Injection for placenta removal - anyone NOT had it? Can't decide!

[Picante]

I think it made me sick last time. I also had an epidural last time so had no sensation of the placenta coming out anyway.

I'm planning a homebirth this time and really have no clue - what helped you decide whether to have the injection or not?

[Tambajam]

I didn't bother. In normal circumstances it's not necessary. I even have a history of slow blood-clotting so thought I might but the midwife said, 'let's just give it a moment' and everything was fine. I also had a homebirth.
TBH I wouldn't sweat about deciding now. Just see how you feel. Your midwife will have it with her and you can decide based on circumstances. It's not once of those decisions which you absolutely HAVE to make in advance.

[flamingobingo]

Natrual 1st and 2nd stage, why not a natural 3rd stage?

[SoupDragon]

I had it for both hospital births but not for my homebirth. TBH, I didn't notice much difference other than timewise. Certainly no pain or anything other than a slithering feeling (why can't birth be like that??)

[alarkaspree]

I had planned not to have it for my first but the midwives said basically 'you've had so much intervention anyway you will need it' - no idea how true that was but it came out easily. With my second dc I had just gas and air and the placenta came out naturally within 5 minutes or so.

[Tommy]

I had it for the first two - didn't have for third (homebirth) but then MW had to come round acouple of hours later and give it to me quick as I keeled over.

Ended up in hospital on day 5 with an infection in a tiny bit of retained placenta and the consultant told me that if I had another baby, the I should have the injection.

So I would have it if I had another one but I don't think it's unusual not to have it

[bronze]

I didn't for dc4
much more relaxed final stage
no pain
no afterpains to speak of
less bleeding

wish I had done it with the others

[treedelivery]

I just waited to see how the labour went. In both three was an indication to have it, so I did. But had thre not been, I wouldn't have. Iyswim.

[NumptyMum]

Oh this reminds me of a bizarre battle we had with MW when DS was born. I wanted natural 3rd stage, but said if circumstances meant intervention was required, I wanted the cord to stop pulsing before I got injection and cord was clamped and cut (there had been recent research to show that even this extra time helped get iron to the baby's blood supply). We had a change of shift during labour, and 2nd midwife towards end of labour kept asking DH whether he was sure about this etc. Obviously a stressful time for DH anyway, who was trying to keep me cool/hydrated (I wasn't really up to the conversation at all!). In the end she clamped the cord, said 'look it's stopped pulsating' (no kidding!) and then got DH to cut it. . Still annoys me!

[Picante]

Ah yes, the pulsating cord - how important / useful is this? Is that the main reason most of you didn't have the injection?

[NumptyMum]

Found info! Research was done not long before DS was born, may be more recent that backs it up. www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-462477/Waiting-minutes-cut-cord-babies-health-boost.html

[ILikeToMoveItMoveIt]

I had a natural 3rd stage, it took about 45 minutes to come out. I didn't have any contractions to expel the placenta, it made its way out and a bit gravity helped.

Something like 10% of the baby's blood volume is in the cord, so to clamp and cut before it has stopped pulsing will deny the baby a certain volume of blood.

[racmac]

I had ds2 and ds3 at home and didnt have it either time. MW was itching to give it me with ds3 but i refused - it didnt take long and i went through a natural birth - didnt want any drugs.

I would have changed my mind if it had taken longer - just make sure mw knows your wishes cos ds3 she was coming at me with needle

[AnarchyAunt]

Homebirth for DD and I chose not to have it.

Midwives just told me to cough about 20 mins after she was born, and I did, and it was out. Hardly noticed it.

However you need to make it very clear to the midwife/s that this is your intention and make sure they are confident with it. I had the somewhat unsettling experience of one midwife leaning over me as DD'd shoulders were emerging to stage whisper to the other "Ooooh, physiological 3rd stages always make me so nervous"

[TheProvincialLady]

I had it with DS1 and was as sick as a dog. I didn't have it with DS2 (home birth) and was not sick and it did not hurt one little bit. No contractions, I just coughed and out it plopped into our old washing up bowl (can you believe the midwives didn't bring anything with them? I thought it would be standard) It did take 40 minutes though and I was getting a bit bored of waiting before it decided to make its appearance.

[ILikeToMoveItMoveIt]

If you are having a homebirth and a natural 3rd stage, it's worth having a spare bucket. If the placenta is just sitting at the opening of your vagina but not coming out, sitting on a bucket like you would sit on the loo and giving your pelvic floor a little squeeze will have it plopping out in no time!

[Picante]

I have a lovely image there ILike - thanks!

Well you've pretty much convinced me so I shall make sure my doula knows what I want and see how it goes!

[littleducks]

I didnt have it either time, with dd it took a while, cord wasnt cut and i was bfing her until placenta came, a good 45 min i think

with ds i was actually going to have it (fast labour not in comfy position) but he was delivered by paramedics, they cut the cord but werent allowed to give me the injection until a mw arrived, placenta came within 10 min and mw didnt arrive so i didnt have it

[ILikeToMoveItMoveIt]

It's all glamour, glamour, glamour isn't it?!

[wem]

To give a different viewpoint, I had a homebirth and did have the injection. The midwife was in fact quite keen to stick to my birth plan which said I wanted to try a natural third stage, but after waiting 20mins or so I just wanted it over and done with so I could get up off floor, was trying to bf dd propped up against the ball I had been draped over for giving birth and wasn't comfortable. I got the injection and it came out within a couple of minutes. I was glad to get comfy and focus on getting dd bfeeding.

[KSal]

I didn't have the injection and i managed to deliver the placenta in an hour (think that was my time limit before they would intervene and give me the inj. anyway)

It made no diff to the baby unfortunately as they cut the cord immediately anyway to get her under the resuscitaire. so that was a shame, i think i would need to be more clear about it being for baby's benefit and if they were planning to do that (which they probably were as she was a little early) then i would rather have had the injection than sit in a pool of blood for an hour having contractions. to be honest it all distracted me from cuddling her and i ended up passing her to my husband so that i could push the damned thing out!!

on balance i would go without the injection again if it meant that the baby would get the extra blood

[weblette]

Natural 3rd stage at home for dcs #3 and #4.

Made sure the midwife knew exactly what I wanted as had discussed it fully with her beforehand. She was extremely experienced so was very happy to do so, even encouraged me to do it.

[milkmonster]

First birth in hospitl; Gassed up and out of it, vaguely recall busy midwives saying "You'll need to go to theatre if we don't inject..." no doubt because natural placenta removal can take from 10 mins to n hour...no time, no resources, injection does it in minutes!

Second birth at home, no injection, placenta out naturally after some hard pushing in about 10 minutes.

[soundbites]

I had a home birth 10 weeks ago with DD2. I put in my birth plan that I wanted a natural 3rd stage, but that if nothing had happened after 20 mins that I wanted the injection. I specified that I wanted the cord to stop pulsating. The midwife was happy to leave the option open. As it turned out, we realised that 40 mins had gone by since the birth and the placenta still hadn't budged despite feeding DD and sitting and pushing on the loo (no contractions) and MW and I decided injection was best. I was happy with this decision as it was out within 5 mins and I could then really get down to enjoying my new baby.

[ChasingSquirrels]

I did with ds1 but didn't with ds2 - 3rd stage was alot longer (1.5hrs) than 1st + 2nd stage combined (under 15 mins). MW seemed totally unbothered, but she was only there for about the last 45 mins of 3rd stage.

[FAQinglovely]

I had decided not to have one when DS3 was born (natural all throgh) - however after 45 minutes of waiting and feeding him I got bored and asked for the injection so they could starting sorting me out to go home