C Section Wound Infection? Anyone else going through it or has gone through it?

[Skuno]

Hi All.

Has anyone here went through C section wound infection. I have been battling with a 2 cm gap for the past 8 weeks which at the beginning was infected and got better. Now it is infected again with another tiny hole opened up where an old stitch that was poking out has fell from. Gone from department to department not much help. What did you guys do to make the gap close?

I Air it out many times of the day. I clean it 3 times a day with sterile water and gauze strips. No one wanted to dress or pack it. Was told to let it be open and dry. It has clear fluid always coming out of it which makes it impossible for it to stay dry.

I'm feeling really upset now. Any tips or words of support and advice would be appreciated.

The only thing that helped me was going every few days to get the dressing changed and they put something in the dressing to help it heal. I think it was called a wound clinic. It had been going on for anoit 4-6 weeks by the point I got proper help. but once I got it properly dressed I saw progress quite quickly. I also had antibiotics too some of the time.

it’s horrible at the time, but now (2 years on) it seems like a distant memory. The scar has healed really well and can barely see it and no pain. Really hope it gets better for you soon x

Not a c section, but similar area for scar after my hysterectomy. The wound dehisced (separated) in 2 areas. It is partly because of the movement, bending, compression, in the area I think. But it did heal, probably took a month altogether... it was worrying so I feel for you!

Hey thanks for your response. Whoever has seen me (and I have seen a lot) has been off the view of dressing it and putting anything on it. They are taking the all natural approach. It is so frustrating because I have read that these antibiotic ointments are available to speed up the healing but I keep getting told that they don't necessarily help etc. Any idea what they put on you?

At the moment it feels like it will never heal. I was very positive but now so much clear fluid is coming out of it and another pin hole has happened. I feel so sad because I have spent 7 weeks giving it all the TLC I could with the result that has gone in reverse. :(

Hey I have scratched my head thousands of times what I did wrong initially to land in this position. I am 2 months post section now and feels like a never ending story.

Literally just gone through this. I'm 9 weeks pp and my final opening (had 4 that were approx 2cm) has closed this week.

I found air is your friend. Covering and dressing it just seemed to keep it moist which didn't help with the healing. I uncovered it, persevered with the antibiotics and airing and touch wood, it's starting to look better. I also kept dabbing it dry every hour or so to minimise weeping etc. I think it's unfortunately (or in my case) something that just had to be managed and worked on.

You have my sympathies OP. My first section was a breeze compared to the second. An infected incision is awful however I would say give it another week or so.

I had this. Call the department where you had your section. Even if it’s past your discharge date, the issue is ongoing from the birth so they have to see you, insist on it.

You need to have an ultrasound, as there might be pockets of fluid that maybe cause the wound to reopen and stay infected. You also need to see the ‘tissue viability’ team, and it needs swabbing to see what antibiotics you need to be on. It took 5 rounds of antibiotics till they finally got the right one, and bam I felt a lot better and it closed.

I’m sorry you are going through this. C sections are tough enough without an infection extending recovery time.

also I will say I was overdoing it. My DH (who thankfully now has seen the error of his ways) had his bloody overbearing family around constantly, and they expect to be waited on hand and foot. They also expected the house to be immaculate, so I overdid it tidying everytime they came around,

make sure DH does everything and you rest, try and and get naps in during the day if you possible can if you have help. I don’t have family in the U.K. so had to just get on with it, but that really affected the healing.

I had to have the fluid drained, and reading your post I suspect you will too. You need to be swabbed too. Doing nothing it will not get better on it’s own.

@Theawkwardblonde oh gosh thank you so much for getting back to me. I really don't know anyone in my circle who went through a situation like this.

What was your cleaning routine? I felt like I was cleaning it too much and aggravating it open so I dropped one time of the three yesterday. Consequently, as its hot now I think moisture built and I got reinfected as there is redness spread.

@VerasRaincoat hey thanks for your support. I have been referred to a nurse tomorrow who will swab me. Hopefully I will be matched to another set of antibiotics.

What you have said does make sense because this fluid never dried up. I was told its part of the healing process. When a wound heals it has serus fluid that comes out. I did read some where else that it's only initially. In my case it never stopped. I feel gutted it did come very close drying up and bam back in the same situo again.

Sounds like you also went through a tough time too. I feel for us C section Mama's.

How often did you clean it etc?

@Skuno I actually can’t remember how often I cleaned it, I think maybe every other day, just gently rinsing in the shower then dabbing dry.

Push to see the tissue viability team too. I had mine drained under guided ultra sound. Make a fuss and tell them the impact it’s having on bonding with your baby, feeding baby and your mental health. They didn’t finally investigate mine till I made a big fuss.

