What to Watch for
It is important to call your doctor immediately if you experience any of these conditions after you go home from the hospital:
- A fever over 101° (temperature taken orally)
- Excessive vaginal bleeding (soaking one or more maxi-pads in 1 hour)
- Passing a blood clot larger than a lemon, followed by heavy bleeding
- Foul-smelling vaginal flow (normal flow has the odor of menstrual fluid)
- Sudden onset of abdominal, incision, or perineal pain
- Inability to urinate; pain, burning, or urgency of urination
- Opening of an abdominal or perineal incision, foul-smelling or bloody discharge from an incision, or increased swelling of an incision
- Tenderness with a red, warm, or swollen area on a breast, especially with fever or flu-like symptoms
- Swollen, red, painful, and warm-to-touch area on your leg, especially the calf
- Shooting pain down the back of your legs or difficulty walking
- Severe headache, especially when sitting or standing, that gets better when lying down
- Persistent depression or sadness that affects your ability to care for yourself or your baby