Have you had a manual placenta removal via GA? I need your advice please x

[nunnie]

I have had a consulatant appointment today, and have been discharged to midwife care only which is lovely jubbly.

I have to go back at 36 weeks for a chat about how I want to proceed if my placenta retains again.

Last time it was done with a spinal, and I am terrified about having a spinal again, I hated being awake and knowing what they were doing. Really don't want to be awake again.
We touched on general today, and they said they will never force me to have a spinal if I don't want to and to think about it and discuss it at 36 weeks.

How long did your recovery take after GA, when were you allowed home? Do you regret having a GA for any reason?

Anything else you think I need to know to help me in my choice please.

Thank you in advance.

I chose a spinal on purpose. They have me a shot of something to relax me that meant that I remember nothing until I was in the recovery area. I had no idea what was happening. I chose spinal so o wouldn't have any worries about breastfeeding, even though ga and feeding is meant to be ok. Also previous ga have made me vomit and feel quite unwell. The only issue with the spinal is that they have to use a catheter which means you have to stay in for longer than with a general.

I had a spinal last time, didn't have a cateter fitted though. Had to stay in for 2 days and hated not being able to get to my baby as they had put the cot to far away and they faced her in the opposite direction so I could only see the top of her head, not being able to move for 6 hours was frustrating.
Have had general before and never had a reaction as of yet.
As my placenta was attatched to my womb lining, I could feel all the tucking and pulling, it was an awful experience and want to avoid it and the feeling of being degraded and humilitated again if I can.

That sounds terrible! I had retained placenta too but the drugs they gave me to relax made me completely unaware of everything. Didn't feel or notice a thing. I had my wisdom teeth out with local anesthetic and sedation and it was the same. You could ask about sedation? Or just go for the general if you'd feel more comfortable. Just get good advice about feeding insist either way that they put the baby in bed next to you. I co slept with ds as I was damned if I was going to be hopping in and out of bed after a d and c.

It was irresponsible of them not to notice your discomfort and offer sedation. Seriously I was blissfully unaware and had to ask dh when he first saw me sfterwards and how I got to the recovery area!!

I had it done under spinal aswell. Wish I had had a GA as remember the pulling, gloved hand full of blood, etc and them chatting as if I wasn't there and being happy, music on etc when I had lost my DD a few hours before (20 wks)

Anyway I have had a GA for other reasons and it was fine, was better within the day. Only time was bad was when I had 2 in one day (long story) and had a bad time waking up panicking etc, but had a very traumatic birth which may have been more to do with it.

i had a spinal too, was a bit grim

but it won't necessarily happen to you again! i actually had a home birth with dd2 and a physiological third stage-placenta delivered fine this time, in about 20 mins

No, no sedation at all, just numbness from belly button down. Could still feel them pulling and tugging on it, wasn't painful just very uncomfortable. I was crying when I went in, as I didn't really know what on earth was happening it all went very quick after an hour of trying and surgery wasn't mentioned till the porter came in with the trolley. I saw the glove he used, I could see the top of his head, I could hear everything they were saying and it didn't really take much imagination to work out what was happening down there. I spent the whole time with tears rolling down my face, I felt so humiliated.

I really don't want a c-section, and thought a GA would be the next best option in my case, as I really don't think I am mentally able to go through it again.

Will have to discuss pros and cons at 36 week chat, just wanted experiences really so I could try and sort it out in my head first if that makes sense.

oh jellybeans just read your post-that's so awful

Oj jellybeans sorry for your loss, in situations like that you'd think they would try and be a bit more respectful.

Oh I have my fingers crossed tightly it won't happen again, but I just want to be prepared.
Went in today and requested a physiological 3rd stage and was told as the placenta had stuck to the womb wall then the injection would have made no difference to the outcome and she recommended I had a managed 3rd stage so they can assertain quickly if it is retained and get me to theatre quickly. I haven't agreed to a managed 3rd stage yet, but I did feel a bit confused after speaking to her as I was so determined not to have the injection before I went in, now I am concerned it may do me more harm than good oh I don't know, wish I was medically trained would make these decisions much easier .

