C Section issues

[Toots2412]

Hi, I’m 6 weeks post section and have had a few problems I’ll try to give the short story of it all.

It’s now affecting my mental health to the point i feel I can’t cope and need some reassurance from someone who’s been there.

The mid section of my wound has healed up nicely.

It’s each end that has been causing me problems.

Problem 1 - My end stitch, so the black thread stitch that was on the outside of my skin was big and wasn’t allowing the underside to heal. I had the stitch snipped off at the doctors because it was red and gunky underneath. Stitch came off and 2 weeks later the skin opened up, was leaking and exposed the stitches on the layer below. There was a puffy purple bit of skin near to the stitch that drained after it opened. This is now I think getting better, there is a thick dark scab now. It looks uneven and gnarly but it’s scabbed and less painful.

Problem 2 - On the opposite end there has always been a small hole it’s been the way I was stitched, in the last several weeks we’ve had leaking, redness, smells. There’s now a bit above that looks bruised and was bleeding for a day. Which has been called either a haematoma or granulated tissue depending on the doctor.

I had a swab that showed 2 different bacteria and I needed 2 different antibiotics to treat. It got better now it’s getting red and smelly again.

I’m on an anti fungal cream and amoxicillin for now.

I feel like it’s never ending and my mental health has taken a hit.

When I noticed I was leaking smelly fluid again this morning i just broke down in tears.

Please help! Who’s been there? I feel so lonely

It's so frustrating isn't it. When I had to have antibiotics I felt like it added another two weeks onto the healing, and then I was told they had given me the ring antibiotics and so hard to start again!

So it's good that it sounds like they know what antibiotics you need. In a few weeks this will all be behind you.

How is your baby sleeping? I'm know when you're sleep deprived everything is 100 times works. Be kind to yourself. Your body has been through a lot.

My scar opened up after 4 weeks, I felt AWFUL! So many people tell you that they felt great after 2 weeks, back driving after 4 etc I wanted to punch them in the face! I found that these dressings were a GODSEND they promote healing and can shower with them, the Urgent Care told me to change them every 4-5 days but in the end I bought more from Amazon so I could keep them on abit longer when I knew I was healed!

I started driving again after around 7 weeks but 9 weeks was more of a turning point! 18 weeks now and no issues other than numbness so it does get better!

It's a pain isn't it! Luckily mine wasn't infected but I also had a stitch hanging out and it did start to open, had redness etc, the current weather doesn't help either!

I was upset/annoyed/frustrated about it too, just wanted to get back to driving and get some freedom back!

Cliche, but it will heal and you will feel better

Thanks so much for getting back to me,
honestly I just feel I need a friend to be like hey that happened to me and you’re gonna be fine but I don’t have that and it feels like it will never heal.

Baby is thriving, she sleeps a good 3 hour slots so I can’t complain I don’t get enough sleep, she’s been great. She’s my number 1 priority. Her mumma isn’t doing great though and I just wish i could be 100% and not walking around leaking, hunched over in pain

Thank you so much for the recommendations
for the dressings.

Ive had conflicting info about this, some doctors say leave it dry and others want to dress it.

I’ve been dressing it because it’s so leaky and open i don’t want to make things worse!

Let me tell you, I so relate to feeling like things aren’t healing fast enough.

My section was emergency but in my pre natal research to prepare it felt like everyone I saw here who had a section had a glorious recovery. Out, about and driving within 3 weeks fully healed and here I am 6 weeks along burst open.

Im not out and about with my baby, we stay home because I’m not recovered yet and I feel guilty for her,

Mine was emergency and the midwifes said they hadn't seen bruising like it! I didn't get stretch marks in pregnancy but have them after the C-section it's crazy! It's major surgery, in what other situation would they say to you, hi you haven't slept in 2 days, tried pushing a baby out, we cut you in half and now here is a tiny baby that needs your full and undivided attention! It's bonkers but we make it work like super heros haha!

Honestly don't feel guilty, my first outing alone with my little boy was to Costa, he sobbed, screamed, I looked that flustered the lady behind the till took my order told me to go sit down and when she brought it over I realised I hadn't paid and she said love we have all been there this is on me! I was mortified but also thankful! Staying home isn't a bad thing!

Just focus on recovering! But honestly I couldn't recommend those dressings enough! I didn't understand how it would heal covered but it does (and it gave me the confidence that it wasn't going to get worse)

Oh sweetheart, have a very unmumsnetty hug.

I was in a very similar situation. I think the advice about keeping the wound clean, dry and uncovered works for most people, but not all. I had areas of the wound opening, then healing, but then other areas of the wound opening. Took the best part of 18 weeks to fully close and multiple GP/nurse appointments to get there. I had 3 courses of Comoxiclav, though I'm not entirely sure they fully worked. I had another course of a different antibiotic, but never took it as things seems like they resolved on their own. In the end we trialled alginate rope packing as a dressing, and finally an iodine dressing for a very stubborn area that wouldn't heal.

Definitely try dressings. I think what finally worked for me was having a dressing that dried out the wound. I have a significant overhang from my first pregnancy, which probably complicated matters. Then there's been the hot weather making the area sweaty and constantly moist.

Nearly 22 weeks on, and I don't think I'm quite there yet, as there's now what appears to be a rash around it. So I think I've now got a fungal infection. sigh....

IF I ever have another kid, and need a C-section, I'll try to bag myself a PICO dressing. If not, get them to give me more dressings to go home with.

Don't worry about not having gone out yet. There's loads of time to do that. Heal and rest first.

I felt so lucky mine didn’t get infected as I know lots of people who did and I think I was stitched up really well when I hear other people’s experiences! I’m no expert but that doesn’t sound like it’s been stitched up that well 😕 It must be so frustrating as you’re just hitting the point where you should be almost fully mobile and recovered to an extent but instead you feel you’re just back to square one all the time! Hardly anyone would look at my stitches after either, there were midwives or HVs coming in and I would basically be pulling my trousers down like ‘CAN SOMEONE PLEASE LOOK?!’ as they looked at my baby, again. Obviously the baby is hugely important but they are only as important as the mum is.

Hope you’ve manage to get antibiotics that work and give it a chance to heal up this time. Fingers crossed for you