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AIBU?

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Original poster

Help! C section infection

26 replies

mothertrucker33 · 08/05/2022 02:55

I'm nearly 2 weeks post ELCS and thought I was recovering well. Today was the first day I felt able to have a good look at my scar and it seems like there is a little hole in part of it that hasn't healed. More worryingly it looks like it is weeping a clear fluid that smells pretty awful. This is an infection isn't it?

I'm not in pain or feeling unwell but obviously it needs looking at. With it being the weekend I'm not sure where to go or how urgent this is. Is it a midwife/GP thing that will have to wait until Monday or do I need to be seen before then? Is there anything I can do in the meantime to try and improve things at home? I'm quite worried as I know these things can sometimes turn nasty quickly.

OP posts:
Heresafe · 08/05/2022 03:04

Can you ring the day assessment unit and mention it ? I was told to ring them even postnatally if needed to, or the gp but as you say they’ll be closed. I definitely think you shouldn’t wait, I had an infection as our GP put me on antibiotics straight away which cleared it.
our local town also has an out of hours walk in clinic , Can you search whether you have anything like that?

CmonYouKnow · 08/05/2022 03:06

If there is an offensive smell then it probably is infected. I would try and get seen by out of hours tomorrow and get some antibiotics prescribed. In the meantime, keep it clean with plain water and try and let air circulate to the area.

Monty27 · 08/05/2022 03:06

There may be the end of a suture in it. (Thread). Get it checked out ASAP.

CmonYouKnow · 08/05/2022 03:07

I’m assuming the community midwives have discharged? If not, you could try and be seen via triage

decisionsincisions · 08/05/2022 03:10

Can you get your midwife or health visitor out to look? Where I am, our HV would be involved at 2 weeks pp and would be able to come and have a look.

I myself had something very similar recently and I was advised by hv to get it checked by gp who did and took adequate precautions. It, unfortunately is common.

For your own peace of mind get it looked at - at 2 weeks post section you are still recovering and will have a lot on your plate.

Good luck and let us know how you go, all the best!

decisionsincisions · 08/05/2022 03:15

For at home care - plenty of air (hard to accomplish with a 2 week old I know) and cooled boiled water to dab.

Put a cotton pad where you think it is weeping - if it is you will be able to see the ooze. Could it just be sweat? If you have an overhang where the scar is it could be sweat and all the more important to let it air when you can.

Speaking from experience

Original poster
mothertrucker33 · 08/05/2022 08:43

It's definitely not sweat, it's got a bloody tinge and a definite smell. I am due to see the health visitor next week but just wasn't sure if it was something that needed looking at today, I don't want it to get worse.

OP posts:
Mabelface · 08/05/2022 08:47

Yeah, it needs looking at today. Call 111 and ask for an ooh appointment.

Original poster
mothertrucker33 · 08/05/2022 14:48

Ive managed to see a midwife today who referred me back to the maternity ward where a doctor prescribed antibiotics. They also swabbed it and took bloods to check for any other bugs. I've just cleaned the area with a cotton wool pad and cool boiled water and am currently laid on the sofa with my pants down 🙈

I'm wondering if the wound will heal by itself as it's quite a noticeable hole/opening in the middle of the scar. Even if the antibiotics clear the infection, what will happen to this hole? Anyone else had this?

OP posts:
Original poster
mothertrucker33 · 08/05/2022 20:09

Also does anyone have any tips for airing the wound? Due to the positioning I'm finding it really hard. I'm still having to wear pads for post birth bleeding so I can't go knickerless. Also the stomach overhang is kind of covering the wound so even when I get the change to lie down naked for a bit, I literally have to hold my belly up to air it. It's really grim.

On the positive side I do have antibiotics. Just hope they work soon as it's really sore and worrying me quite a lot.

OP posts:
MargaritasOnMe · 08/05/2022 20:20

My overhang is like this! I found it easiest to air it in bed when lying down, kind of holding the belly up and out of the way for at least 10 minutes. Not sure what you've been told but my advice was "wet and weeping" you should keep it covered and once dried then let it air. You can get sterile dressing from boots/supermarket/Amazon or you can cover with a sanitary pad, sticking it to your pants with the pad bit pressed to the incision. Mine opened up with an infection and I properly freaked out but it did close again and it's totally fine now!

abeanbaked · 08/05/2022 20:23

I had a hole at the end of my section wound, I cleaned it, aired it (or dried with the hair dryer on cold) and put a bit of gauze folded on the hole so my pants didn't rub on it and it didn't get sweaty. It's healed fine, scar is slightly chunkier there but it's okay. It happened because the end of my suture was poking right through. Hope you're okay!

cecilthehungryspider · 08/05/2022 20:29

When this happened to me (nearly 20 yrs ago mind you) I was advised to give it a really good wash by pointing the shower at it when I showered. That and AB's sorted it out quite fast and that was actually dripping with oozy blood 😨really scary when it happened. I did have dressings for it, if nothing else is handy then a sanitary towel works! It is pretty impossible to air it.

