Recovery after post partum haemorrhage

[Incognito38]

Hi ladies,

My beautiful daughter was born 8 days ago and after delivery with forceps (luckily in theatre) I had a haemorrhage due to my uterus not contracting and lost 2.6 litres of blood.

I had 6 units of blood in total in hospital and 3 of plasma, and it looks likely that I will need another blood transfusion next week or an IV iron infusion.

Has anyone else had a similar experience? I'm wondering how long to expect recovery to take, and how long I'm likely to need to keep resting for and need help at home for? 8 days in and I'm still very weak and dizzy/light headed all the time. My husband is due to go back to work in just over a week (usually 12 hour days) and I won't have any support after that as my family live several hours away. I'm trying to work out if that's going to be a problem or not.

Thanks 😊

Hello, no advice but solidarity- I also gave birth 8 days ago and also had a hemorrhage, after forceps, 1800 litres but managed to avoid having a transfusion.

I'm feeling a lot less weak and dizzy now, having much more gyp from my episiotomy/bruised tailbone/destroyed pelvic floor etc. On iron tablets which are playing havoc with my digestion and fragmin injections to prevent blood clots which are giving me nosebleeds.

I think recovery is going to take a fair while, the blood loss makes the birth/forceps recovery much harder

A long time ago ( DS is now 24 ) I had a PPH , after a forceps delivery , in delivery room , many stitches and a day or so later had 3 units transfused

I was also given iron tablets , and advised to eat iron rich food

It took a good 3 weeks for me to stop being shaky , wobbly and weepy
Still remember it , all these years later
I could have done with a lot more help , but DH was back at work

I had a 2nd baby , who popped out very nicely about 2 years later , with no issues

Nowhere near as bad a PPH as you but care home with DS2 severely anaemic from blood loss and with urine infection from catheter. Felt awful and the iron tablets gave me stomach cramps and made me feel worse. I started using spatone and eating iron rich food and by my six week check my bloods were back to normal. I hope you feel better soon, it's a terrible trauma on top of all the 'normal' post birth feelings.

I had PPH two years ago with my dd and lost 2000 litres with a one unit transfusion. I was given iron tablets for 6 weeks and took me about two weeks to start feeling better hope you feel better soon

It’s very hard.

I lost over 3 litres and needed transfusion.

Thankfully I had DP about!

MunderDifflin OMG the iron tablets were horrdendous. I thought they caused constipation but I had the opposite which was making me even weaker. My GP switched me to ferrous fumerate on Friday (was Sulfate) and I can tolerate them so much better so maybe look into that? I'm on the injections too and have noticed a bit of a bloody nose so I'm glad you said that, I hadn't put 2 and 2 together. Hope you and your little one are doing well aside from all that though 😊 xx

Thanks for your replies everyone, makes me feel much better to know the iron tablets should kick in soon and start helping, and also to hear from others who have been through it. Most people don't get it, I think they assume that because she was so big when I say I had a bad bleed they just think it was a tear because of her size. Made me feel much better on friday when the gp said its the equivalent of having had a major op and that people wouldn't expect you to be back to normal a week after that, especially with a baby to look after and the associated lack of sleep!

Solidarity from me too OP.

Massive PPH due to stuck placenta when I had DD. After a couple of weeks though, I was feeling much better. Iron tablets blocked me up though and made me feel worse so I stopped them after about ten days.

You will feel like yourself again soon

I think when your DH goes back to work you need an “let’s make this as easy as possible” game plan.
So, get DH to make you some lunch and leave it in the fridge before he goes to
Work. Get everything you need in the living room. Moses basket, nappies, bottles sorted (if you’re not breastfeeding), phone charger and TV remote control , change of clothes (maybe even for both of you) so you don’t have to walk up and down stairs.

You’ll begin to feel better, but there are no prizes for pushing yourself too hard.