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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

Postpartum complications from delivery!

5 replies

XCBXx · 12/03/2019 23:43

Hi,

I’ve recently given birth to my lovely little boy. However it wasn’t the experience I expected nor hoped for. Not only did I need to have an emergency c section due to him getting stuck and me not progressing past 9cm after over 24 hrs in labour, but I have since suffered bladder complications whereby I’m unable to go to the toilet despite having the urge. I’m now on my 4th catheter and feeling like I’m never going to be able to go to the toilet normally ever again. On removal the 2nd time I was able to go but nowhere near the amount they wanted and then my bladder shut down again. Has anyone else experienced this and recovered? Feeling very down about the whole thing and unable to see the light at the end of the tunnel at the minute x

OP posts:
Anna2006 · 13/03/2019 20:26

Hi op

Not same experience as yourself but didn’t want to leave you unanswered.

Did they automatically leave your catheter in after the section or was it taken out an you failed the wee test? Have they said why they think this has happened? How far pp are you?

I had a difficult delivery, VERY long labour ending in forcep delivery. I had a catheter in for 2 weeks pp. but I didn’t fail the wee test. They didn’t let me try or take my catheter out as I had voided large urine amounts through the catheter after delivery so they thought my bladder was in distress. Made me have it in for 2 weeks an then I was allowed to attempt to try. But I was fine an had no problems voiding or weeing once they take it out.

Not sure if your exact circumstances but I have known of cases where people have to keep going back for a few months but usually it always gets resolved. It can just take a while.

Horrid for you 💐

XCBXx · 13/03/2019 21:13

Hi, thank you for replying! they did leave it in after the section for 12 hours, then gave me 6 hours to have a wee but I just couldn’t go. They think it’s down to my bladder essentially been stunned during the long labour and then the section. I’m currently 13 days postpartum but feel like it’s putting a downer on my sons first few weeks. Definitely not how I imagined it x

OP posts:
vikki2203 · 14/03/2019 20:33

Hi,

I didn’t have a c-section but I had to have forceps in the end and like you I couldn’t wee either. I first had one foley catheter overnight and when they took it out the next day I couldn’t go, they then put another foley catheter in and left it in for a week, I had to go back to hospital a week later to see if I could go and again I couldn’t go at all. I then had to have another foley catheter in, this time for two weeks and again when I went back I still couldn’t wee.

They eventually taught me intermittent self catherization, so when I got the urge to wee, I had to try myself and then catheter afterwards. At this point (3 weeks post partum) I still couldn’t go at all myself, so had to self catheter about 5 times a day. Eventually I started to be able to go myself but it was only dribbles - maybe 10ml at most.

The bladder specialist I was seeing told me I could stop self catherterizing if I was having residual voids of less than 100ml, this finally happened about 6 weeks after starting to self catherterize (so about 9 weeks post partum).

I’m now 4 months post partum and whilst I don’t need to self catherterize anymore, I still don’t pee as I did before giving birth. I will usually have to double void and go to the toilet around 15 times a day, the bladder specialist seems to think my bladder is still damaged from the forceps and that it could take months and months to heal fully but it will eventually get better to the point it was before giving birth.

I also think some of my issues are psychologial because I’ve spent so long not being able to go properly.

I just wanted to let you know it does get better but it might take a while longer than what you’re expecting. I would maybe ask your doctor about self catherterizing if it’s something you think you’d be able to do because I didn’t see any improvement until that point.

I hope everything sorts itself out for you and congratulations on your little boy.

XCBXx · 17/03/2019 20:59

Hi Vikki. Thank you so much for responding! Glad you’re getting better and well on your way to feeling back to normal! I’ve got another trial without the catheter on Tuesday and really hoping I can go. If not self catheterising has already been suggested! How did you find self catheterising? I’m worried I won’t be able to do it or it will be painful x

OP posts:
DelphiMum · 19/03/2019 07:41

Hi. I couldn’t wee after DC1 after long traumatic labour and birth.

I had one 48hr catheter, couldn’t wee once removed and then a second 48hr catheter and still couldn’t wee. Cried until they let me go home with a third indwelling one in. Was at home for a week with indwelling and bag attatched to my leg. Then learned to self cathetarise and slowly but surely sensation and ability to wee came back. I used disposables for about 2 months at home.

It was pretty awful. I had a mirror rigged up in the bathroom so I could see what I was doing. I found it impossible to do while I was out (not enough hands to do mirror and catheter in public toilets). So was basically house bound for those months.

The positive is that it did get 100% better, eventually.

Also couldn’t wee after DC2 but the issue resolved within a day.

Good luck OP.

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