Scared FTM - need advice

1Beetle · February 2016

hello ladies, I will try to keep this short as possible. Five days ago I had a bad nosebleed. Stopped it in about 30 mins. The next day I had another one start at 5 am. It didn't completely stop for 36 hours. I ended up hospitalized, with 4 units of transfusion due to major blood loss. Every effort is being made to stop the bleeding without undergoing a surgery with general anesthesia. But I have been told if I have one more episode, I have no choice. Our little man is doing wonderfully, thank goodness. But my OB has stated that regardless of how or when we get this under control, my dream of a natural labor is done for. I can chose between an elective c-section, or a "passive labor" in which I am induced and Baby is pulled out with a vacuum. I am trying so very hard to not stress, as either option will most likely result in our little man getting here safe and sound. Just highly emotion and worried, since no one has seen anything like my situation. I've had the easiest, most problem free fun pregnancy up until this horrible incident. Just wondering if anyone has had to make a choice like this before. Any advice??

yodapup · February 2016

No advice but just putting out some thoughts and prayers for you and your LO.

FutureMrsCaesar · February 2016

No advice, just sorry you aren't going to be able to have the ideal birth situation. It sounds like your OB is pretty on top of things which is good.
What is causing the awful nosebleeds? Have you had them before?

katy0990 · February 2016

My thoughts and prayers are with you. Good luck!

1Beetle · February 2016

No one knows what caused it. I had little ones as a child but outgrew them over 20 yrs ago. They even have a hemotolgist on my case it's so weird and unexplainable

RiverWhispering · February 2016

Did they give you any Vitamin K while you were at the hospital? Persistent nosebleeds can be a symptom of Vitamin K deficiency. That's why they give newborns the K shot to help with blood clotting. But of course your nosebleeds could have nothing to do with that, and I'm sure your doctor's are on top of everything. It's awful that you're having to go through this and that your labor plans are being impacted... But everything will be done to keep you and baby healthy and deliver your little one safely into your arms! Wishing you all the best!

mshukh · February 2016

I wonder how they would do the c-section if the problem is blood clotting. I'm very sorry you're going through this.

tJaffe · February 2016

No advice, I'm sorry you're going through this...

No matter how you deliver, the end result of a healthy baby and mommy is ALL that matters. Keep repeating that to yourself. Disappointment in not having a natural deliver is okay and warranted to feel. But don't let it eat you up, you're going to do what will give you and your baby a healthy start.

Stay positive, you're getting excellent care! Good luck and keep us posted!

hope4girl · February 2016

I get nosebleed too, i never had them until this pregnancy,However mine is not as serious as yours. I bleed few drops and it stops. that happens every other day. So i hear you. I am so sorry you are going through this. My doctor also does not know why its happening. All she does is check my palatal counts every now and then to make sure it doesn't drop because of the bleeding. I wish you all the best and no matter which method of delivery you choose having health baby is everyone's goal. So don't worry and choose what is safe for you and your baby.

2-Step · February 2016

I'm sorry you are going through this

I want to let you know that I didn't get to experience my ideal birth either and it did cause me some emotional stress, more than I even thought I would have, but now years later I am able to feel grateful for the awesome medical team that helped me bring my baby here safely. It might take some time and it's ok to be sad about it and mourn the experience you didn't get. Just know you are doing the best thing for your baby.

I think the fact that you are being given a choice is great, but personally I would choose the c-section. My concern with the passive birth would be if something went wrong and they had to do a c-section anyway. For me, the feeling of being out of control and going into labor thinking I was having a normal birth and then at the last minute having a c-section was harder than if I had just known and expected and prepared for it. Also, I am no medical professional, but when my son was stuck after 4 hours of pushing I asked about a vacuum birth and the doctor said I would not want him to do that to me because it would be much harder to to fix potential damage that could be done to surrounding organs if things got intense and they had any trouble getting him out that way than it would be to recover from a surgery where things were done precisely. Of course it depends on how far up there the baby is when they use the vacuum, but that would be a bet I don't know if I would be willing to take. What if the baby doesn't descend on it's own? If you aren't going to be able to push at all it seems like there is a good chance the baby would not be really far down the birth canal before they had to use the vacuum. Also he said if the baby goes into distress during that process it is a lot harder to get them out and could require a very emergency c-section or other internal damage from the vacuum, like bladder damage etc. that would last forever. These are probably questions to ask your doctor. I am obviously not an expert, but maybe the rates of success with passive labor would be good to research. Good luck whatever you decide! The outcome of a healthy baby and mama are most important! Just one of many tough decisions as a new parent

1Beetle · February 2016

Thank you so much, you are all so so very right. All that matters is happy healthy baby. I will discuss all these concerns with my OB. Right now we have been transferred to Tx Medical Center in Houston, where we will receive nothing but awesome care. Thank you again for all the support!!!

RochelleTBurns · February 2016

I am having an elective c-section so I understand you being upset about not having the ideal childbirth experience. I have a blood clotting disorder that requires me taking aspirin and shots of blood thinners daily. Although my blood will be thin during the surgery, I know that it is a safe procedure. I will be given IV Heparin during the surgery. Good news is that Heparin can be "turned on" and "turned off" (reversed) at any time. So I guess I hope you can feel better about your blood being more thin than if it were clotting all of the time. Clots can't be treated nearly as easily as a bleed. Surgeons are much more comfortable managing a bleed than a clot. I hope this makes sense. Personally, I would be much more inclined to opt for an elective c-section (which are very common these days) over inducing and a vacuum. It seems, to me, that that may cause more trauma than a c-section. Talk to your doctor of course to get the full picture of each procedure. And absolutely investigate the cause of the severe nose bleed. If you aren't given an answer during this pregnancy, then I would for sure follow up with a hematologist after you deliver so he can do a full blood work up on you. After you deliver your blood viscosity changes.

I had an emergency c-section with my first due to his large size and 22 hours of labor after my water broke. I was told that with my second c-section coming up, that it would be completely different. With an elective c-section you are not given an epidural but a spinal nerve block that numbs you from the chest down. My OB said that most women don't feel pain and say, "That was it? It's over already?". So, I believe this surgery, for me, will be much different and less painful.

I will pray for you and I hope you get some answers and have a smooth delivery. Take Care!

Scared FTM - need advice

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