Someone posted (snugbug?) about bleeding at 3 weeks and I said that if she was less active it might go away. That was poor advice as I have recently discovered. I stopped bleeding at 3 days to start again at 6. It was light spotting, nothing to be concerned about. On Mother's Day, 8 days PP I started soaking a pad every 2 hours. I did nothing strenuous, I read all day and snuggled with Hannah. The bleeding picked up by the evening and I was soaking a pad every hour and a half. Monday morning I shifted my position in the rocking chair and felt a large gush of blood. As I stood up to check on how much it was I gushed more and then all the way to the bathroom. When I showed DH he said it wasn't a big deal and I should take it easy (which I had been for the whole day before). When I continued to bleed and soak 2 pads in an hour I called the midwife who had me go in to the hospital where they did an ultrasound. The ultrasound showed "Retained Products In Uterus" and they scheduled me for a D and C in the surgical department. When I started to get scared (I was alone with Hannah, DH had to go home to be with the kids after a few hours) the OB on staff said she'd take a look and see if anything was visible. She ended up dilating my cervix with some metal device and pulling out a piece of amniotic sac that filled a urine specimen jar. :drop: The flow of blood that followed it was bad enough that she told me i had made it just in time and I would have hemorrhaged much worse by that night and would have ended up in the ER.

This is not meant to scare anyone, I honestly thought that the bleeding was normal because no one else seemed concerned. If you are bleeding very heavily several days after birth, have a fever, headache, feel fluish, you have every right to call your HCP!!! I felt like I was being a bother and I could have made a terrible mistake by not calling!

Also, Regardless of how much you think you're not going to need expressed breastmilk, try to pump some as soon as you are able. I was in a panic thinking DH would have no way to feed her if I was admitted. I have started pumping just in case!

Ok, back to your regularly scheduled baby snuggling! Sorry to be so dramatic, but if it saves one mama from suffering needlessly then it's worth it.

Jessica

thanks for the advice jessica. i'm glad you are ok and it wasn't more serious than it was. (albeit serious)

Jessica,

I am sorry that you had to go through such an ordeal. This is why moms are told to stay in bed and to not be up and doing as you were at only 4 or 5 days pp. I can appreciate your concern that others be careful and watch for bleeding at about 3 weeks, but it is even more important to heed the advice to not cause the bleed in the first place.

Susannah,
Just to clarify, the bleed was caused by the piece of placenta/sac left behind, not activity. I have been in bed with the baby as much as possible and sitting on the couch with the boys the rest of the time. I had one busy day, but have been at rest for the most part, and the bleeding was 6 days after that.

Jessica

I understand what you are saying. I have had "trailing membranes" as well that didn't evacuate for over a week after birth. However, if your body's energy is being spent on other things besides healing, your uterus will not be able to contract effectively to squeeze those membranes out.

wow, Jess..I'm glad you called when you did...how scary! Feel better :hug:

Hi Jessica!

I am so sorry that you had this happen despite doing everything right!!! I am so, so glad you went in! Isn't it funny, I never hesitate to take my daughter in or to call the nurse for her, but when it comes to me, I always think I must be overreacting. Thanks for the wonderful reminder to take care of ourselves when we are having problems!!!

Emily

Ahhh... I see what you're saying now. *smacking forehead* :)

Jessica

WHOA!!! Not good! Glad you went in!!!
It was me that was gushing like crazy... my dr examined a fist sized clot and found membrane in it....and there ain't NO way I could've stayed in bed for even a week pp. In my dreams maybe...LOL.
How are you feeling now?? I was having localized pain when I nursed, afterpains lasted way too long...you experience this too??? ALso, did your milk start to let down much more forcefully after the membrane came out? Mine did, the LC said that when you have some retained products of conception, the milk can't come in fully as the body thinks it's still pregnant. Although....I definately had plenty of milk to begin with...it just doubled i think. I'm a fricken' milk truck.
Glad you got this taken care of....and do rest when you can!

My milk came in without a problem, and I can't say I've noticed more since then, but the rest of the placenta didn't come out until Thursday night while I was on Methergine which cn affect milk supply, so it's possible that it counteracted the effects.

I do know that Miss Piggy is gaining weight quite well, so I can't imagine if I'd had MORE milk. EEGADS!

Did your bleeding stop after that?

Jessica

no...it stopped for one day right at 4 weeks (i think- the day i posted), came back very heavy after another big clot, slowed by morning...now this week is VERY scant. only when I wipe. (sorry TMI) sometimes i still get pains in that spot...I think my 6week pp check is next week. not too worried anymore though...too much on my plate to worry about bleeding now LOL
this was the longest i bled though. it's weird that we both had this...wondering if it may have anything to do with the prenatal bleeding we both had, that's curious isn't it? :confused:
sounds like the methergine is definately working for you! Hope you get to feeling wonderful! :)

That IS weird! I hadn't considered that... like our uteruses (uterei? :p) are overly sensitive now?

Hmmm...

Give Faith a snuggle for me! :heart:

Jess