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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

Did anyone have their uterus manually contracted after birth?

27 replies

AyeAmarok · 29/01/2017 22:25

And if so, why? Do you know why you needed it?

I'm not sure if that is the correct term for it, but basically where the doctors or midwives all press down hard on your stomach to force all the blood and clots and "stuff" out of you after birth.

I had it done to me, but it's all a bit of a blur and I'm trying to work out why, but it's hard to find anything about it by googling, I'm maybe not searching using the right term. (I've requested my notes but it'll be a long wait).

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Geraldthegiraffe · 29/01/2017 22:27

Yep.

They push down and in.

Didn't work for me sadly and I ended up in intensive care. It's what they try earlier on if you're bleeding and it doesn't retract.

If they did it and it worked that sounds great :)

Believeitornot · 29/01/2017 22:28

I had the placenta removed with help - so they did the pulling of the cord and rubbing my stomach thing as it wasn't coming out after a while. I also had an injection to speed things along. Can't remember what it is called.

Apanicaday · 29/01/2017 22:29

I did - they were pressing down hard outside whilst also doing some amount of internal pressing (which was grim). It happened to me in both my second and third pregnancies. For me it was for two reasons - my uterus wasn't contracting quickly enough on its own, and I was also haemmorhaging - and it was to stop that from continuing. I do know the name of the procedure but have forgotten what it's called - will post it if it comes back to me.

AlwaysOldBeforeMyTime · 29/01/2017 22:29

Sounds like what they did to me when I was haemorrhaging too much blood immediately after birth but tbh I never got the details of what/why either as I was too busy with baby to notice! Is it upsetting you? How was your birth in general?

Ginger4justice · 29/01/2017 22:30

Ooh I did. I retained the placenta with DC1 had to get special permission to go to the midwife led but for DC2 and it looked like they were going to have to transfer me to theatre again as the placenta wasn't coming out again. They got the senior midwife who rubbed my tummy until it got really hard and then basically punched down until the placenta came out. Even with gas and air I was trying to pull her hand away. But very grateful I didn't have a proper retained placenta again.

Pallisers · 29/01/2017 22:31

Yes. I had a primary post-partum haemorrhage after a prolonged labour and a high forceps (and botched) delivery.

I had a bi-manual massage - internal pressure and external pressure at the same time. It was done to shut down my uterus to stop the bleeding. It was the most pain I have ever felt in my life (and I was half out of it and still had an epidural on board - it still remains the most pain I have ever felt - if I could have screamed I would have - I thought I was screaming apparently, I whimpered).

I think it is mostly done when they worry that the uterus is not contracting as it should and the woman is in danger of bleeding.

My sympathies. Before you have another baby, if I were you, I would request your notes and ask your doctor to take a look and see what happened and why. I had c sections after that delivery but wouldn't have made that decision based on the pph and bi-manual massage of the uterus alone.

Sorry that happened to you. Hope you are well.

Apanicaday · 29/01/2017 22:35

I will say it was an utterly brutal procedure - fortunately I was half expecting it the second time - but certainly wasn't the first. When I describe it, the closest similar thing I can compare it to is a "James Herriot" moment. Grim.

dreamcatcher44uk · 29/01/2017 22:39

Here is a good video explaining what happens and why.

SleightOfMind · 29/01/2017 22:42

I had it after my twins.
It was horrible, really painful & upsetting. There was no reason for it apparently. It's something medics can do in the field to slow down an emergency postpartum haemorrhage until help arrives.
It was a South African midwife who did it to me and she apparently panicked as she'd never done a natural multiple birth before and was scared my uterus wasn't contracting back down.

I too thought I was screaming. It was like being brutally fisted and I was in stirrups so couldn't get away. DH just remembers me making a horrible choking sound. He made her stop eventually.

Hope you're ok. Took me a good while to come to terms with it.

moomoogalicious · 29/01/2017 22:45

Yes. Although it didn't work for dc1 as my placenta broke up and the dr shoved her hand up me and tried to manually remove it :( ended up.in theatre.

Original poster

AyeAmarok · 29/01/2017 22:51

Oh I'm so glad you all knew what I meant!

believe I had that injection too.

From googling (!) I have established that it's an injection of the syntocin hormone (maybe spent wrong) which is supposed to help you deliver the placenta. So I'm presuming that didn't work if the uterus didn't contract on its own.

I had a major hemorrhage anyway so either the manual procedure didn't work, or it did and I'd have lost even more without it!

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Original poster

AyeAmarok · 29/01/2017 22:53

Actually strike that - my PPH was from the episiotomy so the uterus issue must have been a separate problem.

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Original poster

AyeAmarok · 29/01/2017 22:55

Thanks for the video dream.

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JennyOnAPlate · 29/01/2017 22:56

Yes, from outside and in. My uterus initially contracted apparently but then relaxed again.

ButtfaceMiscreant · 29/01/2017 23:04

I had it after DC1s placenta was delivered (forceps birth after induction, with managed third stage so I had the injection to deliver the placenta) as I immediately had a major pph and the emergency cord was pulled. Apparently I just bled all over the floor. All I remember was being put flat, oxygen mask and loads of people flooding the room, while the Dr put her fist into my uterus and manipulated it internally and externally (I was focusing on the midwife's face as I could feel my eyes closing and didn't want DH to hear them tell me to wake up/open my eyes). It took ages to stem the bleeding and stitch me up (didn't hold DC1 for 2.5hrs post birth) and my recovery was awful (had a secondary pph a week later which I had to go to hospital and have a speculum examination, which made the Dr and midwife present wince due to the state of my undercarriage).

