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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

Chosen my local hospital, but 5 people I know have had retained placentas there..

9 replies

mama2moo · 18/12/2009 15:31

Should I be worried, is that a high number?

5 people that I know of in the last 2 years have had retained placentas there.

Im thinking I would be best going with a natural 3rd stage?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
givecarrotsachance · 18/12/2009 16:28

sounds like bad luck rather than a fault at the hospital.

Personally I think a trial of a natural 3rd stage is always a good idea - but it's a very personal decision.

heth1980 · 18/12/2009 20:48

I wouldn't have thought a retained placenta is anything to do with the hospital to be honest. I don't see how anything they could do would stop it being delivered........could be wrong though. Hope someone else with a better idea comes along soon X

SleighGirl · 18/12/2009 20:49

I always thought it was a thing your body did so if it's happened once to you it's far more likely to happen again rather than down to whether you had the injection or not?

mama2moo · 18/12/2009 21:09

My 3rd stage was fine with dd. But, since then I have heard from friends who delivered at my local hospital having them retained - One said the mw said 'oh shit' because she snapped the cord.

If you have a natural 3rd stage can you opt for the injection if it takes too long?

Does the injection have to be given within a certain amount of time for it to work. With dd I had it within 5/10 mins I think.

I have made the huge mistake of googling retained placentas and sent myself into a mad panic that it will happen to me.

OP posts:
BexJ78 · 19/12/2009 00:14

Hi, I had a snapped cord and retained placenta at the end of a pretty reasonable labour last sat. Just wanted to say, whilst obviously it was not the ideal conlusion to the delivery, one week on, i have forgotten all about it and the only tell tale signs for me are the large numbers of tablets I am still taking! i think it is probably one of those things that will happen if it's going to, regardless of whether you opt for the drugs or not...but could be wrong! Good luck.

Tangle · 19/12/2009 01:17

Its too late for me to try and dig out the data, but from memory a retained placenta can be more likely if you have a managed 3rd stage as, in the UK, they jab they use is syntometrine - which is a combination of syntocinon (encouraging the uterus to contract, which in turn encourages the placenta to detatch) and ergometrine (encouraging the cervix to close). Once the ergometrine has been administered you have a finite time window before the cervix closes - and if the placenta isn't out in that time then it will become retained.

The syntometrine can be given at any time after the birth - although it is often given in the UK as the shoulders are delivered, and it is often assumed that you'll have it. There is no reason why you cannot try a physiological 3rd stage and see how it goes and have the jab if/when you get fed up of waiting (be that after 5 minutes, 30 minutes or 90 minutes).

One reason often given as an advantage of a managed 3rd stage is that average blood loss is lower. However, I've seen some very experienced MWs express the opinion that initial blood loss may be lower but lochia tends to be heavier and last longer - such that total blood loss is probably comparable.

If you do decide you want a physiological 3rd stage bear in mind that, because in some areas its an unusual choice, its one that not all NHS MWs are very familiar with. As such its as well for you and your birth partner to be very clear on what you will / will not accept and be prepared to enforce your wishes. For example close contact with your baby is important, feeding if you can as the suckling action of the baby releases oxytocin (natural syntocinon) - but I've heard of MWs refusing to allow the mother to hold her new baby until the placenta is delivered. Also, in a physiological 3rd stage cord traction should be used extremely cautiously c/w a managed 3rd stage where its pretty standard and can be much more forceful.

As for is 5 retained placentas in the last 2 years a high number, in isolation its too small a number of cases to comment on. You'd really need to know what %age of vaginal births resulted in a retained placenta and how this compared with the national average before you could comment on whether this particular hospital was good or bad. I don't know where you'd get these data from.

Personally I'd aim for a hands-off birth with a physiological 3rd stage. If I had to have a managed 3rd stage I'd want the jab delayed until the cord had stopped pulsating (usually only a few minutes). Jab as baby born with instant cord clamping would be my least preferred option.

There's some more info here, with lots of birth stories of various different management strategies and some more links and references at the bottom.

Try not to worry - you've had one birth with no problems. Why should this one be any more difficult?

mama2moo · 19/12/2009 09:36

Thanks Bex and Tangle.

I think I will go with a natural 3rd stage and see how I go.

For some reason this is really worrying me and bringing me to tears for some reason.

Nice to hear that you are ok Bex, I suppose when it comes to it you just want it all done and dusted IYSWIM.

Im seeing MW Tuesday so will discuss my options then. I think a birth plan is defo in order this time. Thanks again all

OP posts:
Fibilou · 19/12/2009 09:59

I'm going for a trial of natural 3rd stage. If it hasn't come out within half to an hour I will go for the injection.
I'm booked in a stand alone MW unit so really don't want to end up being transferred to remove an RP

givecarrotsachance · 19/12/2009 22:37

Tangle's stats are accurate. Trying to pull on the cord with a non-managed 3rd stage is also a bad idea and if the MWs try it - stop them! They tried this with me as they were not used to not using the injection

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