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Original poster

Massive fetomaternal haemorrhage

34 replies

mozi · 11/11/2006 22:31

Hi, My 3 month old daughter was delivered by emergency C section 4 weeks early following a massive fetomaternal haemorrhage. She was in the intensive care unit for a quite a wee while, ventilated and given a blood transfusion. At times we thought we were going to lose her. We were on holiday at the time so it really was a confusing and scary time. Luckly she now appears fine and is doing well but there are lots of questions I didn't ask and as it is a fairly rare occurance I have not come across anyone who has experienced the same things. Is there anyone out there who has gone through this or knows anything about this condition? Thanks

OP posts:

flack · 12/11/2006 21:53

is that a placenta rupture?

lulumama · 12/11/2006 21:54

or abruption? ( is that what you meant flack? apologies if so )

Miaou · 12/11/2006 21:59

I've just googled it - there's not much information out there is there mozi?

It's different to placental abruption - all I can find is medical pages and they are really difficult to understand.

Are you rhesus negative, mozi? That seems to be a common link.

Sorry no help or advice, I've never heard of it before

lulumama · 12/11/2006 22:09

can you go back to the hospital and go through your notes with the obs ...... Miaou- the stuff on google is clearly not meant for non medical people is it? very complex...

mozi - i think you might need to ask the obs about this....sorry to not be more help...x

lulumama · 12/11/2006 22:09

can you go back to the hospital and go through your notes with the obs ...... Miaou- the stuff on google is clearly not meant for non medical people is it? very complex...

mozi - i think you might need to ask the obs about this....sorry to not be more help...x

Miaou · 12/11/2006 22:16

Were you on holiday abroad or in this country, mozi?

If for no other reason, it would be good to get some more information on it in case you have another child in the future, to know if it is likely to happen again etc. Though I guess you have thought of that

Original poster

mozi · 13/11/2006 09:24

Hi thanks for all your interest. Luckly we were on holiday here and near an excellent maternity unit (better than our one at home). I think it can be due to placental abrution but not always. I didn't lose any blood at all - infact gained most of my DDs through the placenta which meant that she was severely anemic when born which then badly damaged her lungs. I believe it is a very rare occurance and have done some looking up on google too. Have a bit of a science background so could understand what some of the papers were talking about. Just thought I would ask if anyone out there had similar expeience so that I could get personal view on it. Am not Rh neg as that could have been much worse. Thank you all so much for your interest. XXX

OP posts:

Miaou · 13/11/2006 19:37

Aw, sorry we weren't more help, mozi. Am bumping this thread though to see if anyone else has had it.

CornflakeKid · 13/11/2006 20:07

This happened to my sister - she was full term and said she didn't feel right - nothing in particular - went into get checked and his heart trace line was almost flat. Had emergency c-section and they spent an hour reviving him - he crashed 5 times in the first hour but they managed to revive him again and again - my sister was under general and hubbie not in theatre due to seriousness. They obviously knew the possible consequences of doing this and the effects it could have. His haemoglobin was 2 - he was white and had no heartbeat when he was delivered - and they were completely baffled as to what had gone wrong. Eventually - the next day (he was in ITU) - they found that his blood had been pumped back into my sister. They called it a acute fetal haemmorage - and could only find 5 other cases in the country where they knew this had happened and where the baby had survived (only 2 where had no effects) - they called him the miracle baby at the hospital. He was in intensive care/high dependancy for a week and they ran every test known to man on him - everything was scanned etc - but they couldn't find anything wrong with him. He had several blood transfusions/drugs/vitamins etc etc.

He went home after a week and they had special nurses visit them everyday. He had peadiatric care until he was 18 months to check his progress and has been given the all clear. He is now a very healthy 2 1/2 year old and she has had another ds since - under the very watchful eye of the hospital - had planned section at 37 weeks.

