July 2015 Moms
ABubba
member
Options
Retained placenta and a D&C - 10 weeks postpartum
ABubba
member
LONG!
I just wanted to share what I've been going through in case it may help someone out there.
I had a relatively easy labor, total of technically 13 hours but only 6 hours of stronger contractions and 30/45 minutes of pushing. My midwife said she was able to get the placenta out whole and I had 12 stitches from a second degree tear. I thought I was healing really quickly and by 2 weeks was only using panty liners though it was always pink-ish discharge never went past that. I exclusively breastfeed AND pump around the clock every 1-2 hours except at night.
In week 4 DH and I went to the fair for a few hours and that night I began having heavy bleeding again and cramps. I was told I either did too much or that it was my period (total BS) and to take it easy, not even use our stairs in our split level house except to go to bed. I did what I was told but the bleeding continued, twice a day for about 3 hours at a time I would have severe cramps that wouldn't go away with Advil or even norco and a heating pad, and only during that time would I bleed and pass small clots, but I was told it was "not enough bleeding to be concerning".
At my 6 week check up this was still going on (my Dr. said by 6 weeks it could not be "due to doing too much" when all I did was lay around the house and hang out with my baby and Dr. said extremely unlikely to be period because of my extreme breastfeeding and pumping situation) so my Dr gave me a vaginal ultrasound but was not able to 100% say if the spot she was seeing was retained placenta, tissue, or just blood. She order an HCG test to give her a better idea, it came back a tiny bit elevated, the cramping had stopped but still light bleeding, so she told me to test again in a week. Those results came back negative at 8 weeks. I spoke with her nurse about my continued bleeding and now I was having dull consistent cramping but I felt brushed off and she condescendingly told me it was probably my period and she said she would let my Dr. know. My Dr. called me at week 9 to see how I was doing and I told her the update, she was immediately concerned and asked that I go in for a full ultrasound. The ultrasound finally came back more clear that I have something like retained placenta still at the top of my Uterus. We were able to schedule a D&C next Thursday so I can get it taken care of finally/hopefully.
I am opting to have an in office D&C where I am given Ativan and 3 local anesthetic in to my cervix, yikes! I'm very nervous but also relieved to finally have some answers!
If anyone would like me to post the different options I was offered or give an update after my procedure let me know.
Also, if you know something is off, go with your gut and push for answers. I knew this couldn't be a 4 week long period and I knew I wasn't doing too much, I should have pushed for more answers and saw my Dr. sooner than my 6 week check up, but hey, everything happens for a reason.
I just wanted to share what I've been going through in case it may help someone out there.
I had a relatively easy labor, total of technically 13 hours but only 6 hours of stronger contractions and 30/45 minutes of pushing. My midwife said she was able to get the placenta out whole and I had 12 stitches from a second degree tear. I thought I was healing really quickly and by 2 weeks was only using panty liners though it was always pink-ish discharge never went past that. I exclusively breastfeed AND pump around the clock every 1-2 hours except at night.
In week 4 DH and I went to the fair for a few hours and that night I began having heavy bleeding again and cramps. I was told I either did too much or that it was my period (total BS) and to take it easy, not even use our stairs in our split level house except to go to bed. I did what I was told but the bleeding continued, twice a day for about 3 hours at a time I would have severe cramps that wouldn't go away with Advil or even norco and a heating pad, and only during that time would I bleed and pass small clots, but I was told it was "not enough bleeding to be concerning".
At my 6 week check up this was still going on (my Dr. said by 6 weeks it could not be "due to doing too much" when all I did was lay around the house and hang out with my baby and Dr. said extremely unlikely to be period because of my extreme breastfeeding and pumping situation) so my Dr gave me a vaginal ultrasound but was not able to 100% say if the spot she was seeing was retained placenta, tissue, or just blood. She order an HCG test to give her a better idea, it came back a tiny bit elevated, the cramping had stopped but still light bleeding, so she told me to test again in a week. Those results came back negative at 8 weeks. I spoke with her nurse about my continued bleeding and now I was having dull consistent cramping but I felt brushed off and she condescendingly told me it was probably my period and she said she would let my Dr. know. My Dr. called me at week 9 to see how I was doing and I told her the update, she was immediately concerned and asked that I go in for a full ultrasound. The ultrasound finally came back more clear that I have something like retained placenta still at the top of my Uterus. We were able to schedule a D&C next Thursday so I can get it taken care of finally/hopefully.
I am opting to have an in office D&C where I am given Ativan and 3 local anesthetic in to my cervix, yikes! I'm very nervous but also relieved to finally have some answers!
If anyone would like me to post the different options I was offered or give an update after my procedure let me know.
Also, if you know something is off, go with your gut and push for answers. I knew this couldn't be a 4 week long period and I knew I wasn't doing too much, I should have pushed for more answers and saw my Dr. sooner than my 6 week check up, but hey, everything happens for a reason.
Re: Retained placenta and a D&C - 10 weeks postpartum
Glad you advocated for yourself and finally got some answers. Good for you momma.
I'm still breastfeeding but I have to do a lot to keep my milk supply up and it turns out that is one of the symptoms! (we thought it was because of my DD this whole time because we just found out she had a tongue tie and took care of it, turns out both played a factor). Not sure if you had to stop breastfeeding due to supply so I wanted to throw that out there!
Too bad you can't get in sooner, I hate that waiting it out period! But pay attention to your body, if it's telling you to go in sooner, push for it. It also helps to write down all the symptoms you have been experiencing So they can see the whole picture! Good luck, I pray it goes well and you feel better soon!