To think this isn't normal?

[Strangerbins]

I'm 10 months pp with DC. My periods have always been crappy and irregular however since they have made a reappearance when I was 3 months pp, they have been horrendous. Leading up too my period I feel seriously off and like I'm coming down with a cold/virus. Then I get hit with an incredible low mood that I cannot shake. It makes me so depressive and irritable to the point where I don't recognise myself. Then to top it all of my bleeds are insanely heavy. I'm bleeding through trousers, underwear, bed sheets. Bleeding all the floor and over the toilet seat, covering the shower floor. The heaviness is so much it keeps me up during the nights which doesn't help with the general feeling like rubbish.

It usually tails off after 2/3 days and then goes back to regular flow.

My aibu is surely this isn't right? I didn't have this drastic of a change with my other DC. I've spoken to my GP and they claimed heavy periods are to be expected after childbirth but its been 10months and I would have thought all the heavy bleeding during recovery would be over with by now. Not to mention I'm only 5ft so it makes me feel like I'm on the brink of passing out all the time. I even spoke to my perinatal mental health team and expressed my distress over the low moods, just to get told it can be normal as well and to give it time to see if things "stabilise".

I just feel completely fobbed off by everyone I'm turning to about this and like I'm making a mountain out of a mole hill. I'm struggling to care for my DC when my period happens, on multiple occasions dp has had to cancel work because I'm too unwell to get out of the bathroom or bed. God knows what will happen when I go back to work because I don't think I can hold down a job if this continues. It just makes me feel like I'm being really pathetic about this all, is this something I just need to learn to live with?

I think that they like you to wait 12 months, before intervening. However, I'd have wanted bloods to be started and I'd be discussing Norethisterone. Even a possible internal check. The bleeding shouldn't be affecting your life like this.

I had this. A coil helped. Post partum the flow was a nightmare and unbelievable. I also thought I had PMDD but never had it like that before birth

I had very similar periods when they returned after my second child, hadn't been anything like that after my first. Was also recommended a coil.

I would suggest looking into Mefenamic acid and PMDD. I bled heavy after the copper coil and MA really helped

Are you on iron tablets?
as with that flow you could be low.
but also low iron can make them heavier

so get some bloods done

ibuprofen can slow flow down

Have you seen more than one Gp? Ask to see a different one and say explicitly you are looking for a second opinion. Sorry you are suffering like this.

I’d go back to the GP and be fairly insistent. Yes, maybe it will settle down. But until it does, can’t they help - maybe transexamic acid for the heavy bleeding?

Depressed and irritable to the point you don’t recognise yourself is not insignificant either. I’d want to discuss PMDD with them as well.

@UsernameShmusername2024 sorry to hear that, did they ever find out why they changed? I'm unsure about the coil as I've had so many family members and friends have night mare experiences. My dsis literally had a ruptured on the inside from it travellings and suffered internal bleeding.

I don’t have direct experience of this in terms of staying heavy for so long post partum. (I exclusively breastfed both DDs for 6 months and it all seemed normal once my periods returned when I started them on solids.)
I have had to pause giving blood as my periods are heavier in perimenopause but nothing like yours. My haemoglobin levels were too low when tried to donate last time so I’m taking iron supplements. I suggest you ask your GP to test your levels and get on some iron supplements too.

I've heard pregnancy and serious illness can have an effect on periods. Mine were as you describe my entire life (except they were that heavy for 7 days, then lighter for the final 3), but improved massively after having DC. It seems the opposite has happened for you. It's hard to keep fighting, especially when you're so worn down, but try to keep fighting for better healthcare. find a GP that specialises in women's health. Detail your symptoms in writing, so you can just hand it over rather than repeat yourself over and over again. Insist on tests to find out if there's an underlying health reason for the change. If there isn't, keep searching for Drs until you find one who can suggest a solution, or at least a way of managing your condition to make life more bearable.

I had similar, I ended up seeing the GP after dealing with it for two years post partum.
My GP was brilliant and did some blood tests to rule out thyroid issues (amongst other things), and I also went for an internal ultrasound. This picked up adenomyosis which explained the heavy bleeding.
i was fortunate they picked it up on the ultrasound as apparently it is difficult to spot, but things like your age and having had children are risk factors.

The only thing you can do (if it is this), is just try to reduce the bleeding. So I was offered the mini pill, the coil and another medication I can’t quite remember off the top of my head. It sounded like the coil was the most effective solution.

I would go back to your GP for a second opinion and ask if they think it could be adenomyosis. Ask them to do the blood test and ultrasound. In the meantime, start taking some iron. If the blood tests show your levels as being low they can give you something stronger.

I hope you manage to get an answer, I really sympathise with how much heavy bleeding like that takes over your life.

I had heavy bleeding like this and it’s awful. Tranexamic acid helped a bit and I was on iron. Really affected my work and any sort of plans for long day of hill walking etc! Spent thousands on tampons AND pads AND period pants worn all at the same time. I had fibroids and have now finally had a hysterectomy. Such a relief.

When my periods came back after stopping breastfeeing they were so heavy for the first 4 ish months. I felt I was heamoraging and would be waking up in the middle of the night having to change leaking super plus tampons. I also had really intense PMS like you describe. Then all of a sudden they changed and became very light, lighter than they were before I got pregnant and gradually the PMS has settled down too. I think what your describing is within the realm of normal but if your worried theres no harm in speaking to your GP about it.

Just to add Norethisterone is great if you need to delay your period (eg. Special occasions or holidays etc).

If you can’t be doing with the GP you can get it from pharmacies online. It’s not mega expensive.

Your GP should be taking you more seriously with that level of blood loss.

I would go back and insist on further investigation. I was referred for an ultrasound and it picked up on fibroids which cause my heavy bleeds. Mini pill worked to an extent but ended up with a coil fitted with the aid of a hysteroscopy. I'm not sure how long it would take for a referral to have a coil fitted in a hospital setting but worth an ask if you are otherwise worried about coil fitting.

Maybe it is normal but shouldn't be something that you have to put up with disrupting your life