It was an extremely traumatic time both in hospital and the months following when they didn't know what could happen/if there were any side effects of his haemorrage/resuscitation. It upsets me now just thinking about it - I went to see her the day after when they were in hospital and had been given 24 hours max as they didn't think he would make it.

My sister doesn't talk about it - it freaks mums to be out way too much and I think she is so grateful that she has him and he is healthy that she tries not to dwell on it. We are all acutely aware that she was in the right place at the right time, that the right doctors were on, that if it was 10 minutes later he wouldn't have made it.

I will ask her if she wants to talk about it to you.

I am really pleased your daughter is doing well - that really is great news.

lulumama · 13/11/2006 20:10

i had never heard of it....my goodness....how utterly frightening..delighted all seems to be ok for your sister after a terrible start

and you too mozi...glad you and DS are ok

do you know what causes it?

CornflakeKid · 13/11/2006 20:15

They aren't really sure - they have said could be fetal abruption - but that was only last year when she was expecting no.3 - I think that because most don't make it - the cause isn't really known.

CornflakeKid · 13/11/2006 20:15

Sorry no.2!

Pruni · 13/11/2006 20:16

Message withdrawn

lulumama · 13/11/2006 20:17

thanks for that cornflake...x

Original poster

mozi · 14/11/2006 13:39

Cornflake - thank you so much for sharing the info. Our situation was very similar and equally traumatic. I was 36 wks and visiting family. Movements had been reduced for a few days but there was still something there but on the wednesday (our wedding anniversary) I felt no movements at all. because we were 36 weeks I thought that maybe bubs had just settled into a different position but something just didn't feel right. We went out for a meal to celebrate WA (having babysitters on hand for DD 1) tho I didn't enjoy it and was worried the whole way thro. I think DH thought I was just being paranoid expectant mum. When we got home I phoned my own hospital who advised me to go to nearest maternity unit. They put the trace on and immediately the heart beat showed up. I wept with joy as I thought everything was ok but they left me on the trace for half an hour or so and it was completely flat. I didn't realise this was bad - I just thought how calm the baby was. The staff then began to get v concerned. We had a scan (at about 2 in the morning!)and it was very eeiry because we could see the heartbeating but the rest of the picture was like a still picture - no movement at all. They sent DH home then and admitted me to check further then at 6am when there was still no change I was given a c-section under general. DH not in the theater and I was just past myself. I knew that there was something very wrong and was just terrified that the baby would die and I wouldn't even get to see her. When she was born - unlike your sister cornflake - she seemed fine but went down hill very very fast. Dh had a cuddle but by the time I came round she was in ITU. they worked out what was wrong fairly quickly and she had a blood transfusion and was ventilated for a week. It the beginning she was very very ill and they thought they may have to do a lung bypass to give her wee lungs a chance to recover. Her Hb was 5 so not as low as your sisters WO but as it should be closer to 17 it was very serious. Once she came of the ventilation she came round fairly quickly. Like your sisters baby she had lots of scans and tests and they could find nothing long term. She now appears to be a healthy little 14 wo but I do worry that there may be someting "lurking" so it is fantastic to know that your sisters wee boy is older and doing really well. I think that because it was so serious and that it was such a close thing and so traumatic that I am still finging it hard to believe that it actually happened and that we got away with it. From the little that is out there on the net from what I can work out lots of babies don't make it although I hadn't realised just how rare it is. Little wonder I couldn't find anyone else it had happened to. If your sister wanted to talk that would be fantastic. Thank you - so glad I posted now XXX bubs demanding feed now - apparently nothing wrong with lungs now......

OP posts:

CornflakeKid · 15/11/2006 07:59

Mozi

I am so pleased everything is okay now - you have been through alot - will ask my sister if she wants to chat when speak to her later. Take care xoxoxox

Original poster

mozi · 17/11/2006 13:16

thank you cornflake - that would be great XX

OP posts:

MrsRuby · 17/08/2009 00:06

I have decided to add to this extremely old thread as I have been searching for information about foeto-maternal haemorrhage for nearly 3 years and would like to add to the scant pool of lay-persons info on the subject, in an attempt to help anyone else searching.

