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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if I will be alright until the morning?

37 replies

imablue · 25/03/2024 22:04

I'm 4 weeks PP, c-section delivery. Everything's been fine up until today, very sore on one side of wound, it's weeping and smells foul (sorry TMI), and is very angry red.

Rang triage who said they will try and get a community MW out to me tomorrow. However, it's very painful and when I move/walk I genuinely feel like it's going to come open. I know that sounds dramatic but it's the only way I can explain.

Shouldn't this be checked out sooner? I have no fever and I feel generally well other than this.

OP posts:
Larabelle6 · 25/03/2024 22:06

No medical advice but if it was me I’d be on my way to urgent care / out of hours

good luck - hope you get sorted quickly!

DownWhichOfLate · 25/03/2024 22:07

I think a call to 111 might be wise. Though you still might have to wait until the morning to be seen.

DramaAlpaca · 25/03/2024 22:08

I think I'd want to get that checked out quickly, OP. It sounds like you might have an infection.

mynameiscalypso · 25/03/2024 22:09

So long as you feel okay and don't have a fever, I'd probably leave it until tomorrow as the midwife will be best placed to help (and I wouldn't want to sit around a hospital at 4 weeks pp).

Onabench · 25/03/2024 22:09

Phone 111. No temperature and you might be okay to wait but they are best to advise

quietlysad · 25/03/2024 22:10

Normally I would say go to urgent care but I recently spent 12 hours in a&e with a heart condition (which ended up needing a week in hospital and ongoing care) so the awful reality is if you go there now expect to be seen tomorrow morning. Is there an out of hours doctor you can visit? So sorry you’re in this predicament. We have third world healthcare now sadly.

AllAboardTootToot · 25/03/2024 22:10

Sounds like what I had and turned out to be an infection. Pop a cold water flannel on it, pat dry, air it and repeat. It took anger out of it that night in terms of the raw pain. I saw nurse next day, got sent to my dr and on an antibiotic which did the trick.

i know it feel like it will burst but honestly that cold compress helped tremendously. Try that and if not seeing an improvement, call triage back.

PostItInABook · 25/03/2024 22:11

You don’t have to have a fever to have sepsis. If it smells and is red it’s infected. Get yourself seen sooner rather than later. You will likely need antibiotics.

mizzastar · 25/03/2024 22:12

Ring maternity assessment. They should be able to advise you as you're under 6 weeks post partum

Imamumgetmeoutofhere · 25/03/2024 22:13

Post surgery and possible infection, I would always query possible sepsis. Give 111 a call and speak to them, they are best placed to advise you

northtower · 25/03/2024 22:14

I had this and just completely ignored the m/w advice which was to air it and hope for the best.

I made a GP appt instead, who swabbed it, put me on antibiotics then called me a day later when the results came back and put me on difference antibiotics. It then healed beautifully.

That was 14 years ago, mind, when you could actually see a GP.

But the point remains, I don't trust a midwife to give medical advice on wound care and would bypass them completely. It's a post-surgical wound, the fact that it's related to childbirth is neither here nor there. Get to urgent care or GP.

HungryandIknowit · 25/03/2024 22:17

Smells doesn't sound good. Would go to an urgent care centre if you can.

RosesAndHellebores · 25/03/2024 22:17

I agree with @northtower. A midwife can't give you antibiotics and in my experience may not always give sound clinicial advice.

You need to see a Dr sooner rather than later. Personally, I'd go.to.A&E ASAP. It's a Monday night so the drunks might not be out in force.

MurderousCheekbones · 25/03/2024 22:19

Someone on here years ago had their section wound come right open...I would get it checked now if you can.

Evenstar · 25/03/2024 22:21

I think someone needs to see you tonight if possible. My wound opened up at one end due to an infection and out of hours sent district nurses round to dress it the same evening. It’s not as alarming as it sounds, it was only the top layer, but I did have to have strong antibiotics and it had to be packed and dressed for some time.

At least ring 111 for advice.

mamakoukla · 25/03/2024 22:25

If you were someone I knew, you’d be bundled up and taken in. Maybe a bit of a knee jerk reaction but it sounds as though the wound is infected and I wouldn’t want it to get worse. Hope you get seen soon and heal well 💐 congrats on the little one

Benjaminsniddlegrass · 25/03/2024 22:30

I would definitely call 111 - much better to err on the side of caution with something like this.

currentstateofthings · 25/03/2024 22:35

Do you feel unwell? Currently on my second lot of antibiotics that don’t seem to be working and have an open c section wound for over a week and lovely green pus coming out of it.

When I was in hospital yesterday and they took swabs they were happy for me not to be kept in as I wasn’t feeling unwell. So if you feel ok you should be fine until the morning but obviously if you are concerned call 111

MumblesParty · 26/03/2024 00:00

Unless you feel unwell, it can wait till tomorrow. If the wound starts to come apart they won’t stitch it back together anyway, it’ll have to heal from the bottom up. You’ll just need to get antibiotics tomorrow.

Ahnobother · 26/03/2024 00:52

I had this - red and smelly - and then it opened and I had to go straight in and was admitted and put on IV antibiotics. Try not to make any significant movements in the meantime but I'd advise you go in. I was three weeks PP so I went back to the maternity hospital which we could do up to 6 weeks.
The reopening led to my scar being weaker than it would originally have been so try to avoid that stage.
You can get a vacuum bandage for over a c section wound if you have another one in future.

TickyBooo · 26/03/2024 04:34

Please go in - I had this exact situation, and not to frighten you but I left it and was borderline septic when I eventually went in.

MikeRafone · 26/03/2024 04:37

I hope you’ve gone & sought help 🤞

everythingthelighttouches · 26/03/2024 05:45

northtower · 25/03/2024 22:14

I had this and just completely ignored the m/w advice which was to air it and hope for the best.

I made a GP appt instead, who swabbed it, put me on antibiotics then called me a day later when the results came back and put me on difference antibiotics. It then healed beautifully.

That was 14 years ago, mind, when you could actually see a GP.

But the point remains, I don't trust a midwife to give medical advice on wound care and would bypass them completely. It's a post-surgical wound, the fact that it's related to childbirth is neither here nor there. Get to urgent care or GP.

Totally agree, especially the last paragraph.

whattodo22222 · 26/03/2024 07:51

I would do same day GP for this first thing in the morning, assuming you can get one. I always can in my area. I'm not sure that a midwife can prescribe antibiotics (sounds like you need them) and it'll save you hours in A&E with a 4 week old, or being apart from them. Please let us know how you get on x

MintyCedric · 26/03/2024 08:14

It sounds like it could be granulation…when the inside of the wound heals and knits together faster than the outside and can cause the external part of the wound to break open a bit (but doesn’t necessarily happen!)

I'd suggest a compress of cooled, boiled salt water, then dry it thoroughly. Don’t do anything strenuous and wait for the midwife to check you out or see if you can get GP or nurse practitioner appt at your local surgery first thing.

If you develop a temperature, the red area spreads quickly and suddenly or it starts oozing, straight to A & E/urgent care.

Basing this on first hand experience and also a first aider. Hope you get it sorted asap.