The Role of Midwives and Obstetricians in Managing Retained Placenta

My baby having his umbilical cord around his neck when it was time for delivery made labor more painful, but that was some sort of attached blessing too, because I didn't have to go through another section of pain to push out the umbilical cord. I have heard stories of women who go through a tough time birthing their babies and then also have to go through a tough time to also birth the placenta.

Some women experience a case of retained placenta while birthing their child, although it is an extremely rare case, which is usually a life-threatening issue for the mother.

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After the baby is born, the placenta also needs to be delivered, in what is termed medically as the third stage of labor. During this stage, there is a choice to actively manage it, as an injection called Syntocinon (a synthetic version of the hormone oxytocin), which will help the uterus to contract and birth the placenta. The process of actively managing this 3rd stage of labor can last for as long as 30 minutes, but it can also help reduce the risk of heavy bleeding from the vagina.

There is a choice of not going for the injection too, in this case, one would wait for the placenta to be born naturally with the use of some contractions and gravity, and it may take up to an hour in a case like this.

The placenta can be retained after the baby is born if;

• The cervix closes and the placenta gets trapped inside the uterus.
• Experienced contractions are not strong enough to expel it.
• The presence of placenta accreta, when the placenta implants too deeply into the wall of the uterus.
• The placenta is excessively attached to the wall of the uterus.
• Early delivery.
• Giving birth many times.
• Previous surgery that has been carried out on the uterus.
• Having a natural case of uterine deformity from birth.

The most common reason behind a case of retained placenta is when there are insufficient contractions in the uterus. There could be a case of slowed down uterine contraction for different reasons, most likely a case of; a large baby, excessive oxytocin medications, fast labor, long labor, the presence of fibroids, twins or multiple children, too many cases of childbirth, and magnesium sulfate infusions.

A case of retained placenta is shown by the fact that it doesn't come out, but sometimes, the mother may push out most of it and have little retained, in such a situation, the symptoms would take some time before they show up.

When the placenta is not delivered at all, it could be accompanied by a sudden loss of blood and life-threatening bleeding, but in a situation where some pieces are retained, symptoms like; chills, fever, flu-like feeling, blood clots, delayed or heavy bleeding, pain, and foul-smelling viganal discharge.

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Cases of the retained placenta are usually diagnosed by the midwife within 30 minutes or an hour if a physiological management option is chosen after a vaginal birth. At birth, the doctors in charge should check the placenta to ensure that, no part of it is retained in the uterus, this i a standard measure.

However, in a case where it is a tiny amount of tissue that has been left behind, it is not easily noticeable, so it may be skipped. It is advised that when any of the signs mentioned above are noticed, medical help should be given instantly.

When noticed on time, retained placenta can be treated by having the woman empty her bladder or a professional gently pulling on the umbilical cord. When this does not work, a surgical procedure would be required to take out the placenta.

The surgical procedure would involve the woman being placed on an anesthetic or epidural to make her not feel anything, but while waiting for the surgical procedure, the medical team would keep a close watch on the woman to ensure she is not having a postpartum hemorrhage. While the procedure in itself is a quick one, the woman would have to be monitored for several hours to ensure she is not bleeding abnormally.

A case of retained placenta could be a very serious situation, it could create postpartum hemorrhage and even death. Doctors and midwives always advise new mothers to do the things immediately after birth.

Begin breastfeeding as soon as possible, this is because the act of breastfeeding would help the uterus contract and naturally help prevent issues of retained placenta.

Mothers are also advised to roll to the side or squat, changing position can help the uterus contract and push out the placenta if there is any left.

After delivery, doctors also massage the abdomen to help contract. This may feel uncomfortable but helpful. Abdominal massage is usually used as second birth, and this is because the uterus may not contract very well after several births.

The most important thing is that, any woman who fels wird after delivery adn being discharged from the hospital, should not hesitate to check righ tback for appropriate examination as well as treatments.

For Further Studies.

https://www.pregnancybirthbaby.org.au/retained-placenta

https://www.webmd.com/baby/what-is-retained-placenta

https://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/labor-and-delivery/retained-placenta/

https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/complications-retained-placenta

https://americanpregnancy.org/healthy-pregnancy/labor-and-birth/retained-placenta/

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Hi, I am Tobi, a writer, speaker, relationship blogger, and lover of good music. I love making friends and learning from people. If you want to hear me speak on relationships and general life issues, you can find my YouTube channel where you can watch any episode for free, please do not forget to subscribe, friends. I sincerely appreciate every love I get from here, Kindly do well to keep them coming.