Bleeding after Delivery

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This is one of the major causes of death relating to pregnancy. Deliveries conducted by unqualified health practitioners are responsible for the majority of cases of this bleeding.

Sometimes, affected women are brought to the hospital when they have bled so much that it is too late to treat them. Any woman bleeding excessively after delivery requires prompt assessment by a doctor.

Therefore, such women should be taken to the nearest health facility where a doctor can assess and institute appropriate management. 

What to do before getting to the hospital?

This depends on the cause of the bleeding. For women with no obvious perineal tear, the bleeding may be due to the inability of the uterus to contract effectively, which is usually the most common cause of such bleeding.

Massaging the uterus as the woman is being transported to the hospital may help reduce the intensity of the bleeding.

For those with obvious tear, applying pressure at the site of the tear with delivery pads may help reduce bleeding while on transit. In all cases, patients should be transported lying down with slight head-down tilt.

This helps reduce blood flow to the lower part of the body. Applying pressure at the centre of the abdomen, just above the uterus, may help reduce bleeding by compressing the aorta (the largest blood vessel that distributes blood to the lower part of the body).

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