If you had a severe PPH (haemorrhage) support.

[HJWT]

I wanted to start a group for anyone who had a severe PPH after giving birth! Whether that be vaginally or section!

Baby is 8 weeks and it is still something I think about so be nice to chat to people who have been through it!

DC1 Vaginal delivery small PPH dealt with in the room with medicine etc! Very tiny tear. 8LB8

DC2 Vaginal delivery, no tearing at all severe PPH managed to stop it in the room within 2 mins it started again, rushed to theatre had a balloon put in my uterus and a vaginal pack, Lost over 3.5 L and had a transfusion!

My first question is, was you recommended not to have anymore children after your PPH?

I had a huge PPH - over 4l - had multiple transfusions. I had a 36hr labour, everything stopped at 9cm. I had an episiotomy and retained placenta. Ended up in theatre to have it yanked out under general. This was a few years ago now and it still haunts me.

I wasn't told not to have any children.

I had a missed miscarriage in the summer and had an ERPC and bled heavily from that which they didn't expect.

I think I'm just a bleeder!

I had a pph after an emcs, the theatre was in a bit of a mess afterwards, I was terrified because I could see a reflection of everything that was happening in the steel light above where they were operating. They had to get someone to clean up the floor before I could be taken out of theatre, I had to have a transfusion, which they did without my consent & was on iron tablets for 3 months afterwards. They never mentioned anything about future pregnancies but that may have been due to me vowing to be sterilised when the nurse came for the contraception chat the day I went home.

DD is 9. I had a 4th degree tear and when in theatre to repair that I had a pph. Also lost around 4l of blood. Emergency transfusion in theatre and recovery, followed by another 2 unit transfusion on day 3 as my bloods were still very low.

I was told by my consultant that 1 pph is unlucky and doesn’t mean that I’d have another after future babies. He did say however, that if you have 2 pph’s then you are considered prone to them and he would advise against further pregnancies in that case.

I was told that in my case any future pregnancies would have to be delivered at 38 weeks by caesarean due to the tear.

Can I ask what is classed as a PPH?
I had my LG via forceps delivery in theatre due to her being stuck. She was 9.2lb and they had to cut me plus the cut tore I then very heavily bleed (I couldn't say how long it took to stop the bleeding I was kind of out of it but it felt like about half an hour). My OH said they had told him I had lost a third of my blood (unsure in litres but it was a lot) and then two days later I had a transfusion however I was never officially told I had haemorrhaged though? But then I wasn't really told anything after my birth I found them all pretty useless! I was very unwell and just felt out of it for days, very dizzy and couldn't stand up without feeling like the whole room was spinning around me. I do want to have another baby so I do hope it's not something that is likely to happen again.

DC1 straightforward labour, gas and air only etc. struggled to push and hit the time limit. Needed a kiwi cap for delivery. PPH of 2.5l (which they later said they underestimated). Then treated for suspected sepsis. Back in 3
Weeks later after repeated secondary PPHs due to retained placenta. Cluster fuck!

DC2 again straightforward labour, gas and air only. Got to 10cm, pushed for over an hour, no success and EMCS due to baby’s size. Lost 3.5l. Felt sad about my defective uterus until they told me they cut the wrong place then tore me! That’s what caused to loss. For some reason I felt so much better that it wasn’t my body that has caused it.

I’ve been told I can have more babies. Whether I should is another matter...

@rumandbiscuits Postpartum bleeding or postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is often defined as the loss of more than 500 ml or 1,000 ml of blood within the first 24 hours following childbirth. ... The most common cause is poor contraction of the uterus following childbirth.

Thats of google hope that helps! Sound like you did!

I think mine was bad because they couldn't stop it, i had every medication put into me and it just kept coming, when they was rubbing my stomach to try and get it to contract it just made it worse, it felt like a river between my legs! Will never forget my DH & DM's face as I was wheeled out 😩 I had to sign for a hysterectomy whilst they was putting me to sleep!

Did any of you go on to have more DC after? X

Forgot to mention DC2 was induced at 39 weeks 9LB 9!

Oh gosh that all sounds very traumatic OP so did you have a hysterectomy?
From what you have said then I definitely did have a PPH. It also took 14 weeks before I stopped bleeding completely after having her.

