Mom Gives Birth to Fourth Baby-Quickly Realizes Something Is Wrong

Life after giving birth rarely looks the same twice-but for many women, previous pregnancies can act as a guide for what recovery should feel like.

For one mom of four, that expectation quickly unravelled when her body didn't follow the pattern she thought she knew.

Sandina Jackson, 31, said her fourth postpartum experience felt noticeably different from her previous three-prompting her to seek medical advice and ultimately return to the ultrasound room six weeks after giving birth.

"Unlike my previous recoveries, I continued experiencing bleeding, passing clots, and having significant cramping several weeks postpartum," she told Newsweek. “I reached out to my doctor instead of assuming it was normal healing."

‘It Felt Different This Time'

The ultrasound showed “a thickened area in my uterus with blood flow," Jackson, from North Carolina, said. "At this point, my doctors aren't sure exactly what it is."

While a diagnosis has not yet been confirmed, doctors have outlined several possible explanations for the abnormal findings.

One possibility is retained pregnancy tissue, sometimes called retained products of conception. This happens when small pieces of placental or pregnancy tissue remain in the uterus after birth. According to Cleveland Clinic, it is more common after early pregnancy loss but can also occur after delivery, and may lead to ongoing bleeding, infection, and other complications. Treatment can include medication or a minor procedure to remove the tissue.

Another potential cause is uterine polyps-small growths that develop from the lining of the uterus. Mayo Clinic explains these growths, also known as endometrial polyps, form when cells in the uterine lining overgrow and can sometimes lead to irregular bleeding.

Doctors are also considering whether the symptoms could be linked to a fibroid, a non-cancerous growth in the uterus. Fibroids are common during pregnancy, but many shrink or even disappear during pregnancy or in the weeks after birth as the uterus returns to its usual size.

Research suggests that about one in three fibroids may go away naturally, likely due to physical changes in the uterus and shifts in hormone levels after childbirth. Women who have had more pregnancies are also thought to have a lower risk of fibroids overall.

Searching for Answers

Jackson is now preparing to undergo a hysteroscopy, a procedure that allows doctors to look inside the uterus more closely.

"The procedure will allow my doctor to look inside the uterus and determine what is causing the abnormal findings seen on the ultrasound," she said.

"Right now, we don't have a definitive diagnosis, but the goal is to identify and potentially treat whatever is causing the ongoing bleeding and cramping."

She described the unexpected complication as “overwhelming at times."

Just six weeks earlier, I was in an ultrasound room looking at him before he was born, and suddenly I was back there as a patient trying to figure out why my recovery wasn't going as expected."

Balancing Recovery With Motherhood

Despite her own health concerns, Jackson said the demands of raising four children have not slowed down.

"The kids still need meals, rides, cuddles and attention, even when you're worried about your own health," she said.

Now, she hopes that sharing her experience will encourage other mothers to listen to their bodies-no matter how many times they've given birth before.

Her message is simple: if something feels different, it's worth getting checked out.

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This story was originally published June 20, 2026 at 7:00 AM.