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Placental abruption
Hi
Has anyone else had a placental abruption and if so how have you felt about it? I had massive bleeding at 37 weeks and was rushed to hospital. It turned out to be a partial abruption and within 4 hours I was having an emergency section under general anaesthetic. Before I was put under I didn't really understand what was happening but I kept being reassured that the baby was fine so I wasn't that worred. We were so lucky in that our son was born absolutely fine as I know abruptions often result in the death of the baby. However it was only over the course of the next few days and weeks that I fully understood how dangerous it all was and that my own life was at risk - as noone ever sat me down and explained what had happened. My husband only admitted to me recently that he had been told I mightn't make it and was sitting waiting to see whether I would come out of theatre alive. I am finding this very hard to come to terms with despite having a gorgeous, healthy boy. And it's really on my mind as I desperately want another child at some stage but am so worred that it will - to put it bluntly - be the end of me as there is a higher risk of it happening again.
Has anyone been through this and had subsequent successful pregnancies?
Has anyone else had a placental abruption and if so how have you felt about it? I had massive bleeding at 37 weeks and was rushed to hospital. It turned out to be a partial abruption and within 4 hours I was having an emergency section under general anaesthetic. Before I was put under I didn't really understand what was happening but I kept being reassured that the baby was fine so I wasn't that worred. We were so lucky in that our son was born absolutely fine as I know abruptions often result in the death of the baby. However it was only over the course of the next few days and weeks that I fully understood how dangerous it all was and that my own life was at risk - as noone ever sat me down and explained what had happened. My husband only admitted to me recently that he had been told I mightn't make it and was sitting waiting to see whether I would come out of theatre alive. I am finding this very hard to come to terms with despite having a gorgeous, healthy boy. And it's really on my mind as I desperately want another child at some stage but am so worred that it will - to put it bluntly - be the end of me as there is a higher risk of it happening again.
Has anyone been through this and had subsequent successful pregnancies?
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Replies
i dont no if there is an increased risk with more pregnancies,as each pregnancy there is obvioulsy a new placenta so maybe not,but im not certain on that,maybe speak to an expert as understandably you are worried. i have been told i can have natural birth too provided there is no more bleeding but at time of bleeding i was told i may need emergency section and i no its scary!
I would have thought that any further pregnancies that you may have would be very closely monitored, and also due to your previous history, I would have thought that you would be offered an elective section at an earlier date if required.
Beck
You should ask your GP to refer you back to the obstetrician at your hospital to discuss your delivery. Usually if someone has had a traumatic delivery a post-natal appointment is made to discuss what happened in your particular circumstances- however it sometimes doesn't happen for various reasons.- I think this would go a long way to helping you feel better and move forwards.
Good luck
Mobo x
I have been advised that if I do have another baby I would be monitored more closely. I would have a Uterine Artery Doppler scan at 23 weeks, with a further growth and blood flow scan at 28 and 32 weeks, and they recommend taking a low dose of aspirin daily. Speak to your doctor about your concerns
Be warned though that it might make you more scared. i went for mine thinking that it would put it into prespective but when they doctor confirmed my worst fears that me and the baby nearly died I was in shock!!!
she is 13 months now and I am over the feeling of bewilderment.
I am finished having kids (i have 5) but you need answers as to what would happen if and when you have another.
I had full placenta previa with accreta so its different but my placenta had started to come away as it was over my cervix and that started to dilate hence, they huge bleed and emerg section at 35 weeks.
I think you would be at risk of it again, so you need to sit down and know what would be ahead.since you bled at 37 weeks they will probably advise a section at 36 plus weeks next time to ensure a safe outcome. They may also want you to be on total bedrest from a certain time! Sorry, I dont mean to be the harbinger of gloom but just thought its best you know what may happen. My friend had uterus abruprtion with her 3rd so with her 4th she was on bed rest at home from 24 weeks and then in hosp from 30 weeks till 34 weeks when her baby was born.
