Big PPH last time- getting nervous...

[Elpheba]

I had a 3 litre PPH with my 1st DC, had surgery and bounced back fairly quickly, had a birthing debrief which was really helpful. Now pregnant with DC2 and only half way through but beginning to get really nervous again. Just how likely is it to happen again? They said they'll have a cannula in and "be ready" but all the drugs last time couldn't stop the bleeding. Only the surgery and balloon worked... but is there every chance that it won't happen again? Not sure I can do that to DH again!

I had a (smaller) PPH with DD1. I was given a "super managed third stage". Basically (I think) given the extra synotocin straightaway, rather than waiting for haemorrhage. Might be worth looking into/asking about? I had a great 2nd labour, hope you do too!

I had a 3 litre PPH with DS1 and it took forever to recover. It was one of many issues with the birth to be honest.

I had an elective section with my second. I lost 250ml and my recovery was so much quicker, even though it's surgery.

I had a similar PPH with my first. Both of mine were C sections and they put medication straight up afterwards to make my uterus contract so it didn’t happen again.

After my second I was like a different person, the recovery was amazing compared to the first.

Do they know why it happened? I had similar with DS2 it was awful and took me ages to recover. For DS3 they thought the long push stage was probably what caused it so told me they’d avoid the happening again. They ended up using vontouse and a cut to get him out quickly for another reason entirely and there was no significant bleeding and I was out of hospital the same day.

Think it’s worth talking to them about why and drawing up a Labour management plan. Good luck!

I think you are right to be concerned and ask for an extra appointment with consultant to discuss how this will be managed.

I had a Pph but not a massive one with dd1 which was controlled by the drugs and then got told I only had a 1.2% chance of another one with dd2.

I then was that 1.2% and had a much bigger pph again with dd2 - they now say they don’t know why I bleed and that my body obviously is prone to them.

Second time round I didn’t even have any of the risk factors. First time I did - long labour.

I’m not acting this to make you scared. You might not have a pph at all or just a small one but i think you are right to be thinking about this and pressing for answers. I was too ready to believe history wouldn’t repeat itself.

I had a long labour , forceps delivery and PPH with DC 1; had to have 3 units of blood transfused and was in hospital for 5 days , took about 3 weeks before I was back on my feet at home

Was very nervous 2nd time around , and it was so much better !
DC 2 born an hour after we arrived in hospital , and we were home 2 hours afterwards !

Large PPH with DD1. Nearly died. BP 60/40 and I was blue. Poor DH took ages to get over it.

My gp assured me she'd had a similar experience for a first birth, then had a home birth! That wasn't for me.

I didn't have any different intervention the 2nd time round, but only wrote one thing on my birth plan - waste of space things anyway, that only cause to get people's hopes up for a perfect 'experience' - and that was 'Please don't leave unattended straight after the birth due to PPH last time'.

They didn't. All was well.

Yes that’s a very good point about not being left unattended. My second Pph happened 5 hours after the delivery

I agree with the poster who asked if they know why it happened? That would be crucial to me.

I had a major pph with my first but I had a long (like nearly 12 hour) active stage of labour -pushing for hours, a botched forceps delivery and a 4th degree tear - and a baby with a very large head. My subsequent deliveries were uneventful c-sections and recovery was a breeze by comparison.

Also second the advice not to be left unattended. I was left unattended after the delivery and it was my husband who spotted I was crashing - if he had gone out to call his mother or go to the bathrroom, not sure what would have happened. It was dicey enough as it was.

By the way I disagree about a birth plan. I wish I had had one and it had said "I do not consent to a forceps delivery".

I vaguely remember DH trying to show me DD1, and not being able to stay awake.

Then him getting a midwife. He taking one look at me and saying 'Oh heck, that's the third one this week!' then alarm bells ringing and feet running.

Nothing out of ordinary with the labour up to that point. A bit long, but first ones can be. The cord did snap (eeek!) when they tried to remove the placenta. That wasn't fun and I wonder if it contributed.

Thanks for all the advice. Hadn't even thought of it happening later as mine happened fairly immediately/during placenta removal. I think it was a combination of factors- DC was just shy of 10lb, I had an infection in labour which they thought may have contributed, I was in labour 28 hours in total but had stopped progressing so had epidural and syntocin drip and so the theory was my uterus was knackered from the artificial contractions?
Also heartened that some people did go on to have completely different births with DC2...

Interesting elpheba - my first pph happened when I had a big baby (a few pounds less than yours though), very long labour - 30 hours plus, got to 10 C.M. then didn’t progress. Had the drip, then pushed for over 2 hours.

So that’s why with baby 2 they said unlikely to have another pph. I’m sure that’s true for most people and hopefully will be true for you.

But for me despite a much shorter labour (6 hrs active labour, textbook delivery, pushed about three times literally) no drip, I still had a pph second time round. Was Bitte big baby but smaller than baby one.

I have had major PPH after all 3 deliveries. The first was by far the worst. I got 8 units of blood and was in hospital for 4 weeks due to complications.
For the other deliveries they were more prepared. I had a cannula in as soon as I went in to labour. Vitamin K and clotting factor ready. I was kept in the delivery room and monitored by a midwife for about 4 hours after delivery.
Even with a 1 litre pph I was on my feet as soon as they let me up and had a quick recovery.

Yes I think I should have had cannula in, consultant led delivery and been observed after the delivery