@rumandbiscuits No but that would of been the next step, they put a balloon in that they filled up and then a vaginal pack like a extremely long bandage! Think a magician with a magic handkerchief pulling it out of your lady parts 🤢 that was traumatic!

I have an appointment next year to talk about what happened because obviously I was there but it was very VERY fast pace and I don't know what was done other than what I could feel, I really want to know what was put up my bottom because that really hurt 😩🤣

Bless you. That sounds so tough
I would love to have an appointment to talk through everything that happened with me as well.
Looking back at my labour I felt like I wasn't there I was so out of it! I have to ask my OH what happened because I don't remember most of it! But I do think that might be a good thing 🙈

Saw this pop up on active threads and feel for all of you for whom this was so recent. Flashbacks are a very real thing. I’ve got two DC and had a PPH for both. First was obviously very unexpected- over 3 litres and like op had emergency surgery under general and the balloon and a transfusion and it definitely traumatised DH and was a horrible start to parenthood for us both.
Had a debrief around a year later which was incredibly helpful and also requested my notes which was interesting.
DC2 they strongly recommended consultant led (not midwife led unit) and no water birth and that I should have a canula placed to get the good drugs in quickly- and it was a good job as I did bleed again but the drugs managed to get it under control and I only lost 1.5 litres. So I guess I’m a bleeder too which is useful to know but second birth definitely went a lot better than the first so hope it doesn’t put people off having more. Forewarned is forearmed and all that!

@Elpheba Its not to know you had a similar experience and had a better time with your second! X

I had a pph after ds1 was born. I lost over 2 litres and had 3 transfusions. It was incredibly traumatic. I had flashbacks quite often and I felt very numb. It turned out I had ptsd. Luckily I was able to self refer and got cbt really quickly and had a debrief at the hospital which helped. It was a hard thing to overcome but I did and I got pregnant again and had ds2 (very straightforward birth no blood loss) 18 months after.

Talking through everything should help. I had a pph of 3.5 litres after DC2 and not long after I managed to chat through the whole thing minute by minute with my mum and felt so much better after that. I went on to have another 2 DC and both times I was consultant led and had a drip hooked up ready to start as soon as the baby was delivered. I still lost a fair amount with DC3 and then even more with DC4 but not enough to require a transfusion again and certainly didn’t take as long as DC2’s to get under control.

I have no idea what the drugs are called but I think the ones they use in your bottom are extremely strong muscle contractors and I was told they were being used as the last resort before surgery and the balloon. I didn’t feel them go in but I remember they made me feel like my lungs were being crushed so they weren’t nice! One of the worst things for me was the horrendous thirst just after they got it under control and they would only let me suck a cotton lolly pop thing every few minutes for about 2 hours afterwards in case it started again and I needed the surgery.

It wasn’t a nice experience but I don’t think it’s affected me and I did go on to have two more DC. I just concentrate on the fact that it was all sorted in the end and my DC were well.

@Malteserdiet aw im so glad you had a better experience ! For me though they just kept injecting me and injecting me! Pumping me with bags of stuff in different cannulas, the doctor had his whole hand in my uterus trying to pull the clots out and check for placenta! Nothing worked and I had to go to theatre and have the balloon & vaginal pack!

DS is 11 weeks now, he has been an absolute angel and would love another 10 of him 😂 but I honestly feel like the risk is to high to leave my beautiful children without a mum 😔

Sorry iv not been on the thread!! My nan passed away and then baby ended up in hospital then DD has been ill since he got home🥴

Happy New Year everyone 🥰

@HJWT sorry to hear about your Nan and baby! That’s really tough!

I didn’t have retained placenta, mine happen because my uterus seems to give up contracting as soon as my placenta delivers so possibly that’s why we had slightly different outcomes. But definitely speak to the specialists and see what they think about having more DC because once they know a pph might happen, there is quite a lot they can have prepared when you go into labour.

Good luck and Happy New Year to you too

@Malteserdiet I didn't have any retained placenta, I also had a PPH with DD so they knew there was a chance and I was consultant led! I guess its just luck of the draw for some women, my sister and mum were the same but just not as severe x