Understanding and Preventing Postpartum Hemorrhage
Understanding and Preventing Postpartum HemorrhageBleeding after having a baby is normal, but too much bleeding can be dangerous. This is called a PostpartumHemorrhage. If you think you may be experiencing a postpartum hemorrhage, get medical help immediately.Most postpartum hemorrhages are caused by Uterine Atony. This occurs when the uterus does not contractafter a baby and placenta are delivered, so the blood vessels remain open. Other causes of postpartumhemorrhage include: Retained Placenta, or when a piece of the placenta remains in the uterus; UterineInversion, or when the uterus turns inside out; Or lacerations and tears in the vagina or cervix.If bleeding happens in the first 24 hours after delivery it is a Primary Postpartum Hemorrhage. If the bleedinghappens 6-12 weeks after your baby is born, it is called a Secondary Postpartum Hemorrhage. There areseveral conditions that raise your risk of having a postpartum hemorrhage. These include:“Women have pushed for a long, long time. Women who have either had very long labors or very rapidlabors. Ironically, a very large baby or twins or triplets also puts a mom at risk for having a postpartumhemorrhage. And while that list isn’t inclusive those are some of the most common reasons it canhappen.”A Postpartum Hemorrhage is a medical emergency. If you experience any of these symptoms after giving birth,contact 911 immediately: Soaking more than one pad in an hour for two hours straight; Any amount of bleedingthat is accompanied by feeling lightheaded or dizzy; Passing out; Chest pain or trouble breathing. If yourdoctor suspects a postpartum hemorrhage, she will perform several tests to determine if you have postpartumhemorrhage. These might include a blood test, a pelvic exam, or an ultrasound to check for problems with theplacenta or your uterus.If you are diagnosed with postpartum hemorrhage, treatment can include medications or Uterine massage tohelp your uterus contract, removal of placenta pieces, either manually or through surgery, IV fluids andpossible blood transfusion, surgery to repair tears, or in severe cases hysterectomy.Postpartum hemorrhage is very serious, but quickly detecting and treating the cause of bleeding can lead to afull recovery. If you think you may be bleeding too much or have any questions or concerns talk to your doctorright away.This program is for informational purposes only. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness,or suitability of this video for medical decision making. For all health related issues please contact your healthcare provider.PRG56227A EN UnderstandingAndPreventingPostpartumHemorrhage.pdf© The Wellness NetworkPage 1 of 1
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