HTH???
d xx
I had had no problems in the pregnancy at all, apart from a tiny bleed( as in less than a fingernail amount) at 24 weeks. So I woke up a 3 am to what I thought was my waters breaking, on looking down I was horrified to see a puddle of blood. We called an ambulance and within one hour and a half of waking up I was being rushed to theatre for a emcs. I was told they would attemt a spinal but if I didn't 'take effect' quick enough I would be put under general anesthetic. Luckily the spinal worked first time and took effect extremely quickly. At the time I was not 'with it' at all possibly due to being in shock due to blood loss and how quickly everything had happened. My daughter Darcey was born at 0444 less than two hours of me waking up and approximatly 23 mins after the decision was made for me to have the emcs...( I say this as when the decision is made for someone to have a 'crash' section they aim for the baby being delivered within 30 mins) she was rushed off, after 20 mins off resusitation she was taken to scbu. She was very Ill and at around 9 pm we we decided to take her off the machines and she passed away in our arms. Xx
At the time Russel (my partner had been told I was in a very 'bad' way aswell and although I didn't realize it at the time yes my life was at risk aswell. A thought which terrifies me now. I have been told that there is around a 5% increased chance off an abruption occuring in future pregnancies although any abruption would not necessarily be as big as the one I suffered and they would expect a better outcome.
Despite this I am determend(sp?) to become a mum and we are going to ttc again as soon is considered safe. I have been told the hospital will keep a very close eye on me and that I will have extra monitering, scans etc. They have also said I am welcome to stay at the hospital at times throughout my pregnancy if anxiety levels set too high. And they would prefer to do a planned cs at around 37/38 weeks although if I was dead set on attempting a natural they would allow it. So although the thought terrifies me, I can't wait to fall pregnant again- I miss it so much, just wish things had turned out differantly. So I'm sure you will be very well looked after also and although they can't prevent it happening. 5% is such a low chance, even then it could be a small abruption so I'm sure we would be fine. I know words like 'not necessarily' and 'expect' don't exactly fill you with confidence but I know the only thing that is keeping me sane at the moment is that little word called 'hope'-hope for the future
Hope I haven't offended or worried anyone by posting this- I just think people should be more aware off it-it was just about theonly senario that hadn't run through my head! X
Hi,
I too had a placental abruption.
I was pregnant with my daughter my first child, everything was fine all through the pregnancy,I was four days overdue and was visiting my dad at the time as my partner went food shopping, I sat down chatting to my dad and all of a sudden there was a huge gush which i thought at the time was my waters breaking but then looked down and it was blood and It just kept gushing and at this point i was in a state of panic!!
my dad rang the ambulance and they arrived within 10 mins and rushed me to hospital and had an emergency c section,at this point i was so frightened!
anyway they told me I had a placental abruption and had lost a huge amount of blood and by the skin of my teeth avoided any blood transfusions but was very anemic, also after my c section had a very bad wound infection and had to be admitted back to the hospital.
Time went by and discovered that I was pregnant again with my son, at this point I was very frightened.
This time I had to see a consultant as this pregnancy was classed as high risk anyway the first question I asked was there any chance it could happen again and he reassured me that the percentage was very low 5%, he also said to me that it is extremly rare to have a repeat abruption and said that i would be able to have a vbac which I was pleased about.
So again everything was going fine with the pregnancy at 9 days over my due date I was experiencing contractions(which I did not get before).
Went into hospital and was experiencing contractions for 24 hours and was not progressing and was experiencing stomach pains...by this point the doctor looked worried and said you need an emergncy c section.
At this point I was very concerned was rushed to theatre and my son was born, he was grey and was not crying, he got rushed to scubu at this point i was a nervous wreck and told my partner to go as well so he went down with our son.
Was wheeled to the recovery room and was told that this time i had suffered from an internal abruption and that my son had been swallowing blood while inside me and that's why he was nt well when he was born!!
after about 5 days in scubu he was allowed in the ward with me(which i was glad about).
It still frightens me now as the docs and midwifes said we were lucky to be alive =(.
Sorry for the long story.
Omg I can't believe it happened to you twice! I suffered a complete placenta abruption at 38 weeks which unfortunatley resulted in my daughter passing away 19 hours old. Like you I had initially though it had just been my waters breaking.
