Checking blood loss & stomach post birth

[Yael]

Hi,

Not sure if this is the right place for this question.

I just wanted to see how often in general people had their blood loss checked and stomach palpated post birth whilst in hospital (i.e. every new nurse, once a day, once only that kind of thing).

I just wanted to see what else was normal to compare my midwifery care from DS.

Thanks.

[DoulaRelle]

Yael, I had mine checked a couple of times in the 24 hours post delivery and then once a day after that. The hospital had a checklist for every day post nataly and that was every morning after that.

Hope that helps!

[Tobily]

After my first birth which was a VB, I was checked a few times on the first day. I don't remember being checked again after that, my blood loss was pretty minimal so they had no reason to I guess.
After my second which was a c/s I was checked alot - by every new nurse for a few days.

[Snacks]

My tummy was checked at least once a day. My blood loss was only 'checked' visually once, though I was asked by every new nurse how it was going, whether there were any clots etc.

[Liz]

umm... I'm trying to remember! I think they felt my tummy at least once a day. I don't remember them checking the blood loss tho? But they gave me a big explanation on what to look for and what to do if the loss gets heavy or if I get clots. They checked my one little stitch every day too... (blerk.. the poor things looking down there when it's all messy and bloody!.. I always wished they'd do it after I had showered!)

[Yael]

Hey guys,

thanks for your responses. I just felt (for many reasons) my post natal care was rather inadequate, and this kind of confirms it.

Nobody checked (or asked me) anything until 3 days post birth. On day 3 i had blood clots around 7 cm long (and very very thick, they looked like a snake, sorry for TMI). That was when i asked my obs if that was normal. He asked me, "well, don't the nurses check?", i said they never had - he seemed very suprised by this.

Next time a nurse came in that day they checked (can't remember if i intiated it, or if my dr had told them off), said she thought it was normal because i had been sitting down a lot, but i had quite a lot of blood loss (how was i supposed to know it was more than normal??), and to keep an eye on it. She checked my stomach then.

Only other time my stomach was checked was on the morning they discharged me. My mum is a midwife, and thought it was very very slack nursing care.. I don't think my obs was impressed either!

It was funny, they one hospital i didn't want to go to (lower grade of emergancy care), my friend had her blood loss asked about and stomach chekced every day... Perhaps i would have been better off there??

I just have issues about going back to the same hospital, but before i made a final decision just wanted to see what everyone elses opinions/experience was!

[DoulaRelle]

Yael, what hospitals are you able to choose from? You are near me aren't you?

[{sarah}]

I had the same as you Yael, no-one touched my stomach at all, they checked the c/s wound once a day in the mornig but that was it. Maybe they don't do the stomach thing on a c/s??? I was never questioned about bleeding either, other then the once when I mentioned a clot to the midwife.

[Karina]

For the palpating my stomach to feel my uterus, I think they checked me twice while I was still in the delivery room, then at the post natal ward i think they came to check me a couple times in the first day, then maybe once a day after that and again just before I left.

About the blood loss, they just asked me each day how it was going.

[Yael]

Thanks everyone... I just felt they should have asked, if not checked, but they did nothing (and then they seemed suprised when i had a lot of blood loss and i hadn't said anything.. i was like hello? first baby! How am i supposed to know how much is normal???)

Relle - i'm in South Caulfield. I'm currently booked into Frances Perry, as its the only place my dr goes... i'm currently entertaining the idea of changing docs just so i can change hospitals.

[DoulaRelle]

Would Cabrini, Masada or Waverley be an option for you Yael? I have personally experienced fantastic post natal care at Cabrini and I have also heard really fantastic things about Waverley private.

I know of 3 doctors that are really highly recommended at Cabrini which is Max Michaels, Dennis Price and John Regan.

The only probs with Cabrini is that it books out so fast, but you never know what a phonecall might do!

[Yael]

I wont go to Masada as I feel it doesn't have a high enough level of emergancy care.

I really want St Vs private (my mum works there)... Then i have a whole dilema of changing obs so i can change hospitals.

There is a whole long thread about it here

Anyway, the reason for this thread was i just wanted to know objectively if there were things they did badly, or if it was just in my head, but no, it seems they were too busy to care for their patients properally

[Lil_Aussie]

I had my loss checked once whilst in the recovery room after my c-section,,,, then only one midwife asked me when she was on,,, apart from that,, no stomach palpatations at all,,, and noone looked at the loss. They did however check my wound daily