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Childbirth

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

Caesarean scar concerns

12 replies

babylann · 13/06/2010 23:30

Had my emergency c-section a month ago. Every time I see midwife/HV they always admire how well it is healing despite the fact there is a huge stitch sticking out of the right side (the stitches which absorb into the skin etc). From time to time I noticed there was a smell, a bit like rubbish and when I mentioned it to midwives they just said to double the amount of baths I have and avoid irritating the area. I did what they advised, but find it's just getting worse. The sticky-out stitch seems to have slightly bruised now, and there's a moistness around the area. I'd noticed the smell had changed and asked my partner to sniff it for me, and he confirmed it's a lot stronger now, and for lack of a better description, he said it smelled like an "unwashed vagina". Previously it smelled more like how I would imagine dead flesh would smell.
Has anybody else got any experience of this? My next HV appointment isn't until later this week and I'm just wondering if I should try and get somebody to come out and see it sooner in case of infection.

OP posts:
pregnantpeppa · 13/06/2010 23:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

YanknCock · 13/06/2010 23:40

Definitely get a GP appointment in the morning, it's most likely infected.

I had an EMCS and the exact same thing happened (right down to DH sniffing and telling me it wasn't right). I was breastfeeding so didn't want to take oral antibiotics if I could avoid them, and I was able to get the infection cleared up with a topical antibiotic cream (but it did take a while).

Try to keep air getting to the area as best you can. I'm quite overweight so had an 'overhang', and I had to lie down knickerless a lot, holding up my belly to let the air circulate. Make sure after you bathe/shower you get the area really dry, even if you have to sit and pat gently with cotton wool pads.

Get that appointment tomorrow, good luck!

babylann · 13/06/2010 23:41

Bah just what I need - more medication! It's been one thing after another in pregnancy and birth

I assumed the health visitor would be trained in this kind of thing - maybe I'm wrong? Or are they just there to focus on the baby?

OP posts:
YanknCock · 14/06/2010 00:33

IME, all the HV would do is look and send you to the GP if they thought you needed medication, I'm pretty sure they can't prescribe. I think they're there for support/advice, infections wouldn't fall under their remit. At this stage they are there more for the baby. I was still under the midwives when I had my infection (they stayed on a while with me due to other issues), and they would have sent me to GP if I hadn't gone myself as they could only look and say if it was healing normally or not.

You may be able to get away with a topical cream as I did, if you don't want to take more pills!

eidsvold · 14/06/2010 04:46

try and get yourself some tea tree oil and use that in warm water when bathing wound - helps with healing and it is antibacterial. That is what I used with each wound. I would use paper towel in warm water few drops of tea tree oil - pat the wound. Then I would take a dry paper towel and pat wound dry.

babylann · 14/06/2010 08:33

Ah. Well I've managed to get an appointment at the GP clinic today, but I think I'll be seeing the nurse. Hopefully she will be able to investigate. I'm really quite scared of getting a wound infection, and also beginning to worry that if I can smell it, maybe other people can too.

I've tried to be so careful with the wound, as I was told to have a simple bath - nothing added - when I asked whether I could put any fragrance in my bath, or use any creams or treatments. They always said no, but then a lot of people I have been reading about say they used tea tree or lavender, etc.

OP posts:
NanKid · 14/06/2010 08:39

It does sound infected. A strong smell is not normal. Insist that the nurse treats this more seriously. An infected wound can be quite simple to treat (usually with anti-b's) but left untreated it can become much more serious.

MrsMagWeary · 14/06/2010 12:36

I had something similar with my second c-section 5 months ago. I thought it smelt unpleasant but the midwife said it was OK. I started using an antiseptic cream on it, against her advice, and trying to let the air get to it as much as possible. Eventually one of the stitches looked like it hadn't healed properly, was weeping slightly. I showed a GP whilst there for DS and he said it was one of the dissolvable stitches working its way out as it hadn't dissolved, to keep an eye on it and go back if it didn't get better. By the time I'd worked out the horrible system for getting another appointment, it had got better all by itself. This time I just showered without using soap on the scar and tried to keep it dry (not very well as also have substantial overhang). The first time round I was told to bath with teatree oil and that also seemed to work. Hope the GP clinic is helpful.

pregnantpeppa · 14/06/2010 23:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Haliborange · 14/06/2010 23:42

I haven't had this with either of my cs but have had other abdominal surgery, so...

-the dissolvable stitches can take a while to go and can be a bit uncomfortable while they do.

-the only wound infection I ever had was with these stitches and was resolved with an iodine gauze that the nurse at your GP should be able to provide. Within a week it was better.

-weeping from surgical wounds is not abnormal and shouldn't panic you by itself.

-the thing to look out for is an area of redness from the wound wider than the width of your finger which spreads. smells are worth checking too!

Either way get it checked out by a doctor or GP's nurse though. I'd bypass the HVs and avoid all soaps etc in your bath as they can really irritate it. Make sure your wound is dry after a bath - a hairdrier on a cool setting can help with this or rip up an old (clean) sheet and use that to dry with.

eidsvold · 15/06/2010 05:37

I used to do the tea tree a couple of times a day and just use the bathroom sink to do it - rather than bathing in the tea tree oil.

YanknCock · 15/06/2010 21:26

How did it go babylann?

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