question for lulu et al about retained placenta

[Tutter]

just musing over last week's events, and i wondered whether getting the placenta out whole is just one of those things that happens or doesn't happen (i.e. no-one can do anything about it) or is it down to the skill of the midwife?

tell me, tutter, did you have injection to deliver the placenta?

did the MW apply cord traction to remove?

did it take a long time to come out?

yes
yes
and no (stage 3 recorded in notes as 6 mins)

dh recalls there being a "second smaller bit" but notes say placenta intact

sometimes the injection can make it more likely the placenta is retained...i take it the midwife was pulling gently? nothing snapped?

if the placenta was intact, what was retained>>

well, the notes say placenta intact; ragged membranes

does the ragged membranes relate to the bits that attach the placenta to the uterus?

i was told afetr the op that there was quite a lot of 'retained products' and they'd struggled a bit to get everythin out (op took >2 hours - unusual i believe)

nothing snapped afaik

delivering midwife unaware of complications - it was the next mw ater shift change who first noticed uterus not contracting (can't remember th word she used to describe it, but it felt soft and baloon-y) and excessive bleeding

was your uterus 'boggy'? that indicates it is not contracting down

membranes are the two layers that hold the baby and the fluid inside the uterus....amnion & chorion IIRC! anyhoo, they should come out with the placenta, and be whole, so if they were ragged, bits were left

sounds deeply unpleasant, poor you

ooh, boggy - yes, that's it

so - can a skilled hand avoid raggen membranes, or is it just one of those things - that sometimes bits will be left behind, do you know?

ragged

i think some of it is down to luck...would be more ticked off the delivering MW missed the fact you were not contracting down and were bleeding..

i;m sure mears and any other MWs can explain a bit more

just to offer another personal experience, I had an intervention free labour and attempted a physiological third stage.

No placenta after 1 hour so the mw gave me the injection, 30 mins later still no sign so they get the dr to assist. Me back on G & A, dr pulls cord and rummages around, me screaming in pain despite the G & A, dh watching this with tears. Dr very annoyed whisks me off to theatre for a spinal and manual removal where it still took >2 hours, was pretty uncomfortable and there was talk about having to cut me open if they couldn't get it all out. I also had severe bruising on my stomach where the Dr had pressed/squezzed me so hard.

MW told me that it is quite unusual for a placenta to be so well attached and that it could happen again but also that if I had had the injection straight away my cervix could have closed quicker which would definately resulted in abdominal surgery to remove it so I am none the wiser about what to do next time.

Tutter - have just read some of your other posts and looks like you had it worse than me, I never had the balloon thing. Were you at the Royal Berks because there could be a bit of a theme starting? (thats where I was in Feb)

Hope you are feeling better now and enjoying ds2.

hi marmitemad, yes this was at the royal berks. strange that we were both there - i don't know anyone else that this has happened to

feeling heaps better now, thanks