Extraction of a retained placenta

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Mar 21, 2005

OUCH!!! :eek: I thought they were supposed to do this sort of thing under anesthesia......

babyktchr, BSN, RN · Mar 21, 2005

Sounds like he snapped the cord...which happens from time to time. They do go "up there" and get it...it isn't the most pleasant of experiences. Sedation is ordered so the patient is calmer during the procedure. It just doesn't work in all circumstances. As I said..it isn't the most pleasant of things..for the patient, the nurse or the doctor. Sometimes they do have to go to the OR and remove the placenta if it doesn't come out. There could also be circumstances such as an acreta, preventing the placenta from separating. Sometimes mom just cannot tolerate the procedure either (understandably) and have to be take to OR for removal.

truern · Mar 21, 2005

Same thing happened with my daughter...the placenta didn't deliver, he gave it a yank, and next thing I know he's elbow-deep in my lady parts tugging and pulling out my tonsils!! Well, that's what it felt like, anyway :uhoh21:

newgrad2005 · Mar 21, 2005

Does not sound like a pleasant experience. We had a pt. yesterday who delivered at home and then called an ambulance and came to the hospital with the placenta still in her. It had to be over an hour after the delivery of the baby that the placenta finally came out (after some gentle pulling). Question: are placentas supposed to come out on their own (e.g. does the woman have an urge to push it out like she does when the baby's head is crowning), or does someone always have to pull on the cord?

babyktchr, BSN, RN · Mar 22, 2005

Does not sound like a pleasant experience. We had a pt. yesterday who delivered at home and then called an ambulance and came to the hospital with the placenta still in her. It had to be over an hour after the delivery of the baby that the placenta finally came out (after some gentle pulling). Question: are placentas supposed to come out on their own (e.g. does the woman have an urge to push it out like she does when the baby's head is crowning), or does someone always have to pull on the cord?

Some moms feel crampy when the placenta separates...there is a lot of massaging going on to help the process along...a bit of gentle tugging on the cord. Some feel the urge to push, some docs I work with have to mom push to facilitate the delivery. Pushing out a placenta is MUCH different than pushing out the baby!!!

kimtab · Mar 25, 2005

I can believe you felt like kicking him. I saw my own OB doc remove a patients placenta manually during my OB rotation in school. She had NO pain meds on board at all. I have never seen anyone try to climb a wall backwards like that woman did. I was so horrified I chose a new doctor. I was always taught in school that placentas mostly came out on their own if you gave them long enough. This MD waited 20 minutes. I guess the extra 10 minutes for a shot of demerol to kick in would have made her late for something else:(

land64shark · Mar 26, 2005

I've experienced this a couple of times myself. With my first child, the placenta partially delivered. I was hemoraging(sp?) and blood pressure was dropping so the doc was in a hurry to get it out. I had a failed epidural for labor and could still feel one side of my body. I can't possibly describe the pain of those huge hands up past their elbows in me! There must have been at least 4 people holding me down on the table. Agony doesn't even come close! It was a good year or more before I could "let go" of the pain experience and even consider having another baby.

For my second childbirth, they were about to wheel me off to the OR to fetch the placenta when it finally decided to come on its own. It was another failed epidural.

Third delivery had a successful epidural but the doc had to manually retrieve the placenta. Not a problem with the epidural. We did it right there in my LDR and while uncomfortable, it was not painful.

Meloday · Apr 1, 2005

Thank you so much everyone for your responses! I feel a lot better now that I know more about it and know that others went through the same feelings! Melody

SmilingBluEyes · Apr 1, 2005

(((meloday)))

jeepgirl, LPN, NP · Apr 4, 2005

Hello - I am a first year nursing student and will actually be starting my OB 'rotation' next week. But this is my question: This past September I had a baby girl and had a retained placenta. I was induced and had Staidol. After my baby was born the doc withdrew some cord blood (I had it banked), then he tugged on the cord. (not hard). He had this slightly shocked 'oops' look on his face that made me think he had done something wrong. He tried to remove it manually and was not successful the first time. He had the nurse give me a"shot" of the Staidol then tried again. I was VERY close to kicking him while he was doing it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Is this how retained placentas are usually removed??? It's been 6 months now but I am having trouble "letting go" of this experience and would appreciate your guys' expertise! Thank you! Melody

Yup yup. THat's how mine was removed. I did develop an infection 10 days post partum that resulted in a one week admission and a central line. most likely due to bacteria being introduced to the area from the manual extraction.

jeepgirl, LPN, NP · Apr 4, 2005

Some moms feel crampy when the placenta separates...there is a lot of massaging going on to help the process along...a bit of gentle tugging on the cord. Some feel the urge to push, some docs I work with have to mom push to facilitate the delivery. Pushing out a placenta is MUCH different than pushing out the baby!!!

yeah... you really feel like you have to pass a BM. people TOLD me that pushing would feel like you have to pass a BM... but it is NOT the same!