Postpartum bleeding

kat81_v3 · May 2017

Does anyone have experience with bleeding postpartum, more than the usual amount?

I gave birth 11 days ago. My bleeding was normal and became less and less as the days went by, also changing to a lighter and brown color. Yesterday I had bright red blood again but not that much. Today I had two bouts of big gushes of blood, passing clots. But not unstopping or anything; there was no more than a few drips most of the rest of the day.

Yes I did call my midwife and they may want to see me tomorrow if I have another gush or anything worse. Just curious if anyone else has experienced this with this pregnancy or a previous one. Another strange thing is that my placenta was very hard to deliver, but apparently there are other indications that I probably delivered the whole thing such as my milk coming in quickly and strongly.

MollyandD · May 2017

My bleeding lightened after my c-section, then I started my birth control pills, and it got heavier. It lightened again, and then I thought I was safe to vacuum my living room. I started bleeding bright red for a day and cramping. It's stopped since then, and I won't be don't any heavy cleaning for the next three weeks.

MollyandD · May 2017

I just want to add a wish for good luck. I know how scary things can be when your body does things you don't understand. I hope you get answers soon and that you find peace while you wait on your answers.

mamatowildones · May 2017

Are the clots larger than a golf ball? I remember that being a cause for concern. I bled a lot more this time after delivery. Ds is 4 weeks and I'm just now getting clear discharge. It did taper off and then was red again but no clots. Can't hurt to go in if they find it necessary. I'm sure it's normal but glad you called.

redheeler · May 2017

I remember with DS1 the bleeding easing off after a week then getting worse again with clots around the 2 week mark before easing off again to spotting for the following 3ish weeks, from what I know it's pretty normal, but definitely call your midwife again if you have another large gush

kns1988 · May 2017

I don't have experience with bleeding getting worse, but were you especially active? The doctor had warned us that being too active could cause a resurgence in bleeding.

lnds32 · May 2017

Yea I agree with pp about that sounding normal. I had bleeding that was tapering off around 2 week mark. I went on a long walk and when I got home there was some more bright red bleeding. It's since tapered again but I assume it was the activity that caused it to start again. Were you more active beforehand? Do you have any lower abdominal pain? If there is tapering of bleeding now and no pain I would not be worried. It's never a bad idea to call your midwife though!

slowmo · May 2017

Hope you get some answers! For me, the bleeding has been lingering on and off longer than I remember last time. I'm almost 3 weeks post c/s. Every time I think it's almost over, there it is again. Really annoying.

mcvgal · May 2017

My pp bleeding didn't clear up completely until 5 weeks pp. I thought it had stopped around 2 weeks. However, I had a gush 2 days later and then it tapered off, all completely normal.

redheeler · May 2017

11 days today, almost as if it were summoned from this thread, had a huge gush last night, soaked 2 pads, and this morning it's back to a bit heavier than spotting.

kat81 · May 2017

I'm just now checking in on these responses. Update is that they prescribed me with a uterus-contracting drug that increased the bleeding but with the hope I'd pass remaining placenta, etc if there is any. I didn't pass anything other than more blood and clots, probably; at one point I did pass something into the toilet but it disappeared before I had the chance to get a look at it. Anyhow, the next course of action is to get an ultrasound tomorrow to see what's in there still. The hope is that nothing notable is going on and no intervention is needed. A less good scenario is that I need basically a D&C to clean things out. Apparently the most severe intervention is a hysterectomy (highly unlikely -- I haven't truly "hemorrhaged") but even that doesn't sound horrible to me other than it being major surgery, of course (ok it does sound terrible to me in that sense!) But I'm 100% sure this was my last baby so I really wouldn't mind saying goodbye to my uterus forever, if there was an easy way to do that.

redheeler · May 2017

@kat81 FWIW hysterectomy's are a keyhole surgery these days anyway

kat81 · May 2017

PartiallyDomesticated said:

@kat81 FWIW hysterectomy's are a keyhole surgery these days anyway

Fascinating. Well I still hope this whole situation resolves itself without any further intervention needed. Ultrasound is tomorrow.

RedInLove · May 2017

PartiallyDomesticated said:

@kat81 FWIW hysterectomy's are a keyhole surgery these days anyway

My mother had a hysterectomy 4 years ago for early endometrial cancer, and they removed it via her vagina. She had one or two very small incisions elsewhere, and spent just one night in the hospital.

mrsrep123 · May 2017

@kat81 FX nothing is left and no further intervention Is necessary.

ShadeofGreen816 · May 2017

@kat81 will be keeping my fingers crossed for you tomorrow!!

kat81 · May 2017

Ultrasound was inconclusive, but that was actually ok. I'm just supposed to monitor things to see if the bleeding picks up again. It's not much now, as expected after taking that drug that contracts the uterus.

rkstro2 · June 2017

Keep us posted @kat81. Good news that there is nothing to do as of now.

kat81 · June 2017

An update -- since the ultrasound and whatnot, I have had way less bleeding, as expected from taking that drug. I'm hoping/assuming this means everything is going to be totally fine and no further action is needed.

kat81 · June 2017

Another update -- I passed something that wasn't like the blood clots I passed before; perhaps a piece of placenta? The last piece? After that, I have had zero bleeding. fx that was it and I'll be putting this past me.

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Postpartum bleeding

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