Hi ladies, I am five days postpartum. Had a beautiful baby boy naturally (no drugs). He was out in two pushes and i tore really bad. I tore with my first son, but healed quickly. This time is another story. I thought it was a muscular problem, but the bleeding has intensified and my husband (who is a nurse) is quite certain that there is a hematoma in the area of the stiches. I am planning to go to the doctor ASAP on Monday to have it checked, but I was just wondering if ANYONE else has had this problem. I am in a lot of pain...especially when I lay down in bed. Any and all support would be great because I cannot find much of anything online. Thanks
Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences...all were helpful. I called my doctor on Saturday night and she advised me to either go to the ER if I thought the bleeding was extensive enough, or to wait till Monday and see her first thing Monday morning. I was not concerned enough to go through all the tests that an ER would put me through (plus my family is without insurance right now...another long story). I took it easy all day Sunday and ended up passing a half-dollar sized clot. It was probably what we thought was the hematoma. Since passing the clot, I have had less bleeding. I went to the doc this morning and she gave me a clean bill of health. Still cannot lay down without a lot of pain, but it must be part of the healing process. That is where I'm at. Looking forward to being totally recovered!!
I would suggest you call the doctor right away although it is almost Monday now. I had a horrible time with my second child and it took almost two months of horrible pain to heal from her. Did the hospital give you a sitz bath? They realled helped me when there was little else I could do. Good luck and call your doctor right away!
First, congrats and welcome to mommy hood-again!! Second, I had a hematoma when I had my daughter seven months ago. (I'm not in the medical field, so pardon the laymen terms here.) A few minutes after the birth she was still "working" on me, so I bravely asked how bad it was. (I had the drugs and couldn't feel a thing.) The OB barely told me about it. She just looked at me and said, "You have a hematoma, but that doesn't matter, you're going to heal just fine" A.K.A "You don't want to know how bad it is sweetie." Ha-ha! Throughout the recovery, I'm not sure what was normal and what was from the hematoma. There were days I was very sore and took the Motron like candy, but in the end everything back to normal. Hopefully by now, you've see the doc, but I thought I'd share the recovery part. A little reassurance goes a long way in these first days. Enjoy!
Why wait? Call your OBGYN today. That is what they get paid for. He may recommend yougoto an ER.
I had one with my first birth - my son was born face up instead of face down (a posterior presentation) and it tore me hideously. The hematoma was in the absolute worst spot, toward the anus, and I could hardly sit for ages. I mostly kept a cold rag on it as much as I could and used Arnica gel (it's an herbal remedy I found at the Dollar General of all places). It didn't help with the pain, but there's a spray analgesic you could get from any pharmacy that might help a little (I guess it depends on if the hematoma is on the outside or inside - mine was just on the inside, but I could reach it to put the gel on it).
My experience didn't worry me - I didn't even think of it - when I got pregnant the second time, but I ended up having a weird complication that was caused (we're pretty sure) by that hematoma. In that same spot where the hematoma was I ended up having what the midwife was calling a varicose vein. I phrase it like that because it didn't FEEL like what I imagine a varicose vein would be, but anyway, that spot got enough pressure put on it by my huge belly that, esp. when I'd stand up, it would fill up with blood and protrude out, like a gigantic tick. Now THAT was uncomfortable! LOL I don't know, and the midwife (or the OB/GYN) didn't know whether that was caused directly by the earlier hematoma, but we do know it was already a weak spot for me. Plus I was pregnant with twins - TONS of extra weight pressing down! Anyway, good luck - I'm sorry you're in so much pain. They said it was okay for me to take ibuprofen, that it didn't cross the barrier into the breastmilk, and it helps take the swelling down as well as helps with the pain, so maybe try that (your husband might know about that too, being a nurse).
