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Postnatal health

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Retained placenta after c section, 9 weeks PP

7 replies

Gummybearmum · 04/08/2026 08:48

Has anyone had anything similar happen to them?
I’m 9 weeks postpartum today, and currently have a 22x11x10mm piece of retained placenta. I’ve been bleeding, with clots, the whole time since I had my baby, via c section.
I went to GP at 4 weeks with what I felt was an odd smelling discharge and a haematoma. She gave me antibiotics as a precaution and sent off swabs, which showed no concern, and that was the end of that. Odd smell did go after a few days.
I went again at 7 weeks for check up, she seemed slightly concerned that I was still bleeding and said to ‘see how it goes’ as it may be retained placenta. After reading about it, I called back the following day to request an ultrasound as it sounded like what I’d been experiencing.
11 days later I had ultrasound which confirmed the retained placenta.
2 days later my GP received letter confirming and sent me to the emergency gynaecologist, who initially gave me 4 options. One was to wait, one was to have medication to prompt the body to flush out tissue, and the other 2 were procedures to remove. I chose a procedure to remove after some thought. She then discussed with another dr who didn’t want to attempt to remove as it’s so small, so I’m back on antibiotics and waiting on another ultrasound.
I’ve not been feeling myself this whole time, my lower abdomen is still sore and I feel exhausted from the bleeding. I feel spaced out and confused a lot. I’m guessing the placenta must be breaking down, which is how I’m losing the clots all the time. Hospital think it will continue to come away naturally, but I don’t know how much longer I can feel like this. I feel like it’s really affected how I feel postpartum, I didn’t feel like this after my first baby.

OP posts:
Floppyearedlab · 04/08/2026 08:50

This sounds awful. Could you have an infection? I am surprised they have even so blasé about it as retained placenta can turn to sepsis.

Gummybearmum · 04/08/2026 11:11

@Floppyearedlab thanks for replying.
My partner did ask if it could turn to sepsis and they said yes it could. They put me back on antibiotics yesterday in case it is an infection and did some blood tests to check.

OP posts:
Gummybearmum · 06/08/2026 20:18

Update if anyone’s reading:
No infection luckily, I’m booked in to have it removed on Saturday after seeing a different Dr.

OP posts:
HDready · 06/08/2026 20:20

Glad that it’s getting sorted and that you haven’t had an infection. Sorry that you’ve had to deal with this alongside a new baby!

Gummybearmum · 07/08/2026 11:44

Thank you. Yes, will be relieved once it’s sorted now!

OP posts:
OhBotherSaidPoo · 07/08/2026 11:46

So you had a cesarean and a chunk of placenta was left in situ.

How??

I've never ever heard of this.
Ever.

If this is true, serious medical negligence. Placental tissue is pretty easy to see in a uterus and the midwives should have examined the placenta to ensure completeness.

HDready · 07/08/2026 18:41

OhBotherSaidPoo · 07/08/2026 11:46

So you had a cesarean and a chunk of placenta was left in situ.

How??

I've never ever heard of this.
Ever.

If this is true, serious medical negligence. Placental tissue is pretty easy to see in a uterus and the midwives should have examined the placenta to ensure completeness.

Edited

It does happen, fortunately not that often.

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