Just ten days after welcoming my daughter into the world, I faced a secondary postpartum hemorrhage. Between my emergency C-section and that hemorrhage, I lost nearly half of my blood volume. It took six weeks for the bleeding to stop, three months to overcome my fear of blood, and a full eight months before I felt like I was truly back to normal. Fourteen months later, I still bear a mark on my back from the epidural I had for two days. Here’s the story of my seemingly smooth C-section that spiraled into a terrifying ordeal.
The Beginning of My Journey
It was two days before my due date when my water broke while I was relaxing at home. I had been unsure if I was experiencing contractions. Upon arriving at the hospital, the nurses were prepared to send me home, as I didn’t appear to be in active labor. However, I was already four centimeters dilated and eager for an epidural. After several hours in the labor room, they tried various positions to help my baby descend, but the heartbeat began to fluctuate. This prompted a rush to the operating room for an emergency C-section.
By the time we reached the OR, the heartbeat stabilized, and I was brought back to the labor room. My doctor expressed concern that my baby’s head was still positioned too high. When the heartbeat dipped again, she quietly informed me, “We need to deliver the baby another way.” I simply nodded in agreement.
The staff took their time preparing the OR, and I felt a sense of loneliness, wishing someone would engage me in conversation. My husband joined me at my side, while the anesthesiologist positioned himself behind me. I inquired about feeling any pain, and he assured me I wouldn’t. He mentioned that I would be on the epidural for two days. As the doctors discussed the meaning of the name we chose for our daughter, Juniper, they exclaimed, “Look at that red hair!” I was filled with disbelief and anticipation as they placed her gently on my shoulder, tears streaming down my face.
The Aftermath
However, as I stood to move, an overwhelming rush of blood poured out of me.
While the nurses tended to Juniper, I was being stitched up. At one point, my doctor leaned over the drape separating us and asked, “Had you been trying to conceive for a while? You’re covered in endometriosis. It’s amazing you got pregnant.” I replied, “Not really, we tried once.”
The stitching felt endless. When we were finally wheeled out, my doctor referred to the IV lines as “spaghetti.” I quipped about wanting some spaghetti, and she laughed, explaining I would start on a liquid diet. I had no idea what my recovery would entail.
Initially, my recovery from the C-section was quite manageable. I felt no pain, thanks to the epidural and additional medication. I was able to walk around the hospital and manage bathroom trips without difficulty. I was sent home with a prescription for Children’s Motrin, which I had to take in a shot glass due to my inability to swallow pills. I was careful to follow the nurses’ advice to take it easy.
The Hemorrhage
However, ten days later, I noticed my bleeding was becoming alarming. When I called the hospital, they reassured me that a hemorrhage following a C-section was quite rare. Still, I felt I needed to be examined. As I stepped out of the car, it felt as though a gallon of blood had suddenly poured out of me—down my legs, onto the ground, everywhere. I walked into the hospital with blood streaming down my legs, and the receptionist looked visibly alarmed. They provided me with a wheelchair lined with pads to catch the blood. As I was wheeled to the elevator, I kept asking what was happening, but all the staff could say was, “You’re in the right place now. You did the right thing.”
Once in the triage room, a nurse attempted to clean me up and assess the blood loss. It was everywhere. A doctor examined me and determined that we needed to get my uterus to contract again, which meant a cold IV of pitocin and some medication administered rectally for quicker absorption. The good news was that the treatments worked to slow the bleeding; the bad news was that I experienced uncontrollable shaking for nearly two hours afterward. They covered me in warm blankets, suspecting I had developed a fever.
After the shaking subsided, I underwent an ultrasound to confirm that everything had been removed from my uterus. The results were clear, but I needed a blood transfusion due to the significant loss. They also performed an EKG because of my elevated heart rate and monitored my blood pressure, in addition to administering antibiotics as a precaution against infection.
I was discharged from the hospital two days later, just before my birthday. During my follow-up appointment, my doctor outlined the situation:
- We don’t know why this happened.
- Your uterus was scraped clean during the C-section.
- You will have clots; this is normal.
- Your uterus is simply not cooperating and has stopped contracting.
- MAYBE breastfeeding would have helped with contractions, but we can’t be certain.
- We can’t confirm an infection; the antibiotics are just a precaution.
You did not cause this. You’re not on bed rest. You should be moving around, but don’t overdo it. You are more than two weeks into your recovery, and there’s no reason to believe this will happen again.
Moving Forward
Though I was reassured, my anxiety about blood persisted. I panicked at the sight of any blood and feared a repeat of the incident.
A friend of mine, a labor and delivery nurse, explained the workings of the uterus and recovery process in detail—something no doctor had addressed during this ordeal. Understanding the science behind it all was crucial for my peace of mind. I was never diagnosed with postpartum depression or anxiety; my concern centered solely on my physical health. I wanted to care for my baby—clean the house, socialize, shop, and even exercise. I longed for normalcy, yet felt trapped.
Recovery after childbirth, especially with excessive blood loss, can be prolonged. Now, a year later, I’m back to doing yoga, climbing mountains, and running without needing naps or iron supplements. My daughter is thriving, a beautiful and wonderful sleeper, while my husband remains loving and supportive.
I wouldn’t change a single aspect of my birth story. Every part is integral to who I am today and is part of my daughter’s narrative as well—her entry into this world. The physical marks on my body remind me of my journey, but the emotional imprint will remain with me forever.
Further Reading
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Summary
This article shares the deeply personal experience of a woman’s struggle with a secondary postpartum hemorrhage following an emergency C-section. Detailing both the initial joy of childbirth and the subsequent health scare, the author reflects on the emotional challenges faced during recovery and the quest for normalcy while navigating maternal health concerns.