What is an internal abruption? Is this when the placenta abrupts but the blood you loose doest 'leek' out for want of a better expression? Have they said anything about future pregnancys? I have been advised there is around a five percent chance of another abruption although any abruption would be expected to be on a much smaller scale. I have been told that at anypoint during future pregnancy I feel to anxious I can admit myself to hospital for as long as I want, did u do this after your first pregnancy? We are trying again now after waiting 3 months. The thought of being pregnant again terrifies me! I just feel so scared that something will go wrong again. I don't want to die and couldn't face losing another child. I just want a baby so much. Sorry for all the questions, I'm just very interested to hear how u were cared for and your experiences or any advise you might have. Thanks in advance
Hi CeilidhA,
Sorry yes the baby was fine, I really don't want to worry you about the abruptions because everyone is different and the last thing i want to do is worry you =(
I'm sorry to hear about your loss..so sad =(
basically an internal abruption is where the blood pools behind the placenta known as concealed or internal abruption, which means it does not leak out it stays internally.
The consultant said basically that I would be closely monitored if I become pregnant again(which I wont) and that I would have to have a planned c section, I did'nt go into hospital during my second as they convinced me that it would not happen but deep down I had a feeling that it would happen again.
To be honest with you, I wish that I had a planned c section for my second as i was pretty concerned that they let me go overdue by 9 days
I really should have asked more questions but then you just assume thay know what they are talking about!
Hope this helps x
if you have any more questions just ask
Thankyou for replying. I have been told by my consultant that although the chances of a repeat abruption is low the hospital will do all they can to reasure me and keep my anxiety levels down as much as possible, they have said they will be monitering me very closely all through my next pregnancy, giving me extra scans and checkups etc. They have also said that if at anypoint during the pregnancy I feel to anxious they would allow me to stay in the hospital for any period of time. I think I will take them up on this offer!... No one likes staying in a hospital away from family but I feel I am not prepared to risk it and would never forgive myself if things went wrong again. (although I'm not sure how pratical It will be for me to be there) I think I will try and hold of for as long as possible maybe 32 weeks but I will just have to see how things go. My consultant has also said he would prefer to due a c-section at around 37/38 weeks, although has said if I was set on a natural birth he would support me in that. Although the though of never experiencing a natural birth makes me sad(god knows why, sure I won't be missing much) LOL... I will be opting for the early c section! No question, all that matters is that the baby gets out safely at the end of the day.
The thought of being pregnant again terrifies me- I know I will be worsied everysingle second but it's what I need to do. I am soo glad the jospital are being so suppotive of my decisions-it doesnt seem like your hospital werent so supportive for you. I want to be a mum so much. I suffered a misscarraige with a pregnancy before Darcey so thought we had, had our 'bad luck' so to speak- little did I know. We are currently about to start ttc
again so fingers crossed, god willing this time we will get a healthy baby
and i will be a healthymummy! Anyway thanks again.
P.s your wee ones look gorgeous! Xx
Nice to hear from you again, i really thought that i had scared you and that's the last thing i wanted to do.
If it's any reasurance to you your consultant sounds much more understanding than mine was, and them offering you to go into hospital must be reassuring for you as you know that if you thought anything that they would be there to put your mind at rest, i know staying in hospital is not ideal but if it keeps your stress levels down then it's worth it in my eyes.
To be honest i'm not suprised you are the way you are, i hope you don't mind me saying but i read your story about darcey and it brought a tear to my eye...I know I did not lose my children but i can totally relate to you.
and you are doing the right thing asking questions etc, you will have your baby and be a healthy mum and i will keep everything crossed for you!!
xx
[Modified by: saraann78 on May 21, 2009 08:39 PM]
My doc has said though that it was a less than one percent chance of it happening again. I don't know anyone that has had the same thing happen to them and ive terrified of trying again. It makes me feel better knowing there are people that have had kids afterwards. I'm so sorry that horrible things like this have to happen at all
My doc has told me though that it was
I've just come across this topic and feel so much better for reading it. My wee girl (Ella) is 4 weeks old and I had a partial abruption with her. I wasn't really aware of what was happening at the time, its only now that I've read more about it that its really sinking in.