Hi nunnie
Sorry you've had such a dreadful experience. I'm an anaesthetist and would never have let a woman feel that way. I'd strongly recommend you ask to speak to an anaesthetic consultant before your due date so they can outline your options.

In general, GA is not as safe because of certain risks associated with pregnancy that don't go away for a few days after birth - can give more detail but may be TMI. Spinal is safer and with a high screen so you can't see, and a bit of sedation and your ipod, should all be over before you know it.

But do talk to the anaesthetist, your obstetrician will not be able to advise you, it's not their area of expertise.

If it helps, I'm 36 weeks and had considered a physiological 3rd stage but have been convinced against after discussion with medical colleagues who could fully back up with evidence why it'll be safer for me not to. If I had your previous problems I definately would have a managed 3rd stsge.

Good luck

Thank you Harri2010, will apeak to clinic and see if it is possible to get an appointment with an anaesthetist, to get more information.

I think I have brought myself round to a managed 3rd stage after speaking to the consultant I think it is for the best in my case.

I had a GA for retained placenta, and was awake and back with ds within the hour: it made no difference to my overall recovery time at all. It was really really quick. Good luck!

Thank you BCBG. Were you able to move around after that hour? Only asking as with the spinal I couldn't move my legs for 6 hours, so was stuck in bed looking and the top of my little girls head , I was kept in for 2 days, and am hoping I can reduce that stay if possible.

nunnie, you're experience sounds similar to mine, sorry you had to go through that. i wish harri had been my anaesthetist.

after dc3 i had a morbidly adherent placenta removed under spinal, no sedation, no high screen and the dr and theatre nurses joking about how she'd missed the bowl and dropped most of the placenta on the floor. and to cap it all the dr was fast bleeped down to A&E after my spinal was in so i was stuck crying my eyes out waiting for someone to find a dr to treat me. being able to see, feel and hear everything that was going on, without having been told what they would be doing, scrapping it out with their "bare" (ok, gloved) hands and then the awful 6+ hrs waiting to be able to move after has left me in a real head mess. sorry i don't have any advice re what to do this time. fwiw i was out the next day which also how long i was in for after dc1 & dc2 with no complications. any idea why you had to stay 2 days?

Hi swissmiss, sounds very similar indeed. Was never given the reason was just told before I went to theatre it would need a 2 days stay, could have been due the fact it was my first baby, I really don't know. Or it may be the policy here after a spinal. If it is policy I suppose it will be another 2 day stay if I choose spinal again . I know what you mean about the head mess I didn't realise how much of a mess it had left me in till I found I was pregnant again and realised it might happen again.

As far as I recall I was mobile quicker after the GA than I had been with ds1 after forceps : also think that what medics sometimes forget is that being awake can be MUCH more stressful than being knocked out for a few minutes (as described by other posters here!)

jellybeans how awful I'm so sorry

I had retained placenta after dd2 s birth and have been told that they will actively manage the 3rd stage this time so the injection followed by the hormone drip and although I'm not looking forward to all of that I will try anything they suggest to stop what happened last time.

After a quick and uneventful birth I retained the placenta and was left bleeding for ages while they tried to get it out then the theatre was too busy to take me.

My husband and sister were left with the baby and I was told neither could come with me into theatre as ' It isn't pretty'..

Had a spinal, though was so out of it having lost lots of blood all I remember was them holding the pen in my hand to sign the consent.

In hospital 5 days, blood transfusion felt like crap for days.

I am 28 wks now and more worried about delivering the placenta than the baby!

Very interested in how everyone who is further on than I am gets on. Good luck all.

I had a GA for retained placenta, and was not given the choice of a spinal. That's possibly because I didn't give birth in hospital and therefore wasn't set up for an epidural anyway, or maybe that's just the way it is done in Germany.

It was really unproblematic and untraumatic - I was on cloud 9 after an easy birth, DH looked after the baby, I was awake again after an hour and went home after 4 hours (the minimum stay in hospital). I was back at home 7 hours after the birth, and being able to relax in my own bed contributed significantly to the BF working, I think.

I did take longer to recover than after my subsequent birth (where the placenta came after a good tug), but that was presumably due to the procedure itself rather than the mode of anaesthetic.

After hearing some of the horror stories here, I'm really glad I didn't have a spinal