How do I avoid another retained placenta

Gosh -at last a discussion about retained placentas- I thought I was the only one!!!

Everyone I ever talk to about this looks at me blankly so thankyou ladies for raising this.

I had a retained placenta after my daughter was born last Feb (now 13 months) and I was left 1hour (with lots of tugging on cord) to try and get it out on its own, then off to theatre to have removed (was in for 3.5 hrs) and lost 2 litres of blood - so like the rest of you NOT keen to have another!!

We have just started trying for another and have 6 days left to go before I do pg test so fingers crossed, but above anything else - this was the WORST part of delivery so def intely not going to use Vit E cream this time- will try and find the Neals Yard stuff- THANKYOU for all the info on here ladies - fingers crossed we all have a better time next time- you dont expect there to be such trauma after the birth do you? It ruined the first 2 weeks after delivery for me as I was soooo anaemic and weak and the intravenous antibiotics they gave me gave me breastfeeding thrush which was excruciating - just to add to the joy!

 PS MY cousin had a retained placenta too so another one to add to the genetic link theory?

Hi all

I posted on here back in July last year as i had a retained placenta after my 2nd child and was pregnant with my 3rd and obviously horrified at it happening again. Anyway i'm pleased to say that it didn't happen again, it was out within 5 mins. I still ended up using palmers cocoa butter throughout pregnancy so don't really think it's the vit E that causes it. My consultant said it just depends on where the placenta attaches itself.

Hi debbie

 Lovely to hear such a good story - I was beginning to think it was a case of -once you have one retained placenta -you are destined to have them forever more! It must have been such a relief - just 5 mins and it was out-great result!- I think for many of us who have had one before the relief of getting the placenta must be nearly as much of a relief as getting the baby out!

I was hoping to be pg again with no.2. this month but did test on Mon and no joy - but it was only first go  so cant complain (I am 35 in 2 weeks so was perhaps being a bit optimistic expecting a result straight off!) But hopefully soon I will be pg again and thanks to you Debbie I shall be a little more optimistic this time - I really did believe another retained placenta was inevitable - so thanks for coming back on and sharing your news!!!

Hi Debbie,

You have given us all hope, I am expecting our second in august and the thought of another retained placenta is one of the things that keeps me awake at night, every stretch mark cream I look at as closely inspected for ingredients to avoid vitamin e which tends to leave the really expensive ones. I have my 20 week scan next week so am really looking forwad to seeing my little one again.

Cathy

So glad i've given you hope, i have to say i wasn't worried about the birth at all this time even though i knew she was a big baby. I just felt like having the baby was the easy part and delivering the placenta was the hard part. She was born a week early in less than 4 hours and weighed 9lb 2oz!! The placenta was huge, i was quite surprised myself that it came out so quick.

Good luck with your scan Cathy, it only seems like yesterday that i went for my 20 week scan and here i am now with my gorgeous 4 month old daughter x

Aww thanks Debbie - was v disappointed this month -despite it being the first month trying - it happened first go last time so stupidly expected the same thing again this time!! Well am probably a bit more realistic now -but hopefully within the next 2-3 months it will happen and in a funny way it will be even more special if we have to wait.

Know what you mean though about being more nervous about the placenta coming out than the baby- I am totally with you on that one! So glad it went well.

Hope you are enjoying your new little daughter xxx 

i didnt use creams or nothing with my 2 boys and yet with my 2nd i had a retained placenta, i dont think you can do anything to deter it if its gona happen it will!! and its a very scary thing to happen thats for sure

mine i needed a GA to remove it and 3 trans fusions i lost bout 1800mls and cord snapped of completely and i had to fight to get out of hospital to go home!!

A quick update ladies- 4 years on from my last post! I finally concieved DD no.2 in Jan 2010 following 3 round sof IVF and she was born by E C-Sec in Oct 2010. I was terrified about the retained placenta thing again- but had long chats with consultant. He told me I was more likely to have another one 2nd time round and i considered having a section but he told me that was not going to reduce my risk in any way of having another. So I opted to go naturally - went overdue , got induced, had e-Csec but NO retained placenta- hurray. My placenta was in the same place and it was a girl. Am now pregnant naturally with no. 3 (total surprise!) and have been told am having a planned section this time. Fingers crossed for no retained placenta - am less scared this time! Baby due June. good luck to all those who are pregnant who have suffered with this x