C section bleeding on and off normal?

[Jan289]

Hi everyone, I had a c section 9 days ago (I know still early days) but after day 6 I stopped bleeding completely. This morning I’ve woke up and there’s gushes of blood again, is this normal or have I over done it?😩

How are you getting on now @Jan289?

@SiouxsieSiouxStiletto still seem to be bleeding on and off atm!

I bled for 8 weeks after my C-section 😅 bled heavy for a few weeks, and then lightly for another few weeks. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I had this and it turned out to be an infection in my uterus. I'd get it checked if I was you.

@owloak omg I don’t know how you managed! 😩
@SunRainStorm so sorry to hear that, sounds awful! did you have any other symptoms besides the bleeding stopping and starting?

I was surprised! I thought I wouldn't bleed as much after a c section but I guess I was wrong 😅 it was fine though, nothing a few pads a day couldn't manage!

Can I also ask if it’s normal to have period like cramps after a c section? I’ve been experiencing crippling cramps that come and go over the last 2 days that I’ve just put down to constipation etc but now I’m wondering whether it may be linked to the bleeding etc?

I bled for 6 weeks on and off.
Are you breastfeeding? That can emphasise the cramps but generally you will cramp/contract whilst your uterus is going back down in size.

Do you mean vaginal bleeding? If so I did with both c sections for a good while I think, definitely a few weeks.

My bleeding stopped but it came back. I was bleeding for weeks so sounds normal but there is always a risk of an infection so keep at eye on smell and if you start feeling pain.

@googledidnthelp thank you for your reply, I formula feed DD. Reassuring to know the pains could be from contracting!

@Olika thankyou, I may get in touch with my GP tomorrow just to get checked over

I’ve had no temperature and the scar still looks fine, haven’t noticed a smell or anything. I think the only symptoms I have at the minute is the bleeding, the cramps, constipation and lack of appetite which I’m assuming all could be normal

Hi @Jan289 - how did you get on in the end? I’m trawling mumsnet for reassurance. I’m only 2.5 weeks postpartum after a third section… but my bleeding totally stopped about 6 days ago then last night suddenly started again with gushes of red blood and this evening some clots too. It’s not enough to fill a pad every hour which is what triage say they would be concerned about:.. but im overthinking everything! Had a bad experience after section 2 so panicking this one will go wrong as well.

The bleeding might be because of increased activity @HappyHolidays22

If you're doing more or you've been busy, it can restart bleeding. It can stop/start for 6 weeks or so. Sometimes more.

Keep an eye out for smell, pain, fever, feeling ill and so on.

What happened after your second?

Definitely get it checked out if concerned about possible infection.

At 2.5w pp, if FF, it could be your period. Mine came back in a few weeks.

Thanks @ShowOfHands - I didn’t think I’d been particularly active when all this happened yesterday evening but I guess the day before that I had been for a walk so maybe it could be related to that, even from a day or two earlier? Would that be possible?

with my second I had a haemorrhage immediately after surgery and then an infection which started a few days after getting home from retained tissue… unfortunately it took me over a week to get any antibiotics for the infection because I think I seemed more well than I actually was so triage kept sending me home (I have a horrible tendency to try to put on a happy face so I think they thought that I ‘seemed’ well enough). By the time I then got the antibiotics, the infection was really bad…. I just don’t want something similar to happen again where I don’t recognise the signs. The difference last time, though, was that the bleeding had been super heavy from the start, it didn’t stop and then start again like this time.

@Babyboomtastic I am breastfeeding so don’t think it’s a period although it seems like the same colour as a period and the same amount too. The clots make me think it isn’t a period though?