Retained Placenta - Spring,TX

I have found that nurses' opinions (even know-it-all nurses) about doctors are usually spot on. They see things that, as a patient, you don't. When ever we need a new doctor, we ask the nurses.

It's standard procedure for a doctor to examine the placenta after the birth to make sure that it is intact. You may have had such heavy bleeding because there was a piece of placenta retained. You didn't know about the gauze? Were you drugged and don't remember? If not, I would stop loving your doctor so much. Doctors are not our friends and they don't love us. They are supposed to provide good medical care and if your doctor's care is questionable, it's best not to recommend her to a friend.

What do you think? If you think your doctor sucks, find a new one. If you like your doctor and are satisfied with their service, ignore your SIL.

I have to agree with your SIL. Your doctor should have examined your placenta and the cord after birth to make sure there were no abnormalities and that you had completely passed it.
In addition, your doctor should have included the gauze pack in your chart, as that should have been changed and removed and not left for several days until it fell out.

It is totally, totally standard procedure to check the placenta and make sure the entire placenta is intact and delivered whole. So yes, I would say that is a gross error. Perhaps she thought a Labor and Delivery nurse would check? That's possible.

The gauze thing? I think the Labor and Delivery nurse should have told you about that being packed in there and should have given you advice about it's care and removal.

My question, is what was distracting your doctor? Were there other emergency labors going on simultaneously and perhaps your doctor gave directions and someone did not follow through? We don't know, but you might have a hunch.

yes , they Dr is supposed to check to make sure it's whole .
And The gauze should have been on your chart and taken out. The heavy bleeding would have been a clue that all of the placenta didn't come out.
They wouldn't let me leave the delivery room when I had my daughter , until the bleeding has slowed down. They said I'd need a D&C if the bleeding didn't slow.

assuming this was your first and now only child. your sis is a nurse she has seen several different doctors and knows a thing or two. i knew nothing and think about how the first doctor delivery compaired to the second. the first was aweful but i didnt realize it until the second was so gentle and easy!!!

The differences: son was 9lbs 1oz delivery was a woman doctor. induced and durrig birth she cut me with a sissors hole to hole! then i actually "gave birth" to my placenta like pushed it out just like i had done moments before with my son. then she began to take her upper body weight and press her hands (like they do in cpr on a chest) to my stomach to press all remaining fluid out. it HURT really bad.

The second was our daughter she was 8lbs 12 oz (close in size) with a male doctor also induced. again i needed to be cut but he used a small razor and cut a gentle small piece of skin, after deliveryi asked him if i needed to push again to get the placenta out he looked consirned and confused and said no just relax i had done enough work he pulled the placenta out and was very gentle about the entire thing. i asked him to warn me before he started pressing on my stomach and he looked confused again and said dont worry about that it will come out on its own.

I know it does not sound like much but even regular check up exams the first doctor that delivered my son would actually hurt me durring the pap smear. I have seen several diff gynos durring my lifetime and she was the only one that hurt me! I only know the difference between the deliveries because i had the two experiences. before i had the gentle experience i thought that was how all births went...the smashing of my stomache area, the birthing of the placenta. its not and your sis perhaps has seen a thing or two and knows a thing or two because she is a nurse. i only have my two experiences to compair notes too and from what i delt with and from what your saying i would say that a not full placenta removal would be notable? but truly i dont have the experience to know for sure how often that acutally happens.

How big was the piece? I had a retained plancenta and the doctor went right in with glove over hands and scraped me out (no meds- hurt like hell). Even a small piece will cause bleeding but they may miss that. Doesn't make the doctor bad, just that they all (and I assume there were alot of people in the room with nurses and stuff) missed it. I had at least 3 nurses by my recollection and they all check. After birth they check for bleeding too and feel your tummy. As for the gauze... where? You mean vaginal bleeding? The nurse talks about changing your pad an bleeding. You could not have gone through afterbirth without knowing you were wearing a pad unless you were so out of it they had to change it for you so you never realized what was happening. In the end, the nurses go in and if some gauze was left elsewhere for a few days, then it's the hospital itself that apparently doesn't take care of it's patients. The doctor referral should be based on your overall experience. Was he helpful during your pregnancy? Otherwise, doctors go in, deliver and the nurses clean up after him. He just checks up on you. Or... maybe my birth experience was just plain different.

If you don't remember exactly, and your Doctor's treatment of you has been fine, then refer her, and tell your SIL to lay off. We're not exactly 100% after having a baby and the doctor isn't going to know what you retained. I would be more upset if the doc discharged you and didn't go over it. But I don't remember being discharged by the doctor, but by the hospital itself.

I had a retained placenta, which is apparently scary and a big deal, though I didn't recognize it at the time since my brain was saying "Oh my God, I just had a baby" instead of fully acknowledging anything else.

Anyway, it never, ever occurred to me to blame my midwife, or the OB who actually removed the placenta. I thought it was just one of those bodily things that happens, not a medical professional's fault. They did recognize it immediately -- instantly -- after my son was born.

I had a completely natural delivery, no induction, no epidural, no c-section, for whatever that's worth.

My doctor also noticed right away and scraped me out, hurt worse then the birth. But if it was a small piece it could be overlooked easily enough I suppose. Just give your friend all the info and let her make her own choice.

I'm not a doctor or a nurse, but it seems odd that they would leave the gauze in. I mean it's cloth that's soaked with blood and other bodily fluids how could that possibly be safe? That seems like a breeding ground for bacteria etc.

I personally wouldn't recommend this doctor to a friend. She made two mistakes, sure you were fine and maybe it didn't violate any regulations, but what if she messed up again and your friend wasn't so lucky?

A recommendation, IMO, is you vouching for that person, cosigning so to speak. If someone recommends someone to me that they know has made mistakes in the past, I would hold them just as responsible.

My midwife would have noticed... I don't know about the OB who delivered my first. He was a "sub" since my doc was on vacation (something she didn't tell me about when I chose her)...

My midwife was sure to check the placenta each time (I used her for two babies) and she made a point to tell me it was complete... and even offered to show it to me, which I declined ;)