Assisted delivery of placenta

[Koumak]

Any thoughts on being given an injection to contract my womb before the delivery
of the placenta.

To have or not to have the injection?

What did you do?

But you wouldn't threaten the woman with a spinal and surgery mears surely if they don't push hard enough or whatever? You'd just recommend the injection.

ds1 - injection, don't remember it or placenta delivery tbh

ds2 - no injection, placenta delivery about an hour and a half after ds2 was born, which given his birth took less than 15min was a bit of a faff. MW wasn't at all worried though.

Can I just add my friend's anecdotal evidence, that after a natural homebirth she seemed to be having trouble delivering the placenta- until she sat on a bucket, at which point it appeared very quickly!

I waited over an hour at home too...was given the injection as just wanted to go to bed! MW said it appeared so fast it was probably a natural delivery anyway. But I was reclining on the sofa, so next time I will definitely try being upright.

I've had it all three times with no ill effects. The third time it was absolutely medically required as I was bleeding very heavily. The first time we waited a while then had it and dd2's birth is a blur, can't remember what happened

No.1 - had a lovely birth plan, you know - NO intervention, Waterbirth, NO Pethidine, Physiological 3rd stage (had done lots of research), breastfeeding etc.. [dreamy emoticon]

RL - Waters broke at 38 weeks. Told no waterbirth if didn't go in to labour within 24 hours [cross emoticon]. 2 days later (just under 48 hours) had 3 contractions in the space of 4 hours!! Very excited and dragged poor DH to the hospital at 6.30 in the morning to avoid Syntocinon (had been threatened with Induction if went over 48 hours ). Established labour finally arrived 16 and a half hours later . A few hours later, whilst lovely midwife on break, stand-in coerced DH in to pressuring me to have pethidine . 4 hours after that, lovely midwife went home after long night shift. 15 minutes later DS decided he WOULD like to make an appearance, after all. Head crowned for 20 minutes (you know, none of that forwards/backwards malarky - lets just burn and sting Mummy for 20 minutes instead!) eventually had him [exhausted and mighty relieved emoticon] 73 hours after waters had gone!

Of course, having been cheated out of my lovely waterbirth, been tricked in to having Pethidine, I was not going to have an active 3rd stage! [stamps foot emoticon]. 3 hours later, 6' 7" Obstetric Registrar with hands bigger than my feet reached inside me and dragged out my placenta!
Oh and to boot - 5 days later baby finally breastfed properly for the first time!

What a shame mummy 369.

MoonlightMackenzie - spinal and manual removal of placenta is only needed if the placenta has not delivered after the injection has been given - even if that is an hour after the birth.

The placenta is said to be retained if it does not deliver 30 minutes after th einjection. An empty bladder and breastfeeding can help th eplacenta come (plus upright position).

Hmm it certainly got me thinking! Thank you all.

I had the injection after delivery of ds but as I was induced and as had some blood loss during birth (not a lot at all but while in the pool so it looked worst than it was) so I think I would've been given it anyway.

I actually asked for in on the birth plan as didn?t really researched it first time around as liked the "over and done with" bit.

Mind you I remember I was given the injection and that ds was given vitamin K but do not remember the placenta being delivered at all as was looking at ds sucking away! Had to ask my dh afterwards what the placenta actually looked like and he said it came out in one piece and all fine. How he knew what he was looking etc. I have no idea!

With dd1 I had the injection. I just rather blindly followed standard procedure. I figured that it's pretty routine.

With dd2 I was a lot more sceptical about the reasons for things being routine. In fact I ended up booking with an Independent Midwife. Despite planning a homebirth I ended up transferring in to hospital, where I had an epidural. I still refused the injection though and both the IM & NHS midwife were happy with that decision. We did discuss the options before I had the epidural as we planned a Lotus Birth. Placenta delivered 51 minutes later and we didn't cut the cord .

For me it was important for dd2 to get all the blood that was in the cord. That is her blood. I do feel she benefited from that.

My personal view is have anything that makes it easier to come out as having the placenta manually removed is nooooo fun.

Fab, I think everyone would probably agree, it's just that some people believe a natural 3rd stage means the placenta is less likely to be retained.

Statistics on it are a bit wooly though. It would seemed that if a natural 3rd stage is done properly it reduces the chances of pph and retained placenta, but if mismanaged can cause more problems than the injection (because that is the norm and therefore mws are better trained in it).

I shall be researching those stats when/if I get pg with a 3rd.

Reeeeeaaaally don't want retained placenta again.

I had a retained placenta and then the next time it went fine. My midwife told me not to have the jab but they ignored that and did it anyway. Felt like I was pushing out another baby which was kind of weird as I was expecting twins and lost one.

Thats sad fab. can't do any emotcions or punctuate as have dd2 under one arm..

Was told more chance of rp if you're early as placenta designed for 40 weeks not earlier.

dd1 was on due date and didn't have it with her.

dd2 was 10 days early (labour started 11 days early) and that was one of the reasons they gave.

The docs think DS2 was 10 days early but I know he was 4 weeks late. Don't know if that helps with how the placenta was.