TMI - anyone else pass a suture vaginally after c-section?

[Preemienurse]

I'm pretty sure I was reading a post on this board a few weeks ago where someone passed a suture vaginally after having a c-section. Well, today that happened to me. It was like 3 or 4 inches long! I'm going to call my OB's office on Monday, but I'm very concerned and wanted to check with you guys. Please tell me whoever posted about this before is reading this!!!

I'm worried because I did have a uterine infection when in the hospital post-op (104 degree fever, chills, IV antibiotics) and then cellulitis in the tissue above my incision (the lovely hanging belly area) a week or two after delivery. Could there be things *inside* of me that shouldn't be there? Seriously, WHY would there be a 3-4 inch suture still in there, and WHY was it not the dissolving type? It was like thick thread, definitely a fabric suture. Did they just leave one in there??? What the heck?

I also have had bleeding the past week and wonder if it's related. It was 25 days post-delivery so I assumed it was my period returning. It does make sense that if something was still inside my uterus that it would pass during my period...

[Brooke1980]

I have no idea about this, but was wondering if you found anything out? It sounded really strange, thats for sure! Hope all is well!

[Leanna]

I was also wondering what the OB said. I've never heard of this... hope everything is ok!

[katiepcoo]

I passes suture 5 wks after my section but it was little pieces, not a long strand. OB saw it too and said it was fine. I wasn't having any bleeding though. Have you heard from the OB office yet?

[Preemienurse]

I passes suture 5 wks after my section but it was little pieces, not a long strand. OB saw it too and said it was fine. I wasn't having any bleeding though. Have you heard from the OB office yet?

So glad to know I'm not the only one! Whether it's small or long pieces, that doesn't matter so much to me. I've been told by surgeons that sometimes they cut the sutures after each individual stitch, and that other times they do more of a running stitch and don't cut until the end - depends on the doc and what exactly they're sewing up. I just wondered why it didn't dissolve in me - or maybe it wasn't supposed to? I think the bleeding is really my period - I've been breaking out a lot over the past week, having mild cramps, and craving chocolate. I'm not breastfeeding so that's probably why I got it already...

I haven't had the chance to call the OB yet - my last two days were so busy. I've got a colicky baby here, and it sucks sometimes, but I'm still so in love with her!!! I'll let you all know what she says after I (hopefully) call her tomorrow.

[Preemienurse]

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...

I finally had time to call the OB's office today. I talked to a nurse who was kind of rude to me. She said I couldn't possibly have started my period after 3 weeks. Then she said the suture was from my episiotomy and not to worry about it. I said I was worried because I DIDN'T HAVE an episiotomy!!! I had a c/s! That shut her up, LOL!

Well, the docs must not have thought it was urgent because no one called me back like they were supposed to. If they haven't called by noon tomorrow (24 hours since my first call) I'll bother them again...

My mom's boss was a surgeon and he wasn't concerned. He doesn't know WHY I'm bleeding but said the suture was normal and probably just sloughed off with the inner lining of my uterus as I bled. He said it didn't dissolve yet because the sutures they use to sew up the uterus are VERY strong and take forever to dissolve so the uterus has plenty of time to heal. This makes sense to me.

[katiepcoo]

Yeah, I'm sure its fine.

[Preemienurse]

Finally talked to one of the OBs today. She was not at all shocked that I got my period at 25 days - she says some breastfeeding moms have been known to start at 1-2 months, so for a non-breastfeeder like me to start early was fine. She agreed that I should keep taking the birth control and said the reason I'm still having fresh blood is because of that - being post partum and starting birth control up again have really screwed with my hormones so I'm going to have breakthrough bleeding for the next month or two. It's not a lot of bleeding by any means, it's just that it's fresh that concerned me. She said it wasn't postpartum bleeding but all period and hormone related. Made me feel TONS better.

She said she's heard of women passing sutures before and said not to worry about it. I suppose that's an okay answer...

Of course, when she called the baby was in the middle of a colicky fit, so we were BOTH crying our eyes out. And FINALLY for the first time since delivery a health professional asked me about depression. I don't think I am - just have the "baby blues" because I'm trapped at home with a colicky baby who screams bloody murder in the car - but it was nice to be asked how I'm doing.