haematoma following natural birth??

[megarobotdiscoparty]

How common is this? My DS has bilateral haematoma following a natural homebirth. The lumps are still prominent at 4 weeks and paedeatrician suggested they may take as long as 18 months to go down fully. He explained that the trauma had happened during labour and was the force of DS 's head bashing against the birth canal ( he was back to back and it was an excruciating labour- although he's my first so nothing really to compare it to).

Have been told it's nothing to worry about but I can't get it out of my head...everyone who sees him assumes he was a forceps delivery and the thought that my own body did that to him all by itself just feels horrific! I keep wondering if there was anything I could have done differently. Has anyone else experienced anything similar?

(Nb. I'm probably just being hormonal!)

This can happen even after a completely uncomplicated birth and then not after a rough forceps. IME its quite random. It occurs because the scalp gets some traction against the skull, probably as the baby turns itself. and a tiny blood vessel tears and leaks a little blood. At first there is nothing to see but after 2-3 days the little clot of blood under the skin attracts fluid to itself and the swelling starts. its not at all painful for the baby but can take ages to reabsorb.

It looks much worse than it feels to the baby, There's nothing you could have done to prevent it.

My DD had a Cephal Haematoma when she was born - I was actually warned during labour that it may happen as she kept banging against the lip of my cervix (also very, very painful back to back labour). The fact that she was born via 3 x failed ventouse / eventual forceps probably didn't help! My Health Visitor actually made a note of it in my red book, as she said that the site of the haematoma can show up on X rays looking like an old fracture (although the bone wasn't actually broken), and it was better to have it noted then end up getting into heated discussions in A&E 10 years down the line!

I have talked to a friend who is a midwife about it and she confirmed that it is quite common and that there was nothing that I could have done to prevent it. DD had a noticeable bump on her head for about 4 months (just looked at some baby photos to remember when it started to go down!), but absolutely no ill effects. However, she still has a ducky fit if she gets her head stuck in the neck of a top when she is getting dressed / undressed at the grand old age of 7 - we reckon she still has birth flashbacks!

mayhew DS turned just before delivery so this could well explain it.

tatty this is reassuring! I'll get my HV to make a note at next visit- thanks for the tip.

Mind set at rest- thanks all!