Can that much blood really be a 'just a show'??

Hi all,

I think this is the last unanswered question I have about ds's birth.

Four days before ds was due, dh and I DTD (sorry if that's TMI but probably relevant). When it was done, we turned on the lights and both dh and I were covered in blood- literally from knees to bellybutton, and it was bright red.

So off we rushed to the hospital. I was still bleeding for another hour or so. They kept me for 12 hours. At 6pm the following night I was sent home. Then I started bleeding again. Heavy enough to soak through a pad, underwear and through a pair of (maternity) jeans.

I went into labour- with proper contractions, regular and strong, at about 10:30pm, and bubs was born 5 hours later.

The ob who exmained me the first night gave me no explanation for what happened. The ob who examined me the second night (I remember this so clearly), did a VE then turned to the MW and said 'I think this is just show', but she obviously wasn't very sure about it.

I had a monitor on throughout the labour. Right at the end, ds's heart rate dropped to 40 bpm and I was told I had two pushes to get him out or we were going in for a c-sect (not just a threat either, the ob was on the phone alerting the theatre while he said this). I got him out in three pushes (phew!) But he was very blue.

So.... any insight here much appreciated. Can that much blood really be just show? I know that blood looks like more than it is sometimes, but they were asking me my blood group in case I needed a transfusion, so it really was a lot.

If it wasn't show, what could it have been?

Oh honey

If it happened to me first time I would have wondered too, as I didnt know what a show was - but I did have a show and a bit of bleeding, enough for a pad, but not enough to soak etc.

Sounds like more than a show to me, and I dont have any idea what it could have been - broken blood vessels perhaps cos you were so far along???

Hope fully someone can share some more relevant experiences.

It does not sound like a show to me. The first thing that comes to mind is that your placenta has partially separated from your uterus. This would explain the amount of bleeding that you describe. This would also explain your baby’s very low heart rate. (Although there could be a number of other reasons for this).

Thanks Sami and Alan. So maybe, as I suspected, not just a show... but probably something I will never get an answer for :(

I'm taking something from that experience and it is, next time, to ask questions, to find out what is going on as it's happening.

Thanks again.

doesnt sound like a show to me either, as alan said maybe a partial placenta abruption.

Just a quick question feeb or alan- if it was a placenta abruption thingy, would they have been able to see evidence of that on the placenta after birth?

Hi LoriRae
Not always. But sometimes there is evidence of it. For example, there may be a blood clot clinging to the placenta, another possibility is that there is some damage to the placenta, or even a small piece of the placenta missing.

sometimes yes sometimes know.

May be a piece missing from placenta or a "raw" looking area on placenta.

(just realised alan has just answered you also)

Hmm thankyou again Alan. I may have to consult with dh on that one when he gets home, he remembers more about it than I do...

ETA- lol *snap* feeb. Thankyou again too :D