Retained placenta. Will I have another 2nd time round??

[zimbojules]

After the birth of DD1, I had a retained placenta that had to be removed manually (with the help of a spinal block).

I am due to give birth in the next week or so, and this is the aspect of birth that is troubling me the most...has anyone had one and what has happened in their subsequent births???

i have had two friends who had this with their first births and both went on to have the second baby with no problems one even had a fantastic home birth

no experience myself, but i wish you the best of luck xxxx

I had a retained placenta with my first normal delivery (2nd baby. 1st was a section) and it didn't happen again with the next baby.

Without knowing the full story of your previous birth I would say that you should try to make sure that you empty your bladder as much as you can when labouring. A full bladder prevents the uterus from contracting properly and therefore you could have problems getting placenta out.

(This may seem a strange question but with your username I wonder if you know my Aunt Theresa? Sometimes it can be a very small world)

Had a manually removed retained placenta first time around. 3 weeks ago delivered the placenta for my second with no problems and no syntometrine injection about 30mins after DD was born. I'd go for a "physioligical" ie non-managed 3rd stage if I were you. Hope all goes super smoothly for you

thanks everyone for all your helpful, reassuring words. Last time round my daughter was rushed to ICU so I couldn't breastfeed but hopefully this time it won't be as tricky and b/feeding will bring it on. i didn't have the injection immediately but did after trying a number of other things that my midwife and doula recommended.

Oh my word Klaw - auntie theresa is my father's sister! what a small small world. how is she? we keep meaning to phone her to find out how she is, but life has been rather hectic recently. if you want - email me at julesdunn at gmail dot com.

What a small world!!! Have emailed you, best go find AT's email and email her too!!!

I stayed a couple of nights with you about 10/11 years ago when me and AT went to Majorca, remember?

I nearly had a retained placenta with DD1 they have an hour to get it out before they take you off for a spinal, I was catheterised too, up off the bed dangling over a bed pan to see if gravity would work (!) then they were preparing to take me off for a spinal and gave it one last tug and thankfully it came out.

With DD2 I had a homebirth and no syntometrin, the MWs were quite anxious about me not having it apparently it's not that common up here DD2 placenta was delivered in about 15 minutes absolutely no problems (she was BFing before the cord was cut).

zimbojules

If you have had a retained placenta with no1, you are at a slightly increased risk with no2.

Several things might help, for example, having an empty bladder, breastfeeding, getting upright on a bedpan or birthstool and having an injection of syntocinon.

Syntometrine is syntocinon and ergometrine mix, and it's the ergometrine which makes you have a big contraction and closes the cervix quickly. It also tends to make a lot of people sick. The syntocinon is much slower acting and not so 'fierce' and does not close the cervix quickly, so it will help to reduce bleeding but not increase chance of retained placenta.

I routinely use syntocinon and hardly ever have retained placentas and not too much vomiting

Hi

I had a retained placenta removed under spinal with DS1 (after an otherwise straightforward delivery) and was dreading it happening again, but had the injection again with DS2 and placenta delivered easily within a couple of minutes. Good luck.