Post-birth period - 13 days in and still heavy. Help!

[Lunarlyte]

I had DD2 by ELCS 7weeks and 4days ago. I'm bottle-feeding and got my period about 6 weeks after delivery. My lochia had stopped about a week before.

I had a strange bleed (fresh blood) about 10 days before the period came. I passed a clot overnight (10p sized, if I remember correctly) but the flow slowed down and eventually stopped the next day.

Anyway, today is day 13 of the period. It's not slowing down; when I go for a wee, I see fresh blood down the toilet, like I've just got my period. I can feel a gush when I stand up sometimes.

I've got an appointment to see my GP later. I know post-birth periods can be all over the place but I'm just wondering whether anyone has experienced this?

Bump

Saw the GP who has referred me for a scan. If anyone has a similar experience, though, it would be good to hear from you as I am quite worried!

My MW said to expect the first period to be heavier than normal. Actually mine wasn't too bad (about a week after the lochia finished, 5 weeks post-partum), but I had another after a couple of weeks and then a week-long heavier one another two weeks after that. I was worried with the first one that it was a continuation of my lochia, but don't think it was. Is that what the scan is checking for? Sometimes if there's a bit of placenta left behind it can cause further bleeding... Good luck anyway. X

Kiki, I think that the scan will be checking for any remaining pieces of placenta. If there are remaining pieces, then I'll be referred back to the hospital where I gave birth. If not (and I'm sincerely hoping there's nothing left behind) then I think there are tablets I can have to try and stop the bleeding.

I would have thought that having a section would have limited my chances of retaining any placenta, but you never know. My recovery has been excellent so far so I'm quite bummed out by the persistence and heaviness of this period. Now I'm nearly 8 weeks on, I just don't want to go back to hospital :-/ But I'll just have to get on with it unless this flow slows down!

Thanks so much for replying x

Just wondered how you got on, Luna. Hope all OK. X

My first 4 (approx)periods after having DS were awful. I had to set the alarm at night to get up and sort myself ou IYSWIM, I had to change hourly, it was terrible. Some of my antenatal friends had the same. Thing was this was DC3. I don't remember having it at all after DC1 and although I had a PPH after DC2, that was a particular incident, not periods.

I had scans for the PPH an initially it did show some left overs, but going back a couple of weeks later it had all gone.

I have solved the whole period issue by going for number 4! Good luck, hang in there.

Hi ladies, many thanks to you both for your concern and Sophia for sharing your experience. It helped a lot :)

Mercifully, the bleeding slowed down on Sunday and, aside from some blood yesterday morning, I haven't had any more. During the course of last week, I passed two 20p sized clots, which had me a little worried. My scan appointment hasnt come in the post yet, so I think I might be able to dodge that now ive stopped bleeding. My blood loss has kind of gone to how my period goes right at the end of any normal menses. So, the bleeding lasted a grand total of 20 days.

As an aside, as part of investigations into this bleeding, I had a blood test last week which revealed I have a low lymphocyte count (these are white blood cells that form the immune system). It can happen after trauma/surgery so this might be related to my section. It basically means that my immune system has taken a bit of a battering, so I need to have a repeat blood test next month to see if the count has increased.

Back to talk of periods though, if my usual cycle is anything to go by, then I might get a period in another 7-10 days. I'll try not to freak out if it's heavy and/or long again!

Thanks again xx

Saw a nurse at my GPs today who said that if my next period is as long or heavy, I could consider a progesterone-only pill or implant (as I have had problems with the combined pill before). She guessed that i might have had 'something' remaining that my body needed to rid itself of, which may explain the length of the bleed and the clots.

So, that's good news about the progesterone. Fingers crossed for a return to normal services, though!!

I WAS Aasking my consutant about this very thing today as I am paranoid about placenta being left in and i said " in a section can you see everything to get it out?" she said yes absoluty of course!!!
I really hope you get it sorted out and keep an eye on yourself in case of blood infections which can be very nasty.