Avoiding hemorrage

[winterwalksandcoffee]

Ok so this is hard for me to say. I had a abortion 4 years ago and I bled quite a bit, I was about 8 weeks. I didn't have to have any surgery but it was close. If I have a child will this mean I will hemorage? Can I try and avoid this at all? I'm so scared but really want to have children so I'm worried about blood loss

@DrinkFeckArseBrick

But like a lot of things, if something happens in one pregnancy it does increase the chances in future pregnancy. A quick google search found a study that shows if you have one postpartum haemorrhage then you are more likely (not certain) to have another in the future

The OP had a very early medical termination: she did not experience post-partum haemorrhage.

What you described sounds normal at an 8 week abortion, ask anyone who has miscarried at 8 weeks, it's essentially the same bleeding wise. I think you would benefit from talking to someone professional about your fears, and guilt too

@BakedTattie

I haemorrhaged with my first child (c-sec) but not with my second. I was told I was no more likely to by my consultant.

your consultant is either wrong or a liar

I didn't have to have any surgery but it was close

By your own description, that is not correct. It was not even in contemplation.

They merely provided information on when that intervention would hypothetically necessary.

Understandably you were panicked, but you need to separate out your thoughts, your feelings, and the facts.

Your extreme and inaccurate thoughts are causing you to feel afraid -which is then causing you to selectively interpret the facts, which then causes more extreme and inaccurate thoughts, which then makes you more afraid.

Searching out more facts to selectively interpret will not help.

Address those unhelpful thoughts, and you will be able to feel calmer and safer.

You felt frightened and distressed, but you were in fact safe.

You were scared about needing surgery, but in fact you did not need surgery and did not come close to needing surgery.

Don’t worry OP - your risk of haemorrhage isn’t greater because you had heavy blood loss when you had a termination. The mechanisms are different.

In case it is reassuring, I had a haemorrhage following a c-section. It was quite a severe one - I lost 20% of my blood. And I didn’t really notice or feel terrible after effects! I remember them telling me I was haemorrhaging and giving me an injection to stop it, then another injection to stop me from being sick, and then it was over. I felt a bit weak and grotty for a few days after, but not sure how much of that was the haemorrhage and how much of it was just birth / c-section recovery. So even if you do have a haemorrhage, hospitals are well equipped to deal with them safely and calmly.

If you get pregnant, discuss it with your care team and if they consider you high risk for haemorrhage there is medication they can give you immediately post partum. If they don't consider you high risk and you are still concerned you can always elect to have the baby in a hospital setting so help is at hand.

Thank you all so much for teaching me and helping calm me. It really means the absolute world. What makes an abortion process different to birth??

Also, during my abortion I felt so much pain as soon as I took that tablet. Will that mean I struggle during labour? Thank you for being so understanding as I am ashamed of myself for having one

An abortion or miscarriage is entirely different process to giving birth. They can not be compared.

If you decide to have children in future you can disclose that you had an abortion and that you bled alot but didn't require medical intervention.

I think that it would be helpful if you were to talk to someone about the abortion and your feelings.

Thank you for answering. I have a lot of regret, I just wish I wasn't put in that position

@winterwalksandcoffee

Also, during my abortion I felt so much pain as soon as I took that tablet. Will that mean I struggle during labour? Thank you for being so understanding as I am ashamed of myself for having one

With respect, OP, I think you need to speak to a healthcare professional about your feelings, be they a counsellor or a GP.

Having an early medical termination (and I speak as somebody who has had one myself) is nothing like giving birth.

Also, you have nothing to be ashamed of. Many women have terminations, many of them go on to have families. Give yourself peace.

I really think that some counselling to talk through how you feel and accept that you can't change anything would be helpful.

This thread and a discussion about not related medical events is not going to help

I only wanted advice not seeking a councillor on here. Don't worry

I have never had anyone to talk to about this so knew nothing

You are at a slightly higher risk of placenta praevia during pregnancy if you've had previous uterine surgery (C section, D&C, abortion). And those who have placenta praevia are more at risk of hemorrhaging during the birth but this is still a fairly rare condition, it only affects 0.5% of pregnancies and then your risk of hemorrhaging would be significantly lower.

@Saoirse82 what is placenta praevia

It's where the placenta attaches and covers the cervix during pregnancy. As I said its a rare condition, think of how many women have had uterine surgery, it probably accounts for half of my friendship circle. And even if you have it it doesn't mean you will hemorrhage, it just slightly increases the risk. I've had previous uterine surgery myself but it's not something I go into pregnancy thinking about. Please don't worry about this happening during a pregnancy, its a rare condition, I only mentioned it because I thought thought that maybe that's where some of the confusion around hemorrhage risk could have come from.

A quick google search found a study that shows if you have one postpartum haemorrhage then you are more likely (not certain) to have another in the future

Yes I was told this, I haemorrhaged with my first and did the same with my second. I was higher risk partly because of it. It’s not relevant to you having had a termination though.

@Saoirse82 thanks so much, i appreciate you telling me!

Don't worry,

First pregnancy I lost around 800ml in labour, very normal, no concern raised.

In my second pregnancy, I bled throughout, ended in a neonatal loss but I lost around 4 litres of blood, I nearly needed a hysterectomy.

My last pregnancy, no bleeding at all, in labour I lost around a litre but no need of blood transfusion and was fine!

I've had abortions too at 8 weeks where I didn't bleed at all

Every pregnancy is different!

@oneminuteplease thank you for taking time to explain to me your previous pregnancies. I'm so sorry for your neonatal loss. It has definitely helped me understand that each time will be different and that because I didn't have a good understanding of what was Normal I definitely panicked myself