I experienced postpartum hemorrhage myself after sean's birth sept 2000.
10 minutes postpartum (while sean was still in the warmer, he hadn't been
near my breast yet), I had an inverted uterus with an attached placenta
(which was my CNM's first experience with one)- she and the L&D nurses
figured it out from a combination of "something weird attached to" my
placenta, my complaining of "feeling like my insides are ripping out" and
asking "someone please check my blood pressure, I feel like I'm going to
pass out" (it was 50/20), and no one being able to palpate a fundus.
I got whisked back to the OR where my blood loss was estimated to be
about 5 liters. I went to the ICU for about 16 hours before returning to the
maternity floor. during that time, sean was given a bottle of formula (until
I called down to the nursery from the ICU and insisted he be cup fed, no
more rubber teats) and my request to start pumping was ignored ("you won't
get anything yet" and "he can't have any colostrum with all those drugs in
it" [Versed, Morphine, Ketamine]).
once I went back to the postpartum room, sean stayed in my room with me
as much as hospital procedures allowed, but those hospital routines were
still very disruptive (he went back to the nursery nightly at 2300 for his
daily weight, assessment, and that ridiculous sponge bath, and he went back
to the nursery every morning for the peds exam).
I was a first time mom, not an RN or LC yet.... trying to manuever
latching a baby with IV lines in both arms and a foley cath, and I had
excrutiating back & abdominal pain and perineal pain/swelling from the
midwife and 2 OBs manually replacing my uterus....(I thought it felt like a
c/section would...without anesthesia). I was in a hospital whose maternity
unit's floor plan (seperate nursery, not easily accessible), policies, and
environment was not particularly conducive to breastfeeding success
(obviously not where I work now ha ha).
I had some cards stacked against me: 1) the large blood loss (Hct
dropped from 39 to 18). 2) lack of stimulation (first breastfeeding was
about 18 hours after birth, and he got quite a few formula feeds during our
seperation). 3) major postpartum edema: after delivery I got seven liters of
replacement IV fluids and 2 units of blood pumped into me within a few
hours, in addition to all the IV fluids I'd had during the 12 hour labor
(elective pitocin induction, bolus with the epidural, etc.) initially I
couldn't even open my eyes when I woke up in the ICU, from the periorbital
edema. I don't recognize myself in photos of the first 2 days postpartum.
areola were swollen to say the least.
I did start pumping at home on day 4 because I was in nursing school and
was going back in 2 weeks, and I experienced obvious breast fullness and
increase in volume about day 6. never supplemented at home- he just lived at
my breast. we overcame the initial hurdles and had a wonderful 2 1/2 years
nursing.
many years later, when I learned about pituitary shock, I was surprised
and blessed that things turned out so well for me and sean after our rocky
start. so best wishes for this mom whose circumstances are obviously worse
than mine were.
vicki hayes rn ibclc, washington, who's been nursing sean &/or harrison &/or
lachlan for almost 6 straight years now
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