1st period after baby

[Rooree2609]

I had my 2nd baby 5 months ago
And I'm exclusively breastfeeding so was hoping no period for a while

My 1st came back at 11 months
However it appeared to start on Monday
I've never suffered from heavy periods and it seemed to start as my periods pre baby would
However whilst feeding little one on Monday night I felt huge gushes and I had soaked through pad pants and on to chair
I went to the toilet and passed some large clots along with losing lots of bright red blood

I assumed it was some freaky 1st post partrum bleed and slept on a towel but i was up every night to change a pad

By Tuesday morning the blood was worse , I contacted My gp who was clueless said I shouldn't be having a period whilst breastfeeding but if it was that heavy its not their issue and to call a ambulance

I was reluctant to do so but I did eventually go to a&e, they said it wasn't a A&e issue and it was for my gp
My stats where OK and blood tests revealed I wasn't anaemic so I was sent home
However by Wednesday the blood still hadn't slowed I was soaking through a pad and maternity pants every 15 minutes and when I'd go the toilet blood would drip and drip

So I phoned the gp again, once again told there is a pandemic not their problem
So I went to a&e they refused to exam me and told told to ask for a referral for gynae If it continues

In desperation I called maternity who called gynaecology who told me to go back to a&e and not leave until they sent me to gynaecology
I spent 6 hours in hospital with my baby as he's breastfed and husband working away

I was eventually seen and told I'd get a scan however after a internal he said he couldn't see anything worrying and it looked consistent with a extremely heavy period so he's tried to put me on provera but I explained I've never taken hormonal pills in my life and i don't want to now I'd like to know why I'm bleeding like this rather than mask it

He said sometimes after a baby it happens I pushed and he agreed to do a non urgent scan referral but told me it could take weeks and if its settled by then to cancel

I was told after baby that my membranes where ragged and to expect a heavy bleed but I didn't.. I bled so lightly compared to my 1st baby

Is it possible its all coming away now ?
Or is this normal can 1st period after a baby really be this heavy ?

I'm still bleeding bright red blood today and losing small clots it's shows no sign of slowing
And I'm sorry to say but I'm not filling my body with a hormonal pill to mask it I would rather get it all out or know what's causing it

Has anyone else experienced a period like this after a baby and how long did it last etc?

Ps I have PTSD and severe health anixety at this stage I'm convinced it must be womb cancer as blood is so red etc
I had a clear smear 5 weeks ago but also wondering if they've missed cervical cancer
I've never bled like this in my life or had any unusual bleeding before

Bump

Like you, my periods returned after about a year whilst breastfeeding my first, and they were the same or even a bit lighter than before pregnancy. After my second, they took the same amount of time to return but were different and heavier. I never had flooding or used anything other than regular sanpro but now the first few days can be horrendous, and they last longer. So I think it's possible that this could be a period, but a very unpleasant one.

I take ibuprofen for the pain and to try to reduce the amount of bleeding. You can also be prescribed tranexemic acid too, I'm surprised your GP didn't mention that as a possibility rather than going straight to hormonal contraception.

@AssassinatedBeauty thank you for replying

It does now seem as if it has been a horrendous period
Feel a bit traumatised I've never seen so much blood even after child birth.. feel sick everytime it pops in my head

Honestly if GPs got commission for birth control you would think this one did
They kept saying how I need it to regulate my cycle as its regular , we don't know its irregular its clearly my 1st period

Fingers crossed this was a 1 off night mare

Hi, how awful for you (the bleeding and the being shoved from pillar to post!)

I can’t comment on the post birth periods as I’m currently ebf my first and it hasn’t returned yet. However, I second the point on tranexamic acid mentioned by assassinatedbeauty. As a teenager, I had extremely heavy periods (mine was linked to low platelet levels) and this helped enormously.

I think the GP has behaved very poorly, especially using the pandemic as an excuse. If/when you are feeling up to it, you should consider making a formal complaint to the practice manager. If it was one specific gp hopefully you can ask to be seen by someone else.

I hope it settles quickly for you, I know how it feels to have the worry about that level of bleeding and it’s not something you should have to endure.

It sounds likely that it is “just” a period but if you have any other symptoms such as bruising, insist on a blood test. You might also need to keep an eye on iron levels if you’re losing such a lot of blood.