Postpartum symptoms

[godzillla]

Hello
I’m currently 3 months postpartum and struggling and wondered if there’s anyone out there who feels the same or has gone through the same experiences.

I had quite a traumatic birth which I’m not sure I’m over or come to terms with. I had a ventouse delivery and an episiotomy and I also suffered with pre eclampsia.
I’ve had my first period last week since birth.
I just feel not like myself since having a baby. All I can describe it is I feel stretched and I feel I’m having more vaginal discharge than normal making it feel quite uncomfortable down below. And on occasion my scar has been feeling a little sore.

I’ve been doing my pelvic floor exercises but I must admit I’m not seeing or feeling a huge difference. I just want to feel more like me and for my body to go back to some sort of normal. Will this happen? Should I be feeling this way at 3 months? I don’t really want to go to the GP at the moment as I’d prefer to hear other peoples’ stories first as I don’t want to feel like I’m wasting their time if it’s something completely normal.

Any advice for a first time mum would be appreciated. Thank you, x

 

[thanhhang1990]

@godzillla It takes a really long time to feel like yourself again.. for both of my experiences it took around 18 months. I had a lot of issues down there with my second and it truly just took time for them to heal and go back to my new normal (mostly normal but still different than pre baby). Hang in there it’s a hard season!!

 

[godzillla]

@thanhhang1990 Thank you.
I know I didn’t know if things would go back exactly the same. I just sent to feel a bit more myself and get a bit of confidence.
I think time seems to be key here!

 

[mickeym]

@godzillla I highly recommend seeing a pelvic floor specialist. I dealt with groin pain for months that I thought would just go away. I was miserable. They helped give me pointed exercises to work my core. It made me feel validated and strong again.

 

[godzillla]

@mickeym This sounds like a good plan. I need some
Confidence back. Just hope i have a local one who can help x

 

[mickeym]

@godzillla I do too! Good luck

 

[dan222]

@godzillla I ended up having retained placenta that needed to be removed around 3 months postpartum. I felt unwell and continued to have discharge but kept telling myself I just needed to give myself more time to heal. I wish I would've gotten it checked sooner and not written it off. Don't feel like you're wasting their time, that's what they're there for!

 

[godzillla]

@dan222 How did you find out you had that? Gosh bless you.
I know I think because I’ve been dealing with high blood pressure since I haven’t wanted to keep going back with other things. I keep telling myself to give myself time. Especially when the doctors fobbed me off when I went with a problem before. Because I wasn’t wetting myself they didn’t want to know x

 

[dan222]

@godzillla This was after my second baby, and I just kept telling myself that I must be pushing myself too hard by trying to keep up with my toddler and newborn and that's why I still wasn't healing and feeling myself yet. I had 13 weeks of maternity leave, and finally at 11 weeks I decided to get it checked out just in case there was an issue, so I could have it taken care of while I was still on maternity leave. I had told my doctor at my 8 week checkup how I was feeling and she had suggested an ultrasound but I said I'd continue to wait it out. I should've just let them do the ultrasound then because I ended up having to have a D&C to have the retained placenta removed and then go on antibiotics because it had gotten infected. All that to say, don't feel silly or feel like you're wasting their time. It can take a while to feel like yourself again, but trust your gut too, it doesn't hurt to just make sure all is well. Best of luck!

 

[emmardm]

@godzillla It did take me more than three months to feel more normal, but if you are still uncomfortable and having abnormal discharge I do think it might be worth going to see your doctor, just to make sure.

 

[godzillla]

@emmardm I wouldn’t say it’s abnormal as such just that I’m still getting it which is making me feel a little uncomfortable.
May continue to monitor and see how it goes. Thank you