O87: Venous complications and haemorrhoids in the puerperium

O87.8: Other venous complications in the puerperium

The changes to your veins occurred during your puerperium. The puerperium is the first 6 to 8 weeks after childbirth. During this period the changes that occurred during pregnancy, for example in the womb and the female genital organs, recede.

Veins are blood vessels that transport the blood back to the heart. A distinction is drawn between surface veins beneath the skin and deeper-lying veins in the body’s tissue.

After the birth of a child, veins can become inflamed or blocked. The blood may also back up in the veins.

When veins get inflamed the skin above the affected vein can turn red or swell up. When veins get blocked the blood is no longer able to flow out of the affected area as well. The affected area can swell up as a result. If the blood backs up in the veins, it can be seen from the outside as varicose veins. Varicose veins can occur in different parts of the body, such as the legs or the vaginal lips.