PPH and retained placenta (slightly TMI)

I hope this is the right section for this??

I have two little girls and each time during labour I ended up with a post partum haemorage (sp?) and retained placenta.

With Olivia they couldn't get any placenta out at all and I lost 1 litre and a half of blood, ended up in surgery for the removal, with a spinal block (they said it was mangled by the time it cam out so stuck in there good!) then I ended up with 4 units of blood via blood transfusion. It really knocked it out of me!

With Alana same thing happened except i delivered (most of)the placenta and they thought they'd stopped my bleeding (which they measured to be around 1litre) but when I got up afterwards for a shower I felt a gush and lost more blood so off to theatre I went again - this time under a GA because I'd had an epi during labour but it had been disconnected. They got out the placenta - not muchleft. Luckily I didn't need any transfusions and recovery was better.

My question is - obviously I am prone to this and if/when I have a third child I highly anticipate it all happening again and am wondering if it'd be grounds for requesting a c-sec (public patient) Its really off putting knowing that after the birth of my babies I will have this horror happen to me so that I am completely, physically drained by it. I know a c-sec is surgery and recovery a lot longer but... oh, I don't know! Also, if we were to have a third child that would be IT for us, I'm also thinking of tubal ligation (only if I had a c-sec)


Anyone out there had the same experience?

My mum had a history of retained placenta and I asked my OB whether I would have it too. He said it is not heriditary. I had it with DD#1 and luckily I had an epidural as he was pushing and pulling pretty hard to get out what he could, luckily after a while, they managed to get it out but bleeding was very heavy for a few days. With DD#2, placenta came out beautifully and no problems whatsoever! Bleeding was also much, much less.

I hope everything goes well for you with #3.

Thanks! I was also wondering, Iwas induced both times, first because of PE and secondly because Alana had medical conditions so I chose to be induced as I couldnt' birth in geelong and didn't want to go into labour and then drive over an hour to the hospital. Am wondering if it could have anything to do with it?

Hi Larissa :D

I had a retained placenta after the birth of my second son. I haemmoraged but not enough to need a blood transfusion.
I was terrified of going through the whole manual removal thing and discussed the possibility of a c/sect with my OB. He said that even though I did have a higher risk of having another retained placenta he didn't think a c/sect was needed because it might not happen again.
After Caleb was born, I was given the injection and out popped the placenta intact. The OB was prepared to take me straight to theatre and was pleased he got to go home before midnight (he is a bit of a joker ;) )

I went through a bit of a panic close to Calebs due date and posted a debrief HERE if you're interested.

thanks for that Sammy, sounds just like me! lol! the pain i remember too well with olivia (still!) lucky with alana i was still under an epi when they thought theyd gotten it all out. Definitely not something I want to do again but being public patient I probably won't have much of a choice