Every time you have a cut or bruise, inside or outside of your body, your blood clots to help stop the bleeding. 

 

But sometimes, blood clots can harm you rather than help you. A blood clot can be dangerous if it floats away and gets stuck in blood vessels in your body. When a blood clot gets stuck in an artery or vein, it can block the flow of blood.

 

After a c-section, one place that clots can form is in the veins of the leg. This is called a deep venous thrombosis, and it can occur following many types of surgical procedures. These are more likely to occur in patients who are obese or who do not begin to move around soon after their surgery. It also occurs more frequently in patients who have had a previous blood clot in their legs, so you should let your surgeon know if you have ever had blood clots in your legs. You may be placed in thick stockings as a preventive measure. If you are at high risk for blood clots, you also may be given blood thinners prior to and after the cesarean section.

 

In rare cases, blood clots following a c-section can migrate from blood vessels to your lungs, where they may cause shortness of breath. This kind of clot is called a pulmonary embolus, and it is usually treated with blood-thinning medications. In rare cases, it may be fatal.