Injections after birth - what did YOU do?

[cheshiremama89]

Vitamin K for baby, very recommended by midwife at birth class but discredited in hypnobirthing book.

Same with the injection to encourage a quick delivery of the placenta after birth...

Also with the above injection, can anyone recall it being bigger than usual? Watched a recommended positive birth story yesterday and the injection was a whopper!

Kind of feel pressured to have both, but would love to know what everyone else did/thinks xx

I had the placenta injection for both of mine. I wanted it over with by then; my second birth was a pretty textbook straightforward waterbirth, but my cord was a little thin apparently and the midwife was worried that it wouldn’t last very long / my placenta might disintegrate on coming out. As i was an ambulance ride from the hospital (stand-alone MLU) anything that got me safely out of the risk zone as quickly as possible was going to go in.

And I didn’t notice it. Can’t even remember where you have it/when you have it.

We had both but baby was planned to have his, I didn't want mine but ended up with a forceps delivery and it's strongly recommend after that. I ended up with 3 doses of it but it didn't work and I had manual evacuation of my placenta in theatre!

I think you should play it by ear and see what kind of birth you have.

It makes sense to have vitamin k if baby is an instrumental delivery or a c section as they have experienced a cranial trauma and this can lead to complications from low vitamin k.

If you have a natural birth there is no particular reason that you wouldn't be able to pass the placenta naturally.

The choice is entirely yours, there are positives and negatives for both sides of each argument. Have you looked at the AIMS booklets? There's lots of facts based information in those.

I don't remember the injection (or the delivery of the placenta either - I can't even tell you what it looked like!).

FWIW I had both injections both times with my DC, but I may refrain next time based on research that I have done.

Vitimin K, yes.

Placenta injection, no, but I regret that as I had a pph after I got out of the birthing pool and the placenta came away. I'll be getting it next time.

Both DC had vit k injections as benefits far outweighed any risks. I also had the injection for assisting placenta delivery both times (strongly recommended for me due to other medical issues), but tbh I don't remember a thing about being given them, or the placenta coming out either time! Too busy having newborn cuddles

Both my dd and ds had the vit k injection. I had the injection for the placenta with my first delivery as I haemorrhaged really badly so they just needed to get it out and get me sorted out. Things were much more relaxed with my second delivery so I said not to bother with the injection and let the placenta come itself. Well I ended up sitting for about 45 mins waiting for it to come out, whilst getting colder as I was covered in bodily fluids! In hindsight I should have just had the injection again but I kept thinking it was going to come out any minute!

I went all PFB for my first and got hold of oral VitK and said no placenta injection after attending hippy antenatal classes. Birth was hard work and we were both glad to get out alive so thank heaven for modern medicine (ended up having both jabs as the whole natural thing had gone out of the window by then). TBH poor DD had been so bashed about on her way out, a quick jab in the heel was the least of her worries. Second time home birth and I had both injections having got a sense of perspective.

Some tongue tie practitioners won't release a tie if the baby hasn't had the vitamin k injection, so it's worth considering if not having the injection may impact on any other aspects or choices

Sorry OP, sounded really flippant there. I agonised over this for ages before DD1 was born and all my friends with children just nodded sagely.

Both of my children had the vitamin K injection.

I asked not to have the injection for the placenta after my first birth, as my midwife had told me there was no real merit to it if everything has gone okay. Waited an hour and there was no sign of the placenta so ended up having it anyway. Had it straight away after my second birth.

I’m the only one who declined vitamin k then? And he did have a tongue tie snipped so that’s not a blanket rule. No syntometrine either. We had no problems but I would have stood by my decisions regardless as I had made an informed choice.

I hope the hypnobirthing book doesn't cover the topic of vaccinations, or as they would put it, 'sticking a needle into poor defenceless baby to fill them with poison because we think we know better than nature'.

Naturally, babies died due to lack of vitK.

We had both. Couldn't tell you how big the needle was. Don't even remember seeing it. Can't recall it hurting. But then I'd jist pushed a baby out so my sense of pain was prob a bit out.

Didn't have any jabs with either of mine.

We had both.. I was absolutely out of it after labour, I didn't even feel my epidural going in16 hours into my 20 hour labour so I definitely didn't feel the injection

Thanks @Prusik

OP fwiw I was a first timer and used hypnobirthing and it was great for keeping me calm and focussed :) I had a positive experience with it.

Vit K was also a no brainier for me, placenta injection also, I just wanted that part over so I could focus on my DD, I didn't even notice the injection.

I had both for both of mine. I have no recollection of the placenta one either time. contrary to a pp, I did feel being stitched up second time, but not the first time. I wouldn't hesitate to have both if the situation ever came up again.

Well I'd probably go for the evidence based advice of the midwife regarding the vitamin k injection over that of a hypnobirthing book tbh. But personally I don't recall vitamin k injections for any of my 3 dc, in my memory they were given drops.

Vit K - yes definitely

Placenta injection - said no. Things were dragging a little with first delivery and agreed that I would have it, but before MW got to me with the needle I delivered placenta.

Second time didn't have it either, also left cord pulsing so DD was still attached while she had first feed. Cue a terribly elegant manoeuvre where I squatted over a dish with a newborn in my arms. Lovely.

I had the vitamin k injection both times. With DD1 I had the injection to deliver the placenta but it made me feel very sick and I vomited after delivery (this is a fairly common side effect). With DD2 I opted not to have it and delivered the placenta naturally within 5 minutes of her birth.

OP I hypnobirthed and it was so effective I didn't realise I was in proper labour till transition so don't anyone sneer at you for that.

VitK yes as I don't see real risks and it can help.

Didn't want syntometrin but placenta didn't come away on its own and after 45 min I was bored came away easily with the jab, injection just a prick.

I had a managed 3rd stage with my son as I have a small fibroid and it makes them worry about risks of heavy blood loss if I had a physiological third stage.

There was no way I was declining the Vitamin K injection once I found out it can cause bleeding issues for baby otherwise.