I went in to be induced at 39weeks because of SPD. About 4 hours after I had the gel inserted, I had constant cramps for 2-3 hours that never eased (which I now know is a warning sign). I then was aware of feeling 'wet' so assumed my waters had gone. I went to the toilet to find I was bleeding and it wouldn't stop. I pulled the emergency buzzer and then it was organised chaos. I was immediately put on the fetal monitor and her heartrate had dropped very low. They prepared me for theatre and told me I might have to have my uterus removed to stop the bleeding. (This was my first pregnancy so was really scared at this point). Thankfully her heart rate started to recover so I was moved through to the labour ward (I was already 3cm dilated and they broke my waters). I was constantly monitored and told I would be taken to theatre immediately if anything changed. I managed to have a natural delivery after a 6 hour labour but had bled throughout. I lost 2 litres of blood in total. The midwifes were very calm throughout and kept me calm. My partner was more aware than I was of how serious it was and he is still coming to terms with how close we came to losing me and Ella.
They asked me in hospital afterwards if I wanted to go over my notes but I never knew then just how serious it was. My gp has said that I am at a higher risk of it happening again but a second pregnancy is the last thing on my mind right now.
Thankfully, we have a gorgeous, healthy little girl and I'm slowly getting back to normal. We are just so glad we were in the hospital when it happend (we are an hours drive away from the hospital) or the outcome would likely have been very different.
Sorry if this is too long, feels good to be able to talk about it.
shons
xx
You have probably read the story up above so I won't reperat myself. I also have posted the 'full' story of Darceys very short life over in the bereavment forum. Have u thought about posting your wee ones story over there?... It might not be for everyone but I have found great comfort in the kind words that people said. Somedays now when I'm feeling down, I re read the posts and it helps to cheer me up a bit.
On the topic of trying again for another baby, I am doing that now. I am terrified of being pregnant again, but I'm just so desprate to be a mum( I know I am a mum, to Darcey) but you'l probably understand what I mean. I don't no what your consultant has said but I have been told that I will be extremely closely monitored from very early on in my next pregnancy, extra check ups, scans etc. He has also said that at any point my anxiety levels become to high I am welcome to stay at the hospital for unlimited periods of time- an offer which I intend to take up especially towards the end. I am also opting for a planned c-s early. Around 37 weeks depending on how I am coping.
Anyway I wish you all the luck with whatever you decide to do, hope you are doing okay and take care xx
Em I wouldlisten to the doctors but I remember we it hard to be positive as we felt the doctors were being very negative, we realise now that they were trying to prepare us for the worst. Although our situations are similar PLEASE don't let my story give up hope. Stay positive. I'm sorry, I'm not really sure what else I can say, please if there is anything you want to ask just ask, I won't be offended. Stay positive for your little boy, sing to him and let him no just how much u love him. I know the doctors will do everything they can to help him. Ask questions, make sure you know exactly what is going on. Anything u think off, no matter how silly it seems ask it. Remember no matter how bad things get, miracles can happen, and I will pray to god and ask that your wee boy will pull through xxx
When the doctor told us, we had to make a decision- turn off the machines or leave them on a pray for a miracle(that just wasn't going to happen, in our case. Even if it did she will b severly brain damaged and disabled.(he didn't go into details) we decided it was best for her to let her go, the easier option for us would have been to keep her here, but as hard and as sickening a thought we had seen her go through enough. Part of me was still praying on that mirracle when we took her off. The first thing I thought was omg what the hell are we doing put her back on, I felt like in a way I was taking my daughters life away from her by taking her away from the thing that was keeping her alive. I realise now that if she was meant to be here, she would have been no matter what choicces we had made. We were told that if we left her on the machine there was a high chance she would have a huge seejar(sp?) and die attatched to the machines we didn't want that.
It's all very personal choices, and if's and buts. Sometimes now I think oh god what if we'd done this or that. And I probably will for the rest of my life. If it comes to it whatever you decide, will be the right desicion for your little boy. I feel for you I really do, the 19 hours Darcey was here was absolute hell for us, try and enjoy your little boy aswell, ok it's nit the way things should be but make the best of the situation. I wish I had spent less time crying Anne more time singing and stroking my little girl.
I hope you wee boy has had a good night and that the scan go's well. I'll keep praying for him Xxx