PPH and homebirth

It's not surprising that people worry about what would happen if a woman bled heavily after a home birth. Throughout history, severe blood loss has been one of the main causes of women dying in childbirth, and it remains the most common cause of maternal death in the world [WHO, 1994].

Efficient management of postpartum haemorrhage is one of the wonders of modern obstetrics. The key is the availability of oxytocic drugs, which make the uterus contract down and normally stop bleeding. The drug most commonly used in the UK is Syntometrine - a mixture of Syntocinon (synthetic Oxytocin) and Ergometrine, but Syntocinon or Ergometrine can be used separately as well, depending on the circumstances.

Read more here....

http://www.homebirth.org.uk/pph.htm

__________________
J
StudentMidwife.NET Founder & Director

"You're braver than you believe. Stronger than you seem. And smarter than you think."
Christopher Robin in Pooh's Grand Adventure

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Very interesting, thanks, J ™. I'm going to keep this article and do some more research. I've heard of many cases of pph at home, but have never heard of it being so sever that a transport was necessary. Midwives here also carry pitocin with them along with herbs like shepherd's purse and homeopathic remedies and are very skilled with knowing the correct route to take when it happens. A friend of mine had a homebirth 10 months ago and she hemorrhaged herself, but never needed to go to the hospital.

The only time I did was when I miscarried a baby at 15 weeks and the placenta did not detach, though the cord broke when the little one was born. I had to have an emergency d&c and I remember trying to wake up after the surgery to hear the recovery room nurse panicked over the phone yelling for blood now because she'd never seen lips this blue on a person with a pulse. Being a nurse myself, that freaked me out quite a bit and they hung two pints on me before even checking my blood levels. Gosh, I'm glad I was so out of it and didn't see myself. My dh said it was the scariest thing he's ever seen. Still, I'd trust myself in the hands of a midwife at home.

Glad you found it useful!

__________________
J
StudentMidwife.NET Founder & Director

"You're braver than you believe. Stronger than you seem. And smarter than you think."
Christopher Robin in Pooh's Grand Adventure

Please help us raise funds for a bereavement room in Honey's memory by taking part in the SMNET Auction & Raffle here thanks x