I also had a FMH with my son, born as mentioned above, nearly 3 years ago.

I went in to hospital one evening at 37+6 weeks due to reduced movements and had him by emergency csection within 2 hours. His HB at birth was 3.5 and he had 3 blood transfusions, followed by 4 FFP (platelets?) transfusions.

He was transferred to the NICU at Kings college London (from our home in East Sussex) and stayed for 13 days. He had follow up appointments with our local hospital team until he was 2 years old, although there were never any serious concerns about his development (he was a little slow with many milestones, but not to any great degree and he is now an extremely intelligent almost-3-year-old with a huge vocabulary!)

I am now expecting baby number 2 and am seeing a consultant in 2 days to discuss any implications from my son's birth affecting my second child. However, from what I understand, FMH is extremely unlikely to ever happen again - I am hoping for a home birth with minimal intervention this time!

If I can I will update this post after seeing the consultant.

If anyone else, however far in the future wants to contact me via mumsnet on this topic please feel free.

Mrs Ruby

MrsRuby · 02/05/2010 22:44

Just wanted to update this , again in case anyone else is searching for info on this topic.

As I posted above, my son was delivered due to a FMH over 3 years ago and thankfully has had no lasting effects.

I saw a consultant in my subsequent pregnancy who asked me how old my son was when he died because, despite my son being alive and well my notes had neonatal death printed on them! When the confusion was cleared up he went on to tell me that I had no more chance of having a FMH this time than anyone else - ie it is a random complication and would not recur.

This was the information I had been waiting 3 years to hear and was absolutely ecstatic I told him immediately that I would therefore be having my 2nd baby at home (the smile on his face froze at this point!) which I successfully did!

My 2nd son was born in the birth pool, into my hands on 22/12/09 at home, perfectly healthy and wonderful .

So to anyone who has experienced FMH and the trauma and sadness that entails please believe that there is hope and that it is extremely unlikely to recur in subsequent pregnancies.

Love Mrs Ruby
xxx

CarGirl · 02/05/2010 22:50

That is fab Mrs Ruby!

I can't belive what a horrendous thing all of you Mum's who've been through have endured.

CoinOperatedGirl · 03/05/2010 00:01

Oh fab Mrs Ruby, so glad. Blimey it's a scary complication, if rare. Just shows how important it is to go and get checked out if you feel less movement/just not right (advice I should have taken myself) although in my instance it turned out ok too.

technokiwi · 14/06/2010 06:23

I have just experianced the same thing sadly my baby didnt make it. My baby had a massive fetomaternal haemmorage also, i went to my midwife after not having movements for 1 day. ( wish i noticed earlier) will never forgive myself for not reacting earlier.

I am shocked with the lack of info on the net. All i can think of is that it might happen again and i loose another baby. This has been the hardest thing to go through and i just want some answer to why this can happen.

sadly i dont think there is a reason, but if anybody knows anything please write back. the advice i would give to anyone during pregancy is to really keep an eye on babys movements, if you even slightly suspect something call ur midwife or doc.

i now know the hard way and forever have to live with the what if's. im so pleased all the babys mentioned above got through and are now doing well. they really are miracles.

Lydia new zealand

happycopter · 14/06/2010 06:37

technokiwi

I'm so sorry for your loss. (((((((((((((((((HUG)))))))))))))))))

thumbwitch · 14/06/2010 06:49

what happycopter said.
There isn't any comfort to be had from this situation, techno - but it sounds like yours happened faster than the other ones menioned here, so there probably wasn't anything you could have done.

thumbwitch · 14/06/2010 06:51

for anyone else reading - FFP = fresh frozen plasma, not platelets - it contains all the clotting factors in the blood but no platelets as they don't survive the freezing process.

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