Had 2 previous post-partum haemhorrages... what are the chances....(TMI sry)

[KatB]

of it happening again?

I'm 29 and have 3 DCs. Am now TTC#4 and am really scared of it happening again as it was horrendous and scary and totally spoiled otherwise 'perfect' deliveries. First one was with my DD1 10 years ago and then it happened again with DD2 5 years later. My 1st child's (DS) delivery was fine.

I believe they were caused by a retained placenta as I have vague memories of several doctors with their hands up my fanjo pulling stuff out while I laid there in agony with drips in both hands still contracting but unable to grab the gas and air

Another worry is that my 3rd delivery was incredibly fast, 20 minutes from car to delivery - would have had her in the car apparently but my waters didn't go (although was 10cms). I'm scared in case this happens again and I end up with a PPH at home or somewhere I don't have medics/midwives on standby...

Sorry blathering on, I'll obv discuss with consultant when I do fall preg but wanted to know if anyone has any experience so I know what I'm in for.

Thanks

Kat

bump....

I don't know the answer, but I suspect it would be related to why your PPHs happened.

Have you gone through your notes with anyone? Most PCTs offer some form of "birth afterthoughts" service, where you can sit down with a Dr or MW and your hospital notes and go through them step by step.

Do you know whether you had a managed 3rd stage? A managed 3rd stage seems, annectdotaly, to increase the risk of a retained placenta.

Do you know how fast your PPHs were? I had a PPH but it was more of a trickle than a flood - and no-one started to worry for a couple of hours.

Good luck with TTC#4, and I hope you can find some resolution to help you work out what to do.

Hi Tangle thanks for the response.

The PPH's were both very fast, within minutes of her coming out both times. Basically just floods of blood followed by loads of medical people running in Not nice at all, I didn't even get to hold my DDs for over an hour after the births. Not sure how much I lost the 1st time (over 10 years ago) but last time it was close to 2 ltrs. I almost had a transfusion but they said it was stopping and I said give it a few more minutes and thankfully it did stop. I wish I had had a transfusion as I was badly anaemic for weeks (and on iron) and with a newborn to look after it wasn't fun!

After the 1st one, when I was preg with DD2, Dr said there was no reason why it would happen again I do know the placenta was low this time as I had to have late scans but it was deemed ok for me to have a normal delivery.

Oh and both times I had the injection to make the placenta come away.

If/when I get pregnant with number 4 I'll discuss it with the consultant and mw I guess. It's just always worried me slightly as I was never given a reason. Once is unfortunate but I thought twice is a bit more unlikely.

xx

This happened to a friend of mine. She has 2 DCs and had a PPH on all three. After first she was told it was very unlikely it would happen again but it did.

She had her first child in UK and it was totally out of the blue. Second child in Dublin and they didn't think it would happen but it did - I think they managed it ok. Her third was born here in Budapest and she basically went to see 3 or 4 consultants to see who she felt comfortable with - she was told by a couple that if it happened they would likely do a hysterectomy and she wanted to avoid that funnily enough.

She reckons that the birth here was the best as they were totally prepared for it and when it did happen no-one panicked and they had blood ready to give her etc.