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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Will previous Manual removal of placenta stop me having a home birth

15 replies

MrsUnderwood · 28/10/2015 16:10

Hiya. Currently 34wks pregnant. Previous baby was induced and I ended up having a forceps delivery in theatre and a manual removal of placenta (the doctor had his arm right up there, felt like a glove puppet!).

I want to have a home birth this time and I've had my 34 week check today. The midwife has booked me to see a consultant at the hospital to check whether a previous manual removal of placenta would prevent a home birth this time around.

Does anyone have any experience of this? If I had a manual removal the last time will it mean it'll happen again? I'd rather not give birth in hospital again as i found it really unpleasant!

OP posts:

Topsy34 · 28/10/2015 21:30

I dont think it would, was your placenta actually retained or just not coming away quickly?

i would do a bit of research into the likelihood of it happening again, and maybe have a think about having a managed third stage

Original poster

MrsUnderwood · 28/10/2015 23:04

I don't actually know but it didn't seem like they waited very long after DD was born before going in to remove it- just a few minutes. I can't recall anything in my notes detailing why they did a manual removal either.

OP posts:

MistyMeena · 28/10/2015 23:12

I had manual removal with child #1. I was keen on the midwife led centre at our hospital but they really pushed me to go into main delivery ward. They said I had higher chance of retained placenta as it had happened previously.
I went along with it and it was all fine, very quick straightforward birth no repeat performance at all thank goodness. Advice may have moved on since but I don't think they'd have entertained the home birth idea back then.

Barbarbarbarbarbaby · 29/10/2015 05:21

They don't have to entertain anything. They give you advice hopefully with some stats and you decide.

How far from hospital are you and how would you feel if the placenta didn't come and you needed to transfer for removal also was there and associated large blood loss last time?

Fannycraddock79 · 29/10/2015 07:25

Unfortunately you won't be able to. Had manual removal in 2012 and for july 2015 baby was not allowed home birth or birth centre. Luckily my birth centre was attached to the hospital anyway so the second time round it seemed no different other than being monitored (was just along the corridor under consultant care) Had manual removal again and was told after 2 retained placentas it is highly likely I would have a third. I'm not entertaining ideas of a third though! I did have large blood losses with both. I expected it to happen second time around so it was fine and quicker than first time.

Barbarbarbarbarbaby · 29/10/2015 09:25

Allowed isn't a thing. Advised not to have a homebirth is a thing.

MilkyChops · 29/10/2015 09:31

I wanted a home birth with my LO but he was breech and his heart rate dropped at 37 weeks so I had to have an ECS.

I've been told I have to go to hospital with any future babies, which is my idea of hell and not how I ever saw myself giving birth.

I think anything that prevented a completely normal birth first time round prevents future home births.

ShowYourSeams · 29/10/2015 11:54

I retained my placenta 1st time round. Manual removal (took 2 hours) and hemorrhaged 2.5l.
Was high risk this time due to having twins but glad I was because I retained both placentas this time too.
I'd err in the side of caution if I were you. I'd not want to go through that without an emergency plan in place.

Original poster

MrsUnderwood · 29/10/2015 13:42

I'm about a 5 minute's away from hospital by ambulance so not so worried about that aspect. I don't think there was a lot of blood loss because I didn't need a transfusion. They basically delivered the baby, then removed the placenta almost straight away- think they only waited 5 minutes or something before they decided to do it. I wasn't kept well informed as to what was going on really.

I don't have an option of a midwife led unit- it's either the consultant led unit at the hospital or a homebirth. My previous birth was by an induction (pessary). I was kept in overnight as it didn't work so had to have a second one in the morning, so was in for nearly 40 hours before the baby was born, had little food or sleep and it was just horrible.

I have some problems with anxiety and the thought of being in the hospital and going through all that again is freaking me out.

OP posts:

Barbarbarbarbarbaby · 29/10/2015 19:52

Get the stats review research and take advice then you decide what is best for you.

HVB79 · 31/10/2015 19:19

Have you been back to the hospital to talk through your notes from the previous birth? I did that with a supervisor of midwives and it was really useful to understand exactly what happened and the implications for future births.

Peregrina · 31/10/2015 20:06

I've been told I have to go to hospital with any future babies, which is my idea of hell and not how I ever saw myself giving birth. ........... I think anything that prevented a completely normal birth first time round prevents future home births. It may not be advisable, but you don't have to do anything, and no one can tell you that a home birth is prevented.

It's still up to you whether you take their advice or not.

Fairydogmother · 02/11/2015 13:59

I had a manual removal of my placenta 2 years ago and I'm due another baby in (hopefully less!) 4 weeks. I'm consultant led care due to thyroid issues. I've gone through the whole thing with the team caring for me and they were happy with me using the midwife led unit but not a home birth. Of course it was still my choice. Two retained placentas would have ruled me out of midwife unit.

Best to talk to your consultant and see what they think - there's no guarantee it'll happen again and if you didn't haemorrhage last time then there's only a slightly increased risk this time round. I didn't bleed excessively either. Good luck!

NoodieRoodie · 02/11/2015 14:15

I had a manual removal with DS1 (4 tomorrow), definitely the glove puppet feeling! I went on to have homebirths with both DD (2) and DS2 (8 weeks) and had no problems. No one seemed overly concerned, with DD my midwife did say that there was an increased risk of it happening again but we'd cross that bridge if we came to it. As it happened with DD I had the injection and it came away in minutes, with DS2 I didn't even have the injection.

jamtartandcustard · 04/11/2015 12:51

*I've been told I have to go to hospital with any future babies, which is my idea of hell and not how I ever saw myself giving birth.

I think anything that prevented a completely normal birth first time round prevents future home births.*

I had an emcs with my first, then 2 vbacs in hospital. I'm going for a homebirth this time around which my midwife has given her complete support to.
No one can stop you having a homebirth if that's what you want, they can only advise you of the risks. Find the facts and make an informed choice but just be aware that things may not go smoothly and you may need to be transferred to hospital anyway. Plan for all eventualities x

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