Mom shares gruesome photo of 20 hidden blood clots removed from her leg – caused by birth of her ‘whopping’ 9.5-pound baby

A 30-year-old mother has shared a horrifying image of 20 giant blood clots lurking in her leg – a horrific side effect of giving birth to a ‘whopping’ sized baby.

Starla Ellis, 30, of Dayton, Ohio, had recently given birth to a 9 lb 10.5 oz newborn baby, after a lengthy and painful labor, when she began to feel “excruciating” pain in her right leg.

Doctors at the hospital said the pain was the result of a blood clot likely caused by pressure on blood vessels in her lower body.

The doctors sent her home on blood thinners, but she returned a few days later after her leg became completely stiff.

Scans revealed that she did indeed have dozens of blood clots in her leg that would prove fatal if not removed immediately.

Ms Ellis said her third child Amaris, who eventually arrived in November via emergency caesarean section, became ‘stuck’ in her vaginal canal – leading to excessive pushing before doctors decided to take her to the OR.

After the birth, Mrs Ellis went home as planned, but the mum-of-three soon developed a ‘burning pain’ in her lower back, which then moved to her stomach and her right leg.

Mrs Ellis said she at first believed the pain was due to her body releasing pregnancy hormones and adjusting in the weeks after her son was born.

But when the pain became unbearable, she went to hospital, where she claims she was told she had one blood clot in the femoral artery in her right leg. She was given blood thinners and sent home.

Initially, Ms Ellis thought the drugs were working, but when her leg became stiff and she could no longer bend it, she went to another hospital two days later for a second opinion.

The customer service representative here claims that she had an ultrasound and was told that she actually had 20 lumps in her leg and that they needed to be surgically removed right away.

Disturbing photos show the bulging red clots on a piece of cloth after they were removed from her right leg.

Mrs Ellis claims she thought she was going to die and is now urging people to be persistent with their hospital referrals to ensure they get the care they need the first time.

Mrs Ellis said: ‘I collapsed when I saw how many blood clots there were in my leg because I didn’t realize it was that bad.

‘Seeing a picture of all the blood clots put it into perspective of how bad it was and how close I was to losing my life.

“The photo of the 20 blood clots not only shocked me, it also hurt my feelings that the previous doctor let me walk out of the hospital.”

According to the CDC, blood clots can be very serious and should be treated quickly. If not treated in time, they can lead to illness, disability and even death.

Although it remains unclear what caused the clots, Ms Ellis claims a doctor told her the blood clots could have been caused by possible complications from the caesarean section.

According to Medical News Today, there are two types of blood clots that women can experience after giving birth.

One of these is clots that are secreted from the vagina in the days after birth and are the result of the loosening of the uterine lining and the placenta.

The second is clots that occur in the body’s veins, which are uncommon but can be life-threatening.

This may be because pregnancy increases pressure in the veins in your legs and pelvis, making clots more likely.

Mrs Ellis also said Amaris was a very ‘big’ baby for her size. “I was told he was going to be a big baby and he was big for my body as I’m five feet tall and he weighed 8 pounds,” she said.

‘The pain (in my leg after the caesarean section) was quite persistent and getting worse and I went to A&E.

‘At that moment the pain was unbearable. I couldn’t move and almost had to crawl to the car to get to the hospital.’

Doctors performed some tests on her and discovered a blood clot in a major blood vessel in her leg. She was sent home on a blood thinner told her to contact her doctor within a week.

‘When they discharged me I was quite worried because I had a numb feeling in my leg, but I just ignored it because the hospital said it was okay to leave.

‘At first I thought the blood thinners were working. I tried to push through because the hospital had cleared me, but by that evening I was back on the floor.

‘My leg was completely stiff at that moment and I couldn’t bend it. There was complete fear going through my mind and I thought I was going to lose my leg,” she said.

She decided to go to another ER for a second opinion.

‘I had a fever at the time and was given pain medication, but it didn’t help at all because the pain was so bad.

‘I was then sent to the blood and vascular unit and they did some tests on me and did an ultrasound of my leg and they found that the clots were much worse.

‘I was terrified and didn’t think I would leave the hospital.’

After being shown a photo of the 20 clots removed from her leg, she said she “broke” when she saw them.

Ms Ellis said: ‘You need to be persistent with your healthcare provider and they don’t always seem to be as concerned as you are.

‘You know your body and if you feel like something is wrong, you should get it checked out.

‘Make sure you contact your doctor as blood clots can be fatal.’