Experiences of childbirth after PPH?

[lola0109]

Hi,

I'm just looking for some stories to help with my decision (oh and DP's too) to stop at two children.

DD2 is 5 months and after a perfect labour I suffered a massive PPH and lost 3.5l of blood, had transfusion and 3 hours in theatre to stem blood loss. I might have this wrong but I think the doc said it was an atonic PPH? Which explained to me as basically no reason to explain loss.

Anyway, DP and I decided we would stop at two and he has made appointment to discuss vasectomy. But obvioulsy because then that will be the decision made I am now swaying that I would want a 3rd at some point.

Are we being hasty? DP would love 4 dc's but after the PPH he says he won't risk it. So I'm looking for some positive experiences of births after PPh's and how they were managed? IE was it sections or natural deliveries.

I should point out that DD2 was 9lb 6oz and we are a family of big babies so that may contribute to the PPH??

I think if enough people tell me positive stories I can then say ok I don't want anymore as the decision is then mine and it hasn't been made for me! I'm a contrary mare! :o

3 x DC (9 9 @ 39 weeks, 10 10 @ 41 weeks, 10 2 @ 39 weeks), 3 x PPH, 3 x c-section.

DD1 elective section due to breech presentation; massive loss; flatlined in theatre the works.

DD2 I am determined to have natural delivery hideous 3 day back-to-back labour; emergency c-section massive blood loss, theatre etc.

DS1 after lots of pressure for an elective c-section from ob - basically please don't try and deliver cause we are not sure we will be able to stop the bleeding this time. I was given some cocktail of drugs by IV before and during delivery to to ensure I did actually contract after delivery and hence not bleed out. Worked a treat, minimal blood loss, well for me anyway around 1.5l I think!

I did have other issues with the third-section which resulted in some imaginative stiching and sterilisation however but I am fairly sure this was not connected to pphs.

It was however it would appear connected to the large babies I managed to grow. This was also given as the reason for my PPHing - bascially big baby stretches uterus which is in effect a large muscle, it is then a bit crap at contracting post deliver. Also large baby generally large placental site with increased bleeding from there resulting in greater loss too.

So to sum up that essay - in my experience my propensity to bleed was pretty well controlled via. a c-section and some drugs. But perhaps not the positive story you were looking for - all well for us in the end however so either route (i.e. more babies or not) doable I think.

Have you got a copy of your notes so that you can see what was actually written? You should also be able to talk it through with a senior MW from the hospital if you would like to, such that you can get any medical terms explained and any questions answered. Sorry if that sounds pushy, but it sounds like you don't really have a clear idea of what happened or if they have any idea why - and without that information its very difficult to try and quantify what the risks are of doing it again.

From my personal experience, I had a PPH with DD1 where blood loss was estimate at about 1.5L. However, we're pretty sure that most of it came from a tear that penetrated a small vein rather than from the placental site and so doesn't really increase the risks for any future births.

(Just had a quick look and from what I can see "atonic" means "without normal muscle tone". As a lay person I'd interpret that to suggest that they interpreted the PPH to be due to a lack of muscle tone in the uterus, so it didn't contract down after the birth for some reason? I don't know how common that is or how much syntocinon/syntometrine they can use as part of a managed 3rd stage to induce post-birth contractions.)

tangle believe it or not, my mum was my midwife. But I think she was quite traumatised about it all so I don't like to ask her about it. I did broach it once but she just said oh I wouldn't do it again but I think she was speaking as a mum and not a midwife!

I did have a talk with consultant as I had to go to hospital for 6 week check. She explained it but said that there was a higher risk of it happening again but no way to tell for definite. She didn't really go over what would happen for subsequent pregnancies as I was adament at the time we were stopping at two. She did say my uterus was tired but I couldn't remember if Atonic was right phrase.

Sorry, my first post did sound a bit vague. It was more the subsequent births that was vague as I waved it off when they spoke of that. So I just wanted to hear others experiences.

I had PPH after my first...vaginal delivery with kellands forceps. No idea why it happend, but had transfusion of 3 units. Went on to have a second normal vaginal delivery with no problems.

Thanks Solo.

And thanks Gomez too, meant to post that last night. your experiences sounded quite scary. Can I ask, if not too personal, why you decided to carry on and have more kids.

I love my two girls and am obviously extremely grateful I've had them at all and we're all here safe and sound but I can't help but think i'd like to try for more. I'm not looking for a boy, I'd be happy with all girls, I just don't feel finished IYKWIM. But am I being selfish putting myself, and obviously my family, at risk?

I had a small pph (500mls) after having dd - she was 9lb 3oz, I think the pph was mainly due to long labour. With ds they sited the venflon when I went into labour in anticipation of a second pph, but as it happened I had him naturally (9lb 13oz) and no pph. This time I'm expected to have another large baby and for that reason have been booked for consultant labour ward and will have venflon again in case of pph. I don't think previous experiences mean that something will definitely happen again. I had shoulder dystocia with the first, and was convinced I wouldn't be able to deliver a larger baby, but did. I can understand your dh's fears though, must have been very scary. I'd discuss it with the hospital in as much detail as you can to get a picture of the perceived risks of another pph. Would they monitor with growth scans etc, and induce early if the baby was predicted to be large again?

I had a PPH (800ml but probably more because I was in a daze for a couple of weeks), caused IMO by a mismanaged 3rd stage. Technically I was not allowed to go into a MLU for my second one but my notes were missing so I lied.

Second birth I had NO blood loss. Seriously. Zilch.