I made the mistake of looking down there...

[CordeliaJ]

So, yeah, I looked (1 week post birth)...oh my goodness what a mess!

Everything looks a bit mangled. The 2nd degree tear I knew about and was expecting, but I didn't expect everything else to look so messed up. Is this normal? I had a very traumatic birth with a big baby, who eventually had to be pulled out with ventouse. I had been pushing so hard before they decided to intervene, that I ripped the cannula out of my arm

Also, how long does the bleeding or leaking down there continue for? I hate having to wear a pad, should I expect this for weeks or months? And how long does the uterus take to contract back down into the pelvis?
I find it weird no one at the hospital told me anything, so I don't know what's normal and what's not. I just want to start feeling like myself again..

 

[detterose]

Almost 7 months on and I still don't look the same down there. I didn't tear and had no episiotomy. So I guess I am just forever stretched -_- As for the bleeding, I bled til about 8-9 weeks PP. Had my first period at 13 weeks PP.

 

[CordeliaJ]

Thanks. It also looks a bit ripped and messed up, not just stretched I guess, I dunno. Really hope it's all normal!

 

[Expecting1]

I had ventouse too. I had an episiotomy and I had a tear out towards my thigh. The stitch job makes it look a little mangled lol but It's healing nicely.
I think my uterus is (or at least almost) back to normal

 

[Sarahdisco]

No interventions but I tore in a cross shape.

10 days post delivery and the stitches have almost healed, to the point they are irritating the skin cause they haven't dissolved yet! It does look a bit of a mess down there!

My bleeding has tapered off over the last two days, it's like a light period now. Uterus is back in position apparently, which is resulted in my bump almost going! Apart from being sore down there you wouldn't know I'd had a baby 10 days ago!

 

[Bevziibubble]

Congratulations on your new baby!
Your birth sounded similar to mine. I couldn't stop my body from pushing and they had to intervene by going ahead with the delivery two hours before they had wanted to, and I ended up with a ventouse delivery too. I bled for 13 weeks, thought it would never stop but eventually did.

You're only ten days after giving birth so I really wouldn't worry what it looks like. It does take a while to heal.

 

[CordeliaJ]

The bleeding got a lot worse yesterday (9 days pp), I mean it doesn't fill a pad in an hour, but it's still a fair amount & passing loads of clots. I also feel like I'm having the worst period of my life, my whole lower abdomen & ladybits ache, even my legs ache and I feel really sick. Does this sound normal? I don't think I can bear having to take baby with me to a&e but it's the weekend so I can't call anyone to ask..

 

[special_kala]

Have you been doing more the last few days? If your over doing it the bleeding will increase.

How big are the clots? Is there a offensive smell?

You can still ring labour ward and ask to speak to a MW

 

[CordeliaJ]

I didn't think about ringing labour ward, figured that was just for pre-birth.

The clots are not bigger than a 50p piece which is the standard check right? But there do seem to be quite a few. No offensive smell either which is good. Most I have been doing this week is walking in the park with the pram. Yesterday I might have overdone it because I went to a friend's leaving drinks for a few hours and carried LO in the moby wrap which I found a little exhausting, but that was only a few hours in the evening.

 

[Expecting1]

This might be a little gross but the clots; when they're on the toilet paper, squish them (with toilet paper or between your fingers whatever you're comfortable with) if they sort of disintegrate then it's just coagulated blood, if they don't and they have mass - they're tissue and I think your midwife would want to know how big/often you're passing them.
Also have you noticed you're passing more after sitting/laying down for a while? My midwife said the blood can pool and clot.
I told my midwife about a large piece of tissue I passed (about the size of a soaked tampon *sorry lol medical talk so it's ok * and the first string of questions was -fever? Nausea? Pains?
I'm fine so I guess it is rather normal I hope you're feeling better

 

[CordeliaJ]

Thanks, that's really helpful. No to be honest it just looks like really thick blood on the toilet paper, nothing solid. The pains I have are just the abdominal aches and there is on/off nausea. I wouldn't say I'm dizzy, and don't think I have a fever, if I can hold out until tomorrow that would be ideal as I meet my health visitor then. Can I ask her about this stuff, or just the midwife?

 

[Expecting1]

That's good you're feeling good I'm not even sure what a health visitor is we have a midwife come visit us so we can ask about Tanner or myself.