Hi, sorry to hear you are going through this. I had the same years ago, wound didn't feel right when they discharged me. It was weeping badly and hurt like hell for a couple of months. I was told to have salt baths. They used to give new mums a bag of salt to bathe in. I also sat in the sun for short spells as I gave birth in June. My scar was painful for quite a while, but I gave birth naturally 17 months later to a 8lb baby with no problems. Try not to strain yourself lifting etc. Wishing you well asap.

@VerasRaincoat I will deffo mention it. Let's see where I get with it. They found the tissue to be healthy pink and at healing point in the past visits. I found it looked different at diff times of the day. I know sounds weird but it looks more red if I don't clean it. I have been cleaning it 3 times a day. I felt i was overdoing it and stopped now reinfected. That's why I am.wondering what is everyone's cleaning routine.

anyways they just kept saying it will granulate together by itself. Coming to 2 months no granulation has happened.

Oh yeh impact is for real there. I have mentioned it. I get cut short everytime as it will heal on its own. Give it time.

I had a couple of scar holes that were infected. They tried a couple of different antibiotics and the second worked.

Other than that it's just keeping it clean and not fiddling with it. I had a daily shower and gently (using hand, not cloth or scrubber) washed it with soapy water, then lay on bed so it could air dry. Other than that (and some antibiotic cream) I tried to leave it alone. It will heal - it's just in an annoying spot!

@VerasRaincoat oh wanted to ask did you sleep on your left or right side whilst you jad fluid draining. I am just doubting everything now. Even sleep positions.

I called my doctor and they put me on a 2 week course of antibiotics (flucloxacillin). The hole has now almost completely closed and it's no longer weeping.

I had two sections and definitely only washed the wound every other day.

By wash I mean literally let water run over it, no soaps at all. Then air dry it, no towel etc

@gelijkheid hey they don't give you anything now. Well atleast on my side anyways. I went A&E at one point and the GP gave me a sodium chloride solution to clean it with. I have been using that ever since 2 times a day. I let shower run over it in the morning.

Some people say that's too much poking and prodding but when I don't it builds up.

I'm due a c section soon and possibly will have 2 weeks help from partner then it will just be me and the baby, will I be okay to carry the baby up and down stairs etc can anyone tell me, I feel worried incase something like this happens to me. Hope you get it sorted soon x

@airmaxJ hey its good that your reading around this as this is a major op be prepped before hand for your after care. I have realised there isn't much guidance from the hospital for your after care. I wish there was some literature where they guided you in case of.... so as a fist time section mama it wouldn't be so scary.

Honestly, I wished I had done things a little differently now. At the beginning don't do any stairs! You will have a belly flap and it will pit pressure on your incision.

If you have a downstairs room...living room or anything set that up so you have access to the kitchen etc. Avoid bending etc. You can pick your baby but try to rest as much as possible. Lie down and air your stitches out. At the beginning I did it way less than I am now as we had certain issues to deal with the baby. I totally neglected myself. I did it once a day. Maybe do it every hour.

I have friends who have had multiple sections and nothing happened. I have heard of some people here who just got unlucky.

At the end of the day sections are done to save lives so I am grateful for that. Read around it productively but don't over do it please. Just from your side you focus on the aftercare info.

@coxesorangepippin I initially did it once every morning. When the infection hit initially, I went to triage and they told me to up the cleaning to 3 to 4 times a day! It was so hard to do that at the beginning. Since, then I have been cleaning it 3 times a day. Sometimes I feel its counter productive all this touching. However when I don't its just dirty. Really a vicious cycle.

I know people who did what you did and are actually better off as they just left it alone.

That's why I am so confused. :s

@PlantDoctor hey did you not use anything to dab it dry? Just didn't touch it atall?

No, it only takes a few minutes and I didn't want to rub it as that can irritate it or introduce more germs.

Sorry you're going through this. It's super stressful and frustrating when it seems to worsen. If you haven't already, get granny pants so they don't rub it

Women were given strict instructions not to lift more than a small kettle and not drive for 6 weeks. My health visitor visited me every day to assess my wound. I know of women whose wounds became infected were readmitted to hospital. Luckily mine healed, but wasn't advised to keep cleaning it, just air it dry after salt baths.

I had an awful infection and had to spend a few more days in hospital on antibiotics. After that, they packed it. I didn't realise until reading more on here that so many don't get that. It took a few months but it did work.

For my second, I insisted on a Pico dressing as I was so worried about it happening again, and no infection that time around!

You have my sympathy, it was all really upsetting at the time, but a flash in the pan in hindsight.

Hello, I had this for ages too (second c section). I had to put a clean cotton hanky over it and I was told by the health visitor to put a cap of salon in my bath water and have a bath every day. It did heal eventually. It’s very stressful though so please have a hug from me.