I am pregnant with my 3rd bub and due early October...I just wanted to ask if anyone has had issues with postpartum haemorrhaging, particularly with it recurring in subsequent labours?
Firstly - for background info - with both of my kids so far I have had to be induced, at 41+ weeks, had no pain relief with either, birthed on my back both times (due to being hooked up to IV's and monitors). Just in case these may have been factors.
With #1, I lost about 400mL of blood after having a 7lb 11oz bub, but was generally ok - I didn't suffer ill-effects from the blood loss, just from my care at the hospital afterwards But I was told that every pregnancy and labour is unique and thus I probably wouldn't experience anything like that again (blood loss-wise)
With #2, he was 9lbs 5oz and after he came out, my placenta refused to budge. The midwife gently tugged it, can't remember if she massaged my stomach, but I don't think so, and then after some more tugging it came away. However, I then lost a little over a litre of blood in about 20 seconds flat...suddenly the room was filled with nurses and midwives and machines and an OB and lots of noise and jabs and someone diving on my stomach and talks of losing me and helicopters and surgery....then they managed to get the bleeding stopped, thank God, and eventually things settled down. Apparently because I had had an extra IV put in towards the end of the labour with more fluid (I think I had 6 or 7 litres?) it stopped my blood pressure from dropping too low and helped to stabalise me.
So my question...now that I have had a long-winded explanation....is is this likely, from your experiences, to happen again this time around? I am being seen as a high-risk patient this time and am far more informed and headstrong about how I want things done and apparently on the outside I seem confident about the whole thing....but I am still absolutely terrified on the inside. I want a vb, although my GP seems to think I should have a C-section to be safe...which I am desperate to avoid. This is in part because from my last scan, it looked like bub might be over the 8lb mark again and he thinks that the size of the bub is going to cause problems. Everything's going to be re-assessed again at my 36 week scan when they see how he is, how he's lying, how big he is etc. I desperately don't want to be induced again either, but have come to accept that that may be unavoidable, tho I still live in hope
Scary stuff - I was induced with DD1 (sounds similiar to your #2) and it took me ages to recover BUT delivery with DD2 was amazing - complete opposite infact, I went into labour spontaneously, was gently active through most of my labour and arrived at the hospital at 10cm dilated. I had her 40 mins later (she was posterior too). No PPH and easy recovery. To be honest I was petrified of giving birth after DD1 (not sure how I only realised that at 30 weeks pg ). I spent considerable time physically active, so walked (perhaps waddled was a better description) for at least an hour every day and really worked on my own belief in my bodies ability to deliver as I really believe my brain stopped everything last time. Obviously every birth/person is different but believe in yourself and your body. Perhaps it is worth talking to a counseller about your concerns too. I was lucky enough to have an AMAZING midwife who really listened to me and made things feel so much less frightening. Start telling yourself you can do it! Good luck!
I haven't been induced, but I had a bleed after DD2.
It was only a 'small' bleed (I didn't think it was so small!). But I had nothing after DS. They did watch me closer, but all was fine.
Did they give you the injection to help the placenta come away? I had that the first 2 times. Didn't the 3rd.
I guess you might loose blood again, but there's every chance you wont. As Mak said, all labours are different.
I had a retained placenta and PPH with birth 2, birth 3 had no issues whatsoever but birth 4 I had a secondary PPH 2 hours later and lost 1.5lt. The cause of that was due to the uterus relaxing for some unknown reason.
The two events are unrelated so my OB said but after having one PPH it does make you more likely to have another but it's not a given that it will happen.
I had one after my 3rd, but didn't with my 4th and my 4th baby was a lot bigger again. I don't think the size of the baby has anything to do it with - retained placenta and PPH is just one of those things that can happen for no reason and while your risk of having another one is slightly higher than if you hadn't had one at all, there is no reason at ALL to rush to have a c-section birth just to avoid it. I think I would be staying firm on not having one, because there is still a risk of PPH with a c-section as well.
My experiences sound a lot like Mak's. DD1 was induced and I lost 3.5L of blood in under 5 mins (yup, they were organising the chopper and telling DH there was a big chance I wouldn't make it), and the recovery process was long, slow and difficult.
DD2 I went into labour spontaneously 7 days past her due date, stayed at home until I was worried I was going to drop her on my lounge room floor and had ARM after being 10cm for over an hour. She was posterior, so it hurt like nothing else, but after she was delivered I lost hardly any blood, got up and had a shower straight away and went home that afternoon - all bleeding was over within a week and lochia stopped after 2 weeks. It was perfect.
I was worried about having a PPH second time around but now I'm sure it was because I was induced - so if you can avoid an induction you should be fine. If you can avoid an induction, they will still give you a canula and put you on fluids just in case, but that's okay, you just get to lay in bed for a few hours
HTH!
Postpartum Haemorrhaging.....
But I was told that every pregnancy and labour is unique and thus I probably wouldn't experience anything like that again (blood loss-wise)
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). I spent considerable time physically active, so walked (perhaps waddled was a better description) for at least an hour every day and really worked on my own belief in my bodies ability to deliver as I really believe my brain stopped everything last time. Obviously every birth/person is different but believe in yourself and your body. Perhaps it is worth talking to a counseller about your concerns too. I was lucky enough to have an AMAZING midwife who really listened to me and made things feel so much less frightening. Start telling yourself you can do it! Good luck!
It is very scary to go through isn't it.
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