Sorry, that all came tumbling out, with far too many brackets! I had a debrief 8 months later but they didn't really answer my questions. Went on to have DTs naturally (primary and secondary pphs but no manual contraction on the uterus that time!)

Original poster

AyeAmarok · 29/01/2017 23:55

Butt sounds like you had a hell of a time

It was never explained to me what was happening or why during/after the birth (probably a good thing at the time, though I want to know now).

I remember when the community midwife a few days after I got out of the hospital saying that the hospital had a concern over my "fundas" , so they (the MWs) had to keep an eye on that. I thought she said "fungus" and had absolutely no idea what she meant, and just nodded along (was still in a bit of shock I think, normally I'm very inquisitive). Took a few weeks of me researching about births to realise she was talking about my uterus, which made a lot more sense!

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Kione · 30/01/2017 00:05

I had this done not even 4 weeks ago. I still feel sick remembering it. I did scream, grabbed the drs arm and told him to stop. DP had left to get DD to school as I had already delivered. I am kind of glad he wasn't there, most traumatic experience ever.
Midwife told me recently I could have someone from hospital come and explain why and what happened to help me cope. I said no. But maybe you could benefit speaking to someone.

Londonbum · 30/01/2017 00:12

I had bimanual massage after DC1. I had a PPH about 2 hours after he was born, just started bleeding and then fainted. When I woke up I was being hauled up onto the bed and there were about 10 extra people in the room. I can't even imagine how traumatised I'd have been if I hadn't understood what was happening, but one of them came up and stood at my head, held my hand really tightly and explained to me exactly what they were doing and why and when, also made sure I could see DH holding DS at the side of the room and that they were OK. When I think about it now I feel very emotional about whoever that person was, I never found out their name. I think it made a huge difference to how I felt about it. I agree it's very physical and I was really worried theyd tear open my stitches that had not long been finished. As it happened the stitches were ok but I was extremely bruised. I don't remember it being painful at all during but I put that down to being hugely in shock. I agree about asking for a debrief and to read through your notes and talk them over with someone. Also, DC2 born with no such problems. Hope you're ok.

Efferlunt · 30/01/2017 00:24

Yes I had a pph. Bi-manual compression. Ittook me a very long time to get over it.

Bubbinsmakesthree · 30/01/2017 00:49

Interesting thread. I had a crash delivery with forceps - loads of people in the room. There was someone who role seemed to be just to support me - stood by my head, held my hand and talked calmly to me whilst the commotion was taking place at the business end. At one point after baby was delivered she suddenly shouted "No! You're not doing that to her!" and some cross words were spoken between her and the rest of the team, I think this was what they were trying to do to me but she stopped them.

Original poster

AyeAmarok · 30/01/2017 05:54

Bubbins what is a "crash delivery"? That's not a term I'm familiar with but sounds like what I had. I've only heard of crash sections.

I was told that I was going for a section (under GA) as baby's heart rate had plummeted and he had to be out in 15 minutes (so a crash section?) then suddenly they decided to do ventouse instead and he was out 9 minutes later. Is that a crash delivery?

I think I'm fine with it all, just want to understand what happened and why, so I requested my notes. If there are bits I don't understand then I'll ask for a debrief.

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Bubbinsmakesthree · 30/01/2017 08:11

I don't know if 'crash delivery' is the right term aye but it was similar for me to your experience.

Things had stopped progressing and were waiting to transfer me to theatre for a spinal + either forceps or section. Then baby's heart rate plumetted suddenly and a team of staff descended on us and they had him out with forceps in the delivery suite in about 10 mins (just had a local anaesthetic injection).

I think I might request my notes or a debrief too. I'm not really traumatised as such by the experience but I am preparing for birth of DC2 in a few months and I am quite anxious about needing to have access to that kind of emergency team again which is putting me off the otherwise preferable MLU..

Original poster

AyeAmarok · 30/01/2017 18:08

Thanks Bubbins, the emergency team were already in the room before his heart rate plummeted. I'm not sure what the trigger for that was, I hope my notes explain.

I don't think I'm traumatised either. I'm actually more upset that was about to go for a EMCS under GA. Because of how much blood I lost and how long they were working on DS for his breathing, the idea of all that happening with me under GA and DP not being there and DS being on his own is what upsets me more. Even though it didn't happen Weird.

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SueGeneris · 30/01/2017 18:15

Wow. I had this or something very similar to this done following c section delivery but before I was sewn up. So all internal. Like they were pressing down and rubbing with all their might. I know they were trying to stop me bleeding.

Can't imagine what it must be like if you aren't on an operating theatre under anaesthesia and with an arm up inside you. I would certainly take advantage of the afterthoughts services on offer to go through it and allow yourself time to let the experience settle. It must be traumatic.

Booboostwo · 30/01/2017 19:42

I had an unproblematic ELCS and the next day the Dr warned me not to let the midwives try to manually contact my womb as it was unnecessary, old fashioned and they had been asked to stop doing it. One midwife asked to check my tummy and specifically said she would not push. When I let her she pushed anyway saying "Just a little push". I was furious and complained to the Dr. Three years later with DS they had stopped doing it for good (non-UK hospital).

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