Drbrowns · 08/05/2022 20:35

One of the green maternity pads pressed against should keep it dry when you can’t air it.

NightOwl101 · 08/05/2022 20:39

This sounds identical what happened to me last year. I had about 6 courses of antibiotics, my GP didn't want to deal with me so told me to go to hospital and they told me it was a GP problem. I got fobbed for about 10 weeks and the hole wasn't getting any smaller, so once I knew the infection was clear I got sterile strips and closed it my self
And got some cannisten anti fungal cream and just applied to the area because I was so paranoid about the smell from the over hang I wanted to be sure there wasn't anything fungal not helping the smell. Try and air it out as much as possible and when you clean the area make sure it's really dry.

Congratulations on your baby OP

Evenstar · 08/05/2022 20:43

My wound opened up at one end with a gush and the evening district nurses came out to put a dressing on, my midwife had a look the following day and got the doctor to come out and take swabs and prescribe antibiotics. I actually did have a hole under the wound that needed packing by the district nurses for 3 months, so keep an eye on it and get it checked again if you are concerned.

The sanitary towel works well, try and wear loose fitting clothes and rest when you can.

Somethingsnappy · 08/05/2022 21:17

I had this op. I didn't even bother getting it checked out; I just kept it very clean and kept an eye on it. It didn't get swollen, red or painful, and if it had I'd have had it seen to. Its good you've had yours seen to so that you don't have to worry about it. Mine just cleared up by itself and the little hole healed eventually. It was the last bit of the scar to heal, but didn't take much longer.

Original poster
mothertrucker33 · 08/05/2022 21:41

Thanks all. It really is the most awkward place to try and keep airy and dry. Doctor told me not to worry about covering it with a gauze as it's better to try and get the air to it. But it's very weepy and covering my underwear in blood tinged gunk which can't be good. I may try the sanitary towel trick as I've got no gauze or bandages in the house. I'm trying to clean the gunk out fairly regularly with cotton wool and cool boiled salty water.

Hoping the antibiotics kick in very soon. Before this I was recovering well but now I feel like I'm back to square one and I have two dc to look after :-(

OP posts:
Original poster
mothertrucker33 · 10/05/2022 12:02

Update: two days into a five day antibiotic course and the wound is still weeping and visibly infected. Dh says it's a good thing as it must mean the infection is coming out but I had expected to see some improvement by now. Im aware that not all antibiotics treat all bugs and I've been advised to chase up the results of my swab test mid week to make sure there's no specific bugs in there. But the results for that aren't back yet.

Within myself I'm not unwell or in pain but the wound really does look gross. Do I need to do anything else?

OP posts:
cecilthehungryspider · 10/05/2022 15:39

Have you been giving it a good blast of water in the shower?

I'd give it another day and if no sign of improvement get it looked at again.

Original poster
mothertrucker33 · 10/05/2022 16:31

I've not been blasting it no, maybe it needs a really good wash out. I clean it with salty boiled water and have been dressing it with gauze when I can't have it airing. It's so weepy still Envy

OP posts:
cecilthehungryspider · 11/05/2022 13:25

Honestly, the MW told me not to be scared and give it a good blast with the shower. No need to be dabbing at it throughout the day. I did the shower thing twice a day until it got better. I also did the same with stitches after a normal delivery with my subsequent babies and they healed beautifully. It's the best way to give it a good clean.

Smasa · 06/06/2023 23:22

@mothertrucker33 I'm having the exact same as you. How long did it take to heal fully?

Lily1390 · 08/08/2023 21:53

@Smasa @mothertrucker33 I am currently in the same position..how did your wound heal?

thatsn0tmyname · 08/08/2023 21:56

One end of my scar wouldn't heal and it turned out to be a non dissolvable stitch. I pulled it out myself as it was trying to work its way out. Healed fine after that. Get someone to take a look, especially as it smells.