Recovery question - for those who have had a C-Section

[Pinktruffle]

I'm nearly 3 weeks out from my C-Section and recovering fairly well I think. My stitches have dissolved and I can barely see my scar so think it's all going well.

However, I am still bleeding a lot, I know post partum bleeding can last around 6 weeks so not too concerned about that but about 2 days ago I started to get really bad period like pains, I seem to have them for most the day and whilst I had stopped taking pain killers for my scar, I've had to start again for the period like pains. I'm taking 2 paracetamol and 2 ibuprofen and it's the only way to deal with the pain just one set isn't doing it. I wanted to ask if the period like pains were normal? As I haven't had them from the beginning and they seem to have started randomly, I'm a bit worried. I've been discharged from the community midwife so unable to ask them.

I bled for approx 10w after my ELCS, and did indeed experience period-like pains. Your uterus is beginning to contract back in so it does get quite uncomfortable, plus, if you're BFing then it makes the retraction quicker.

3w is still very fresh, but obviously, if you have any concerns, do reach out to your MW/GP!

You poor thing! I’ve had 2 sections and both times I had 6-12 weeks of heavy period-like bleeding. But I don’t remember any pain.

You can ring the ward where you had your baby and ask them for advice. Or ask at the place where you get your baby weighed each week (are they doing those during COVID?), or call 111. I’d definitely get advice on this. It might be an infection, so don’t suffer in silence.

Any other symptoms - temperature?

Baby is no longer being weighed now, they discharged him as he was doing so well.
I may calling my ward and see what they say, thank you @macbookho. No other symptoms, no temperature, shaking etc. My bleeding is a bit smelly but I was told that's normal as long as it doesn't smell fishy (which it doesn't)

@Ornamentalcabbages (great name!) I did wonder if it was my uterus coming back and maybe I had been having the pains all along but didn't notice due to me taking regular pain killers for the scar. As @Macbookho alluded to, I am worried it could be an infection but have no other symptoms outside of period pains

I had awful pains a few days after the birth, especially during breastfeeding. I didn’t notice any after that, but then I only breastfed for a few weeks. 😞 Please ring someone.

I would get the bleeding checked out. I found after around 2 weeks my bleeding seemed to get heavier when it had seemed to be tailing off. I didn't have any other symptoms. My midwife told me to see my GP who attempted an internal examination - I have no idea why she thought this was a good idea, the pain was so bad I nearly hit the roof! Turned out to be pointless as there was so much blood that she couldn't see or feel anything
Anyway she thought I probably had an internal infection and prescribed antibiotics. It did then seem to get better quickly once I started taking them. Then my period arrived 3 weeks later

I would give the ward or GP a call just to be sure. I had an infection. The pain was unbearable but for me it felt different to period pain. It was an intermittent stabbing pain.

Definitely ring.

I had 2 sections and don't remember period pain afterwards tbh.

Could be your uterus contracting back to its normal size - but I'd get checked anyway.

Your uterus contracts when breastfeeding so if it’s around the same time it could be that. I had 8 weeks bleeding.

When this happened to me it was an infection.