Pregnant again after bad hemmorage??

[gromero]

I just found out I am pregnant with #5. While I am happy about this baby, I am scared out of my mind. My delivery with last son was very difficult where I would up hemorrhaging and needed several blood transfusions.

Due to some problems with my nightmare of a midwife, I wound up switching to an OB at 39 weeks. I let them induce me at a little over 40 weeks because I had a high fever that we couldn't get down. Long story short, I pushed ds out but both his head and shoulders got stuck, he wound up with a fractured collar bone, my blood pressure started dropping drastically as soon as he was out (the lowest it got to be was something like 50/40's I think...I passed out at this point). I started to hemorrhage severely and required several units of blood. I never got hold my son until 12 hours after he was born, when I woke up from my haze. I wound up with a 4th degree tear that caused me so much pain afterwards that I was in tears because for it for weeks. I wound up needing 2 more blood transfusions before I could leave the hospital and the last time I went to my dr., my blood count was still low.

So, needless to say, I am terrified about delivery this time around. I did not have any pain meds with my last ds...I did have pitocin, but was able to try and move around in different positions to push in. I wound up stuck on my back though because I had this severe pain in my thighs every time I pushed...like someone was dragging a knife in them...believe it or not, experiencing that pain is more worrisome then the contractions to me.

I know I've got a lot of homework ahead of me, but what are the odds of me hemorrhaging again like that? Ds is now 21 months old...when he was born he was 9 lbs 12 oz., 21 1/2 in. and had a 16 inch head.

Has anyone else had an experience like this or have any advice, it would really be appreciated.

Thanks mamas

[ursusarctos]

Wow mama, you are one strong woman to get through that!
I'm sure other people have more helpful things to say, but couldn't read without commenting.
With assisted deliveries as was needed with your son and with pitocin in labor risk of hemmorrhage goes up. From what I have read, severe hemmorhage is far less common when the birth is less traumatic. You had complications with your last birth, which resulted in hemmorrhage. I don't think that says anything about your likelihood of hemmorrhaging with an uncomplicated birth (unless you have had previous pph with uncomplicated births).
FWIW, my mom had a 3rd or 4th degree tear when she gave birth to me and also lost a lot of blood, and her next birth with my brother she only had a very small tear and lost very little blood. Every birth is so different.

[audmommy]

I had hemmoraging after the birth of my second child just like with my first. I think the big difference was. My Dr. was prepared for it this time. He knew I had a history of hemmoraging after delivery. So he was ready. I did have the same bleeding after my son's delivery as I did with my first child, but the amount of blood lost was much less.

I wish I had better news than this, but I did feel much better about things with my Dr being aware of my history and prepared for what might happen - which did happen.

Angie
Ephram - born 7/4/09