to diyqueen, perhaps some doctors might find it worthwhile doing a common sense and bedside manner course before entering the doors of the surgery. Unbelievable what your doctor said to you, wait until he/she has kids!!! I wonder if they'll say the same again! Perhaps it's one for the comment sheets they give you every so often about the service you receive at the surgery :)
sometimes I leave the doctors feeling like it's a waste of time, I went back to the same doctor last week who previously suggested doing pilates and this time suggested swimming. She wouldn't give me anything else for current infection just yet because ive had so many antibiotics, but like lizandlulu it would've meant waiting until it got much worse which would have lead to antibiotics anyway.
Like all mums I want to get back into my old clothes as soon as but 11 years ago it took me almost a year and then I became slimmer than I was before I got pregnant, thanks to working full time, the detox diet, walking, swimming and motherhood, so am sure it'll be even harder this time because I'm older. So its the last thing I need to hear...I know she has my best interests at heart and thinks weight loss will stop any further infections, but it wasn't helping the current one and I certainly didn't have the will to do it, after feeling so rough plus my wound started to bleed when I did a 2 mile walk the other week. I explained this but it fell on deaf ears

[lizandlulu]

i know what you mean. i only went to the doctors because thye sent ME a letter saying i needed further treatment for an infection detected by the swab, which ment taking my 5 yr old dd and new baby into town, parking miles away as there is building work at the doctors, waiting for 20 mins in waiting room, plus she was late due to traffic due to building work, all for her to say, well i dont think we will do anything for the time being complete waste of time.

although over the last 2 weeks my wound has improved a great deal. no leakage although it is still moist, but getting drier and less smelly day by day.

[Millerkidz]

That's really good, hope it clears up quickly for you :)

I like it when I see a young doctor and they refer to google for help!!! Not very reassuring is it...although I've usually self diagnosed the night before and just gone in for a prescription...That'll be the next gov incentive because they can't afford doctors