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Postnatal health

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Hand hold please. C section recovery nightmare

4 replies

fibeee · 22/05/2020 10:50

Had an EMCS 8 weeks ago. Since then I’ve been treated for 2 wound infections and had the wound dressed multiple times where it opened up in a few places. Today it looks like it has opened up again and I’m booked to see the GP.

I keep getting told to rest as much as possible. I burst into tears at the last GP who said this as due to Covid restrictions I have no one other than my DH who can help with my baby. He’s been working full time since week 3 and isn’t allowed to work from home.

I just need some reassurance that this will get better. I’m feeling so down this morning.

OP posts:
bestbeforedateexpired · 22/05/2020 10:58

Congratulations on your new arrival! I had a similar experience with a nasty wound infection. I had to keep the wound open for a while and the pus was horrendous. My midwife suggested using diluted tea tree oil in cooled boiled water, dabbing with a cotton wool pad and squeezing a little over the wound. I was sceptical but the healing was astonishing.
I had no help either and you just have to let standards slip and focus on the baby. Best wishes.

MaternitySpongeBob · 22/05/2020 21:48

I had similar. What are they actually doing to fix it?

In my case they had a standard procedure, but it was a minor injury/outpatient/post-op unit that I went to, since I'd been discharged from the maternity unit/midwife care and the GP/nurses just couldn't handle it effectively in my small local practice. It was a unit of the local small hospital.

They used a rigorous routine of iodine patches, wound packing and repacking and cleanout. Then in the bad areas, some seaweed things and a host of other "more powerful" options as well as being on strong painkillers again (the pain during infection a few weeks after birth was worse than the initial recovery!!).

I suppose I'm concerned that you're not going to get treated effectively, waiting for a GP appointment - mine was seen as an emergency appointment, where I was told to go straight to hospital, and they were waiting for me, the first time it opened up.

Please make noise about what you need to get out of this and now (at a vulnerable time) advocate for yourself - i know it's hard when you're in pain and sleep deprived.

if it helps, i do remember there was 1 day where i seemed to suddenly turn a corner.. i realised i hadn't had stinging red hot pain all down my worst side for a few hours, despite not remembering my painkiller.. DH was inspecting the wound every day and that was the day he said the swelling and how "angry" the wound site looked seemed to be better... so hopefully (with the right medical management) you'll experience something similar.

But don't wait for it to get better - get onto them to get an effective medical plan in place to get you on the mend!

FusionChefGeoff · 22/05/2020 21:51

Who would normally be able to help other than DH? I really think this would count as essential and you would be ok to have someone visit / move in if you have the room.

MaternitySpongeBob · 22/05/2020 23:40

Is there any other help you can get access to?

Local covid helper volunteer Facebook groups?
Local church/religious help?
Paid mother's help?

I know not everyone is in a position to have a local support network easily accessible (and a lot of what might normally help might not work with social distancing... but some of it can be!) or can throw £ at assistance for a couple of weeks... But just have a think about your options.

Even having someone to do basic food shopping and drop it off at the door might help get you some more rest.

Emergency leave / annual leave by DH too might be an option?

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