Holy cow! I've just passed a huge blood clot! What could have caused this?

[MrsTittleMouse]

I'm 10 days postnatal and the blood loss has been very moderate/slight except for yesterday when I overdid it a little bit and the loss increased. But it's been fine today, until 15 minutes ago when I went to the loo, stood up, and felt something very strange falling out of me. It's a huge blood clot - about 6cm by 4cm and lumps of different colours - very dark red and light brighter red. I phoned the hospital midwives, who have told me to keep an eye on it, but who aren't so worried as I don't have any abdominal pain.

But what could have caused such a big clot, when I haven't had any clots so far? Has anyone else had this? It's really freaked me out!

I had this too after DD's birth and freaked me out big time. MW said same to me and Ididnt pass any more clots after that.

I had a massive clot a few days postpartum, freaked me out too, but dr wasnt worried and i didnt have anymore! just one of those things I think, but made me feel all wobbly at the time.

I had that leftover shit too

If theres any pain ring the MWs back

lol at fios medical terminology

The midwife has taken my name and hospital number, and will check my delivery notes and phone back if there's anything to worry about. She's also made a note of it, so that if I start feeling unwell, I can phone and there's a record of the clot. Part of me wants to keep it so that someone can take a look. It is really freaky isn't it? I didn't have any clots at all with DD1, so it's a bit of a new thing for me. Glad to hear that I'm not alone though.

I went straight to GP and he said I had womb infection. Anti-biotics cleared it up, I too just felt them cascade out.

I didn't have any clots with my first two that I remember and when I passed (IMO) one the size of a UFO with my third I thought I was about to die or at the very least lose my insides.

I was astonished that the midwife didn't think it was a problem and to let her know if any were bigger than that. There weren't any more and I was fine.

99% of the time clots aren't a problem. Often if you've been sitting or lying down for a period of time then its just normal blood loss that pools and clots in your vagina, then comes out in a big clot when you stand up. As long as you don't feel unwell and there is no offensive odour to the blood loss then its very unliekly to be an infection.

The really annoying thing is that I saw the community midwife today, and told her that everything was OK. She felt my abdomen though, and told me that if I had an infection that my uterus wouldn't contract well, whereas mine had contracted so much that she couldn't feel it. So that's very good.

I've always had 'the leftover shit' after giving birth, its normal - my bet is that you started doing more and moving about more and then things kind 'move' about a bit and your body gets rids of it

but if you start getting stomach cramps/pains or having trouble/pain weeing then you might have an infection

tis normal though

I passed a huge clot postpartum. I could feel something that felt like a second placenta coming out and ran to the toilet. As soon as I pulled my knickers down a massive clot fell on the bathroom floor. My 2 year old ds shouted 'Daddy, Mummy's done a poo on the floor!' . He continued to talk about mummy's poo for days afterwards! I didn't pass any more clots after that.

People don't tell you these things do they?

Totally normal. As stripey says, sometimes the blood and gunk can kind of 'pool' into a clot.

Had this with all three - even the third time it left me a little errrr 'shocked'.

I had a huge clot about a week after the birth of DD2. There was no pain or anything and I forgot all about it.

3 weeks later I stood up and had a torrent (sorry - there's no other word to describe it!) of large clots (all bigger than my fist and at least 12 of them) and then got serious cramping pains. Turned out that there was a tiny bit of retained placenta. I had to have it removed. I know it's not usual, but be warned! It probably is just the 'leftover shit' though!

Sorry - should have explained a bit more. If there is a bit of retained placenta then basically the womb won't close up and instead it forms these clots. I didn't think there was retained placenta - it had all gone swimmingly up to that point.

Same happened to me: midwife said not to worry unless clots were larger than a 'big lemon' at which point I think I keeled over in horror at the thought

A "big lemon" - bloody hell!
Anyway, the postscript to all this is that I spent the morning in bed with DH bringing DD2 up to me when she was hungry, and my blood loss has decreased by loads. So rest was the way to go.