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.

I was told to change the cotton hanky every time it got damp btw.

Ask about a negative pressure device. It's a dressing with a tiny pump attached (v portable) which will help with the exudate and also the separation of the wound

My DD had similar after her C section.She had a haematoma at one end of her wound which left a 2cm gap.Initially the district nurse came in 2 or 3 times a week to change the dressing,then DD had to go to the GP surgery to get the dressing changed.She wasn't allowed to get the wound wet.She had special dressings with silver in them.Took around 12 weeks to fully heal.

I had an infection after my c-section. I was give both topical and oral antibiotics which worked really well, as did the usual stuff of keeping it try etc.

Yes this is what I had, I would recommend it.

@hban hey thanks for your input. well nurses have taken a similar approach for me. Let's see if it works. They have put hydrogel strips inside of a dressing to draw out all the gunk. Is that what you had?

I must say that I am nervous as all I have heard thus far is air it out. She said that approach hasn't worked for you so lets try this.

@Skuno How is it going for you? Is it healing well ? I have the exact same thing and getting very depressed. They have just given me antibiotics and told me to keep it dry but the fluid is still
oozing out and smells and with the skin fold it’s difficult to keep it dry.

I had a wound infection after a hysterectomy (similar scar place). It got packed with gauze every day by the district nurse ; to begin with the hole needed lots of gauze but it gradually reduced. Towards the end she asked if I wanted to do it myself ( no way!) or wanted to try a honey dressing. As I knew damn all about manuka honey I refused that too and we just kept going. It took a couple pf months to heal up slowly from the inside, my GP told me "Better to do it slow and sure than seal in any lingering infection. ", Been fine ever since.

Decades later my dog had a terrible open wound ( a hole bitten right out of him; too big and lost too much skin to close by surgery) which took months to heal, cleaned and dressed twice a day by me and we used prescription manuka honey recommended by vet; it was really good and amazingly he made a full recovery. I wished I'd tried it myself then. You might ask about honey..

I phoned the docs and was put straight on antibiotics- they asked for a swab but said to start on the antibiotics asap and if the swab results said I needed a different antibiotic they could switch it then. It cleared up and closed very quickly. Sorry to hear you e had such appalling advice and treatment.

@Smasa hey. Its started to get a little better with the use of antibiotics and dressings. It's still not fully healed. Please push on getting dressings done. It's impossible to keep it dry without it. Everything that oozes out ... spreads and makes the other areas bad too. Insist on dressings they are very reluctant but that's the way forward.

How did you get referred to the nurse ? I’ve been to mac and A&e endless amount of times with no avail. They keep dismissing me. I feel like I’m just going back and forth waiting in hospitals. It’s really starting to affect my bonding with my baby. They take hours just to see you, only to to tell you they can’t do much. I’m really starting to lose hope. I hope you recover soon. Please keep us updated. x

I was in the same boat as you. A&E , triage , GP you name it. After my 6 weeks had lapsed they took me seriously. They regarded it as a wound that didn't heal in time. GP finally referred me to the district nurses. They are the ones who will start you off with the dressings.

Tell the GP how bad it is for you.

Hi there... my daughter arrived 26th April and I came home 48hours later...yes painful but hard not to put my feet up as I have a 3 year old little spiderman!! I basically overdid it in early days and my wound opened slightly..2cm..very painful and hard and red around the edges...I was prescribed co amoxiclav and it did help.but I did need two courses ...keep salt baths with it..no lifting ( easier to say than do) lots of protein too...
I'm.not sure about you or anyone else.on here ( I'm new to this..but need to reach out as struggling too) these early days are testing..(.need to find a thread for the teary part ) sorry...I'm going on...salt washes and keep it open when at home let the air get to it x