Manual removal of placenta, pregnant again and terrified!

[nunnie]

I went to all my ante-natal classes. Spent a lot of time with consultants regarding previous biopsy surgery on my cervix and a large cyst on my ovary. I was informed my labour may be quicker than 'average' first timer as my cervix is shorter than 'normal' due to the biopsy.

My labour was quick and relatively pain free (no pain relief as all), and DD was born in under 3 hours.

After she was born, my placenta didn't want to come away, they tried tugging and pulling, I tried BF (which was the only time I got to hold my baby girl and only for about 10 mins), the a drip and more pushing and pulling gas and air neeeded by this time as the pain was unbearable and making me vomit. Decided it wasn't coming away and I was whisked off to surgery given a spinal and treated to more embarrasing, degrading vaginal intrusion.
During the surgery all I could think about was my baby girl and how terrible I felt that I didn't even know her eye or hair colour.

My ante-natal classes didn't cover a full placenta being retained only partial. I wasn't aware until it happened to me that is was even possible, so wasn't prepared for it in the slightest.
Now I know and am pregnant again I have researched it and have found out as it happened in last pregnancy it is more likely it will happen again. Now I can be prepared but I don't know how, how do I prepare for it. I cant imagine being whisked away from yet another baby and being degraded in that way again, just the thought of it makes me want to cry .

Sorry if long just needed to vent, I don't like my hubby to know I am petrified as it means discussing what happened in theatre and I am too embarrased to discuss it with him.

I wasn't offered it as an option either, I am persuming I will get the same response. I had to stay in for at least 2 days anyway, so I am guessing that a GA won't require a longer recovery time. As all my previous ga's I've been sent home same day. I will request it and see the response but not hopeful it will be a nice yes of course you can!

There may well be a link between endometreosis and retained placenta, but I suppose we can't change that and just have to hope it doesn't happen again.

I had a retained placenta first time round. They had just got to the stage of "preparing theatre" when it finally came away.

I subsequently had another 3 vaginal deliveries and didn't have the problem with any of them. They didn't tell me it was more likely (which I'm pleased about)

I Had a retained placenta with my first delivery which was manually removed in the delivery room as I had had an epidural. It was without a doubt the most traumatic part of the whole labour.

I was very anxious about my second delivery and after a lot of reading felt that having syntometrine may have contributed to it, there is a slightly higher risk of retained placenta with a managed 3rd stage. 2nd time round I had a physiological 3rd stage, managed with no medication, just breastfeeding baby until the placenta came away naturally. It took about 40 minutes but there was far less blood loss and it was less traumatic to say the least.

It might be worth talking to your midwife about the possibility of a physiological 3rd stage as it might make a difference.

Thank you greenbeanie, reading the responses on here I will definatley be requesting that I don't have the injection when I next see my midwife and I will get her to add it to my birthing plan, as I don't have access to my notes they are kept in the hospital.

There is a really good leaflet published by AIMS on having a physiological 3rd stage that might be well worth reading just to give you enough information to answer the doubts that might be put forward by your midwife or consultant.

One of the key parts of having a physiological 3rd stage is having as little intervention and drugs as possible so that your hormones fully control labour and the separation of your placenta. I just had gas and air. The cord also must not be cut until it has stopped pulsating.
Good luck.

nunnie I don't have time to read all the posts but just wanted to say I had a retained placenta on dd1. I had a very fast labour - 4 hours from first twinge to delivery - no pain relief at all, not even G&A and then the stupid placenta would not deliver.

Mine was removed under general anaesthetic. I don't I was really given an option on that but reading some of these I am glad I was knocked out for it.

I had dd2 2 and a half years later and delivered the placenta with no problems so it is not a given that you will retain again.

I was lucky in that it became apparent quite quickly that there was a problem so didn't have to hang around for hours before theatre but I remembered being very frustrated and just wanting it over.

I breastfed dd while the midwife was dealing with the placenta so i had time to hold her and i do like to think about the lovely bonding experience it was for dh to take care of her in her first hours

BUT I also remember being terrified something would go wrong in theatre and i would never get to see my baby again.

She is 4 tomorrow by the way so all of this is on my mind today as i think back to 4 years ago.

Best of luck with whatever you decide to do.

Thank you suiledonne, there does seem to be a link with quick labours as well. Wish GA would have been a option for me but it wasn't offered. Really hoping if it happens again I have the strength to tell them I was it done under general.

Did you have a managed 3rd stage with dd2?

Would you believe I don't know what happened with the third stage on dd2. The whole thing was so fast - under 2 hours from the first twinge this time and she was born with only a couple of pushes.

I was occupied feeding dd2 and the midwife said the placenta had delivered. I said that was good after the problems I had before and the midwife was like this as apparently she should have been told. I suppose she didn't have time to read my notes as I arrived at the hospital ready to push.

I am a bit embarrassed to admit that I don't know if I had the injection either time.

I was also going to suggest a possible section,you sound really traumatised by the previous experience and maybe a calm elective c-section would be an option,I would talk to your consultant about how you feel.I found mine very easy to talk to,kind and sympathetic.

Don't be embarrassed I don't remember having the injection first time my DH told me I did but I was watching another midwife whilst she was weighing and checking DD over.

Am going to speak to consultant think I am booked in to see him on the 10th of this month about my cervix. If I can have GA then I will go with that option as apose to c-section just for recovery aspect. If GA not and option then I think c-section is next on my list as I am truly petrified and really don't think I can go through it again .

Well a c-section is harder to recover from and more risky but I've had two and they weren't too dreadful,in particular the second one,because I'd planned for it (was trying for a vbac which didn't work,but had prepared myself for a c-section)and it was calm and I felt really looked after ,it was a lovely birth even though it wasn't the vaginal birth I'd hoped for. I would think a c-section with an epidural would be easier to recover from than a GA.Possibly safer too?

I have had GA's before and have been up and about within a couple of hours, and home before 24 hours. I have never had a c-section and wouldn't know what to expect so would be equally as worried about having that without looking at other options first.
I don't think after reading that even if I request a c-section I will be given one on the NHS to be honest and I can't afford private.
Maybe I will be one of the lucky ones and my placenta will detatch this time, if I do a psycological 3rd stage. If it doesn't then my only option is a manual and then it will be either awake or out cold.

I think you will be allowed to have one on the NHS, especially if you get a good midwife or consultant behind you.

I have had 2 electives after my retention of products, PPH and GA. I came home earlier with both of them and was 100x more well than I was after my vaginal delivery. I wouldn't change those deliveries for any risk of my first birth experience happening again.

I may feel different about a C-section if I had had a PPH. But as my feelings are just because I was awake and knew what was happening which made me feel humiliated and degraded. I would feel a fraud for just asking for a c-section , that might not make sense to anoyone else I just don't feel I suffered enough to request one.

I can see where you are coming from but I think most people would agree that what you went through was terrible and would certainly render you eligible for a c section. I am so glad that my removal of products was under GA, but as I was already unconcious from the blood loss, there was no other option.

Spoke to MW and Consultant regarding GA, and they seem happy with that choice, have to go back at 36 weeks after thinking it over fully and ask any questions that will have arisen in that time, but all sounded promising.

Spoke about natural 3rd stage and was advised that as my placenta got stuck to the lining of my womb, the injection would not have made a difference and that I should think about having it as they will be able to ascertain early on if the placenta is stuck and deal with it promptly.

Have left me to think about this and discuss with community midwife and finalise or chat to consultant about it again at 36 week appointment.