Postpartum Bleeding After C-Section: What to Expect & When to Worry

Question
I had twins as a surrogate mother on December 16th. This is my third c-section and the bleeding seems different this time. They were concerned over too much bleeding while I was in recovery just hours after the delivery, but it had subsided and there were no more concerns. I had a seroma after delivery (extra fluid behind the uterus) that caused an infection in the incision and had to be drained and packed. It was not a good recovery. My doctor seen me two and a half weeks post-partum and said that was good enough and she would see me at my annual in June, no six week post-partum check up. Well I am bleeding still, it slowed and was brown for awhile, then about two weeks ago, it began more heavily, which I thought was my period. Then it became light again as if it were still post-partum bleeding. It has continued and today I am six weeks post-partum and woke up with bright red bleeding again that seems to be a little heavier than it was again. Not sure if it is my period, as I thought it was about the forth week or if this is still post-partum bleeding and I never even had my period yet. Is there something I can ask the doctor for to stop the bleeding if it doesn't stop in the next week or so? I am about to take a vacation with my husband for our ten year anniversary in about five weeks and it will be a huge disappointment if I am STILL bleeding. Just want to get it under control, on a schedule and stopped real soon. Any advice?

Answer
You may want to check and see how responsive your bleeding is to your activity level.  If you rest for a day, staying mostly off your feet and inactive, does the bleeding decrease?  Does it increase on an active day, when you are out shopping or housecleaning or something like that?  If so, this could still be your regular postpartum bleeding.  You say you had some difficulty with bleeding during the surgery, plus problems with your incision healing, plus you delivered twins.  All of these can lead to a longer period of postpartum bleeding.  Normal postpartum bleeding can last up to 8 weeks, sometimes longer.  If you are still bleeding in a couple of weeks, and it is still very variable, you may want to go ahead and consult with your doctor to make sure there aren't any further underlying issues.