Postpartum Hemorrhage

I can see a crack of light coming from under the bathroom door. I keep hearing a strange sound, almost like a hurt puppy. As I walk closer, I see a dark puddle on the floor. Suddenly, I am very afraid. I slowly open the door. “Mommy, Mommy, are you ok?” My mother looked at me and cried, “Dial 911, Darling! Hurry, Honey, Hurry!” There is so much blood—on the floor, on her clothes, and on her hands. I can hear the sirens now. Mommy goes for a ride in the ambulance. My three day old baby brother and I have to stay with the neighbor until Daddy comes and picks us up. What happened to my mother?

Postpartum Hemorrhage

Postpartum hemorrhage is the leading cause of maternal mortality in the world, according to the World Health Organization. Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is generally defined as a blood loss of more than 500 mL after a vaginal birth, more than 1000 mL after a cesarean section, and a ten percent decrease in hematocrit levels from pre to post birth measurements (Ward & Hisley, 2011). An early hemorrhage occurs within 24 hours of birth, with the greatest risk in the first four hours. A late hemorrhage happens after 24 hours of birth but less than six weeks after birth. Uterine atony—failure for the uterine myometrium to contract—is the most common postpartum hemorrhage (Venes, Ed.).(2013). Other etiologies include lower genital tract lacerations, uterine inversion, retained products of conception and bleeding disorders (Kawamura, Kondoh, Hamanishi, Kawasaki, & Fujita, (2014).

Symptoms of PPH

The symptoms of a PPH include uncontrolled bleeding, hematoma or pain and swelling in the tissues around the vagina, decrease in hematocrit, decreased blood pressure and increased heart rate. The rapid loss of blood or loss of too much...

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