Injection for placenta removal - anyone NOT had it? Can't decide!

[Picante]

I think it made me sick last time. I also had an epidural last time so had no sensation of the placenta coming out anyway.

I'm planning a homebirth this time and really have no clue - what helped you decide whether to have the injection or not?

i had it the first 2 times. first was a hospital birth, second was a homebirth.

didn't have it for the third because the midwives turned up so late, and by the time they were there and figured out what was going on i was delivering it anyway.

22 minutes after the birth i believe

had it first two times, hardly noticed placenta being delivered, couldn't have it with dc3 as I had pre-eclampsia and hideously high BP, delivering the placenta took ages, was very painful and heaps of pulling and tugging by MW. Bleeding afterwards looked like my internal organs were falling out Given the choice I would most certainly have it.

I couldn't imagine wanting to push again after he was out. Injection, placenta out in 4 minutes, was very relieved.

I didn't have it. Was no big deal at all - didn't feel more than very gentle contractions (pain free) and after about half an hour of cuddling ds, I just held a sanitary pad supplied by the mv over the front of my fanjo, as I didn't have much vaginal muscle tone at the time. Was the same amount of effort as a very easy crap. It was big, but so was fanjo after a baby had exited out of it, and the placenta (unlike tha baby) was slippery and foldable!

My son had serious feeding problems later and got rather unwell. Natural third stage was very comforting to me on that basis - I felt I'd given him a little extra boost.

I'll do the same thing next time, with the same reservation - that if the labour is worse, and the 3rd stage hurts, I'll change my mind and ask for the jab. But there's no harm in giving it a go. You can reconsider on the day if need be.

I didn't make a decision until I was actually at the 3rd stage. Certainly with my third birth I recall the 3rd stage as being worse than the labour, and asked for the injection after about 20mins. I think it was bad because I was lying down on my back. I've no idea why I ended up in that position, having just given birth upright in a birthing pool!

You don't need to chose beforehand, see how it feels when you're actually doing it, then choose.

I had the injection with ds1 (in hospital) and I swear the midwife bruised me while doing it as that area hurt for months afterwards. I remember asking other mums in my postnatal group if their thighs still hurt from the injection and they were all quite surprised.

The main reason I chose to have the injection first time was that I reckoned I'd be so tired I would just want the placenta out as fast as possible rather than hanging around waiting for it.

Ds2 and ds3 were born at home so the hanging around didn't really matter. Both times it took about an hour, but I had to concentrate on pushing it out, it didn't just slip out on its own.

My midwives brought a kind of bedpan thing to sit on. I am surprised other midwives weren't as helpful.

Just to clarify, I wasn't trying to push the placenta out for a whole hour. I was just sitting around feeding the baby and chatting, but there came a point where the midwives said 'you really should try to push out the placenta now' and so I did, and it came out.

I didn't have it! Twice. Was no different for me than having it (which I did first time), so would always opt for not having. Placentas took about 2-3 mins to emerge in each case.

Son had jaundice which I'm not convinced is not caused by cutting the cord while it's still pulsating, as they have to if you have the jab.

Should also say I had no noticeable contractions to get them out. They just appeared painlessly a few minutes after the baby.

Physiological third stage is a natural thing if the first and second stages are without intervention. The cord should stop pulsating before it is cut. The cord can actually be left unclamped till the the placenta is out.

If you have an epidural again, or other intervention, you could ask for syntocinon as the injection for the third stage. It does not make you sick. That is what we use all the time now. It is syntometrine, another injection, that does make you sick often.

Duchesse - my son was jaundiced. He didn't have the cord cut till it stopped pulsating.

Jaundice is associated more with having the jab than not, you'll be glad to know.

Thanks all - that's been really helpful. I think I'll give it 20 min or so and see what happens.

3 babies, never had it. Much to the disgust of the midwife with DS1.

i had it with hospital birth of DD1 and i had a retained placenta :-( (spinal theatre aaarrgghhh total nightmare) was terrified of the same happening again when i was having DD2 so went for homebirth and the midwives were happy to go for a natural third stage, unfortunatly couldn't wait for cord to stop pulsating or for daddy to cut it as she needed some help to start breathing, but with some tummy massaging from fab midwife and very gentle tugging (very thin cord!!) i delivered it myself probably 20-30 mins later i think..did experience crampy type pains....needless to say i not looking forward to the delivery of DD3 in sept!!!!

mrsradders - what a pity the cord was cut to get your DD2 breathing. When the cord is still pulsating, the baby is still getting oxygen from the blood supply. Better to stimulate the baby to breathe while still attached.

It is also not good practice not to give the injection if the cord has been clamped and cut while pulsating as it intereferes with the natural process of placental separation which can increase the risk of haemorrhage.

I didn't have it with either of mine, placenta came out after 20 mins with the first, ten with the second. I have much less bleeding in the first few weeks and less afterpains than I expected. I did however lose 500ml blood second time around and felt knackered for about two weeks, will probably have another physiological third stage if I have a homebirth or an easy hospital birth this time, but will be with the same midwife, so if it is going to cause her too much stress will go for the injection. Kinda feel that if she is going to put herself on call for me, I don't want to stress her out any more than I have to!

Maxbear - print this off for her
Physiological third stage should not stress her out - she just needs to learn more about it which is part of her respibility to keep up to date!

I had a very fast unplanned home birth with Ds, Had the injection but retained the placenta and had to go in to hospital to have it surgically removed. Wasnt alllowed a homebirth second time around for other reasons but went for a "natural" 3rd stage as Id read the injection can (bizarrely) sometimes cause retention. Didnt have any problems delivering the palcenta without it.

I think it is best to wait and see how you feel. As I understand it once they have given you the injection the placenta must come out within a specified time or they will take you in to surgery, and there is no requirement that you have the injection straight away so give it a while and see how you feel.

I did not have the injection as I wanted a natural, unclamped third stage. BF'd DD while waiting for placenta and DH cut the cord once it was out.

Hope it all goes well

Oh yes, and if you do go for natural 3rd stage put in your birth plan that the midwives should not tug on the cord or try to pull the placenta out as this is contra-indicated.

Just gave birth to DD2 on tues and thanks to advise on this thread had a natural 3rd stage. I used gravity and coughing to help shift the placenta and really thankful to people sharing their experience as otherwise would never have known to ask.
I had the injection last time with DD1 and when the MW had applied tension to the cord it felt like my insides were being pulled inside out, really unpleasant sensation. This time the MW asked if she could try abit of tension and even though she was really gentle was the same horrible sensation so I asked if I could sit up, and after squatting very unceremoniously over the bucket and coughing it came out. Not my most glamorous hour but so much better than the very brutal tugging feelings so definitely the best decision for me. I thought it wouldn?t have been that uncommon but after it had been delivered the MW who has been a community MW for the last 2yrs after working in the hospitals said that was her first natural 3rd stage she?d done, which surprised me.

I did have the injection with both of mine, but I still retained some placenta and membranes with my 2nd.

Didn't come out until 10 days later. Fortunately I had had some antibiotics for something else or I would have had a dreadful infection. As it was, I felt very dizzy and strange when it finally "fell out".