Large blood loss.... Problems 1 year on

[Melrose86]

Has anyone had large blood loss and still felt effects over a year later? 16 months ago I lost 6 pints after childbirth. I had transfusions and took iron tablets for a couple of months. I felt better for a while other than brain fog but put that down to baby brain :). I stopped breastfeeding 3 months ago and have felt awful since. I feel like I may be anaemic again and wondering if I've never really recovered fully from the blood loss. I'm totally wiped out after work/doing anything with the kids, emotional and feel weak/spaced out. I've made a Dr's appointment but just wondering if anyone has been through feeling similar.

I had a blood test to check for this.

I lost over 3 litres after my hysterectomy and the doctor didn't realise till 4 hours later. I was left with permanent cognitive impairment which affects my memory, word finding and information processing. The gynae said my cognitive difficulties weren't from the blood loss, and the neurologist said it was. 🤷‍♀️

Lots of good stuff mentioned already,but do also get your thyroid levels and B12 checked as well as your iron and ferritin (stored iron levels)

you dont have to just accept this

I'm sorry you experienced that @robinsnest1967. I'd go with the neurologist's explanation myself. I'm counting my blessings that fatigue seems to be the only long term thing I've had to deal with.

Hi OP, hope you can get some useful help soon.

I only lost 3.5 litres :) but definitely still have low energy, DC is 5 years old now.

I still supplement iron, vit C, vit D, B12, and folate, to try to keep my ferritin in the right numbers.

I also really rate EMDR therapy (5 sessions really helped me) and a good acupuncturist, I feel tired initially after getting needled but the next month will feel much better - could be worth a go.

Also even if your iron levels are back within normal range, it may be worth asking if there is anything stopping you trying 1 iron tablet a day, as your body may need more to aid any hidden internal recovery.

My iron studies are all in normal range but I still feel better when I take iron. One thing I decided was that I wanted to give back and donate blood after. I've just never felt like my body is up to it. My ferritin, although in normal range, tends to fluctuate a lot.

Yes me too. I’m back on a lower dose after going to zero after finishing the higher dose left me not quite right. I used to give blood but can’t anymore.

It is worth getting the details of your blood results as GPs often declare ferritin over 12 to be 'normal' when ideally you want to be aiming for over 100.

I get my tests sent directly to me, so have all the details. My ferritin is at 40 (dropped from 53 two years ago) so I've started supplementing to try to build it up. I'll check on it again in a few months.

Oh god cardiac issues 😭 I lost 6 pints to OP and I’m certain it or the transfusion triggered my newly diagnosed autoimmune disease. I ached for 4 years solid after having DS. Luckily then had DD bad have been much better since which is classic autoimmune. But yes I’m pretty sure the blood loss had a massive long term affect on me.

*too! I didn’t give op 6 pints 😄

My baby turned 9 years old last week and i'm still on iron tablets. I didn't lose as much blood as you either, but can't seem to increase levels, i swing between 2-16. I'd ask for a full set of bloods done, see what is going on.

While I'm sorry that there are other's going through this, after all these years it's nice to find a sisterhood of other people who have been long term affected by massive PPH. I often feel quite alone in this.

@lifeinthehills really interesting article, thank you. I had a PPH 7 years ago, some of the comments on this thread explains a lot about my physical health since. Like another poster has said, it took me several years before I could enjoy my dd's birthday without having flashbacks.
OP it is probably worth seeing your GP and getting some bloods done.

I've appreciated this thread in not feeling alone too. I felt an outlier on the recent "massive pph" thread as people has "only" lost a couple of pints and I don't think my story if intensive care and blood transfusions was helping. I've not met anyone else irl it's happened to.

I only lost a couple of pints with DS4 and didn't need a transfusion but I did have a uterine tear and ended up in HDU after my c section so it was quite a traumatic birth and I also had postnatal arthritis for the first 6 months post partum which is apparently an autoimmune thing

My ferritin is persistently low although I am also a vegetarian which probably doesn't help, I now take ferrous sulphate daily and have done for the last year. I still don't feel amazing but I feel better than I did and my hair has started to grow back (I was genuinely balding!)

I know what you mean. A couple of pints would be fairly standard loss for a c-section. It seems very small to me, but I guess the way it affects you is what is key.

I once knew someone who had 80 units of blood after her birth. My loss was considered 'massive' but, compared to that, is small.

@JimJamJolly i totally agree with you, I didn't feel like it was traumatic at the time and felt like I was absolutely fine about the whole thing but now 16 months on I keep thinking about it. Doesn't help my family just say I'm being dramatic whenever I try to talk about it. I feel like I was so in the baby bubble but now I actually have time to stop and process what happened x

I've also tired to talk to my boss about how I'm feeling but it's a bit like yeah, you gave birth.... So?

That must be very hurtful. If they’re anything like my family, they’ll be saying these things as part of their own coping mechanisms as they can’t face their own feelings about how near death you were. Just because the people around you aren’t equipped to give you the help you’re asking for (and are reactively implying that means you don’t need that help) it doesn’t mean you don’t need this help. You should be able to self refer to your local MHS mental health support. EMDR is recognised as usually the most effective support for people with trauma or PTSD. It isn’t a cure all and it won’t ease all the physical consequence but it will help you have more capacity to cope and help your body process what happened. I would also hope your GP will help you too and checking your bloods and other tests would be important too.

My dad had a whole "you've had a baby you're not ill" thing going on which messed with my head a fair bit. He just doesn't accept that we might need help. My husband worked away a lot and I still don't forgive them for not being there when. I most needed it.

I totally feel you guys. A close friend of mine told me ‘well you and the baby are fine now aren’t you?’. Totally ignoring the fact that I had a two week hospital stay, transfusion and nearly died. I don’t think our friendship ever recovered from that

People underestimate the psychological impact.

At first I was just numb, then the flashbacks started. I did not get any help at the time despite the hospital requesting that the GP refer me for therapy, so I just got on with it, used work as a distraction and the flashbacks stopped. 6 years later I was re-triggered and got CBT for PTSD when the flashbacks came back which helped. I wish now that I had pushed the GP, but at the time I was too unwell and just surviving day to day looking after 3 young kids.

I was lucky that my husband and close family understood, they also suffered not knowing if I would make it through the surgery and my husband also had PTSD. If you are finding that you need to talk to someone OP to help you process it then do ask for a referral from the GP.

I knew I had ptsd and told the health visitor/gp/anyone I met but couldn't access any help. When she was a baby/toddler I'd get intrusive thoughts imagining awful things happening and I'd go crackers tying to prevent them. Once I got obsessed with the idea she might end up in a washing machine (no idea how? Sister?) And what you'd actually do to stop it.... I think I posted here with a "I know this is nuts... but I need to know." Similarly at an oceanarium I asked the helped what would happen if a baby fell in.... I went into ICU to visit a different relative and completely burst into tears at being there again completely unprompted (I'd been focusing on the relative) but the feelings flooded back.

I'd hated being separated from my baby but also found it hard to bond that first year. I was permanently exhausted and no family help. I1 years on it has lessened unless I come onto one of these threads so maybe time heals? I was so unwell. My body however.... is a mess.