Postpartum bleeding... normal??

[bakeranm99]

So I had a C-section 7 weeks ago. I bled as expected the first 4 and a half weeks, slowly tapering to a light brown/yellow spot. Then, at 4 and a half weeks I started some light cramping (not very painful) and later bright red bleeding-moderate to heavy amount. This continued to taper until 5 and a half weeks, then exact same thing repeated. Again at 6and a half weeks. The bleeding slows at night and stays slow all day until sometime between 2 and 7 pm when it picks up to bright red bleeding again. Cramps have been coming and going.

I'm also breastfeeding exclusively. I tried looking for a link with feeding and cramping and bleeding, but I'm not getting it after each feed or and night/morning feeds.

At 6 week check up, doctor wasn't concerned. She did exam and said uterus had shrunk and was in place. She said its hard to say when bleeding will stop when breastfeeding.

I'm mostly concerned BC it varies in heaviness. I thought it was to taper and color to turn red-pink-brown-yellow....and BC they say 4-6 weeks is average.

Also, no fever, pain (besides slight cramps that are tolerable with out meds), or large clots. I only get a few clots but they are tiny and from sitting A little too long I believe.

What is going on? Please help!

 

[JessPape]

How active are you being? To much activity can make it start up again, it could also be your body trying to AF again.. Saddly even with BF E my evil friend came back at 6 weeks pp, and I bleed for 2 weeks the first time. Sucked

 

[bakeranm99]

I was more active at 3 weeks-walking, but was having some hormonal things happening, so I took a break. My thyroid was checked and its OK too. At week 4 it felt like a period, as well as at week 6. Maybe my body struggling to get my hormones right??

 

[ttc126]

I can't say for sure what is going on but I can share my experience. I stopped bleeding 2 weeks pp after a vaginal birth. At 3 weeks pp, I started bleeding bright red again. This whole time I had never stopped cramping. The day the bright red started again I had such bad cramping and back pain it was as bad as some contractions! Well I called the dr and we tried meds to stop the bleeding. I kept going back and forth on whether I should go to the hospital. Well the next day the bleeding was soooo heavy. Huge gushes coming out. I bled through two chux pads (kind they put on your hospital bed) in an hour. I had retained placenta that caused me to hemorrhage! I had surgery and went home fine. Stopped bleeding in less than a week.

At 6 weeks pp I started moderately heavy red bleeding again. This was my period! I bled for 6 or 7 days then have been spotting off and on for the past 4 weeks. I exclusively breastfeed but it is common for it to come back.

To me it sounds like a period. There is a HUGE difference between a hemorrhage and the heavy period I had. The hemorrhage was soooo bright...like a marker bleeding type of blood. It wasn't thick at all. Very runny like if you cut your finger. When it started getting bad it just didn't stop or slow. the period was bright but slightly darker and thicker.

I hope this helps! Give yourself a good few months for hormones to get sorted! Big hug to you hon!

 

[bakeranm99]

Thanks for sharing. I hope its just AF starting back up. I actually have had pretty severe hemorrhage after a miscarriage last year due to retained placenta that was attached to a blood vessel. The difference between my bleeding now and then is Im not passing large clots (I passed a seriously lemon sized one a week after the miscarriage) or having large gushes. I guess the continuous nature of the bleeding is what scares me. Last time it happened 8 weeks after the miscarriage and it never got infected or anything. Of course the doctors didn't warn me of this so I had no idea that a clot that size wasn't okay. I just don't want to let anything pass me and result in another emergency, especially since I have a baby that needs me now.

 

[Bonnie11]

4-6 weeks is 'average'. That doesnt mean that you will wont bleed ay less or more. I would say if your doc is happy with everything then I expect it will sort itself out. Like a pp said, excercise can cause it to start up again. It sounds like your period could have come back again possibly? If you are concerned then maybe keep a pad to show your health visitor or GP, its what I was advised to do, then they can put your mind at rest.

 

[patch2006uk]

Can you take a week out and just rest at home with baby? If you're overdoing it, then hopefully allowing your body a bit of extra time to sort itself out will help. And if it's still not settling, then keep pushing for people to take you seriously. They do tend to fob women off with 'it's normal'. Yes, most things are totally normal, but if it's worrying you for this long, then they should at least check you out. You could always book to see a nurse rather than a GP, and if that fails then maybe try triage.

Hope things settle down soon. The first couple of months PP are ick

 

[leoeps1982]

Had very similar experience. 1 month after c-section, everything was tapering off, then boom, red blood and some 1 inch clots. Tapered off in a few days, came back. At 6 week checkup, uterus was shrunk, doc pulled a clot out which was stuck there near my cervix. After that it tapered off coming to a complete stop at 8.5weeks. Doc did an hcg test, to confirm no pregnancy materials left over. I am also EBF, and doc said as long as I am, I can expect random spotting. I had a spot or two at 11weeks pp, but now at 3.5 months, and all clear.

 

[bakeranm99]

Well thought I would update. Turns out I was right to be concerned. My bleeding was getting a little heavier, but still moderate period amount. I called the office crying to see the doc. She called in ultrasound instead. Guess what? Retained Placenta! Despite having a C-section something managed to be in there still. Had a D&C with ultrasound guidance at 8 weeks PP. Now at 9 and a half weeks my bleeding is finally stopping (I hope fxed it doesn't start up again). It also seems my uterus is now tipped, which explains why my bleeding has been so odd and different to me. I had retained placenta and secondary PPH after a miscarriage in 2012, so doctor is thinking I might have placental accreta, where my placenta attaches firmly in my lining. Hopefully its over now. Glad I pushed my doctor for testing! We know our bodies best.

 

[patch2006uk]

Glad you didn't let them fob you off. It's so frustrating to feel that things aren't right and not be taken seriously. Hope you're feeling better now the bleeding is finally stopping