Placental Abruption and Subsequent Pregnancies
QUESTION
Dear Midwife,
What are the chances of a placental abruption in subsequent pregnancies? I had a severe placental abruption at 36 weeks with my third child. I am now 16 weeks pregnant and concerned that his might happen again.
I have no risk factors that would cause a placental abruption.
Thanks for any additional information.
ANSWER
Other than avoiding smoking and drugs, trauma to the belly and having a big gush of water when your bag breaks (so you don't want the bag to break before labor-- eat protein), I know of no way to predict or prevent abruption. Most of the time we have no clue why it happened.
I have never heard of a healthy woman having two abruptions; usually it is just a random thing for these women.
-- Cynthia, CNM. PhD.
Cynthia Flynn
Cynthia Flynn, CNM. PhD, is the General Director of the Family Health and Birth Center which provides prenatal, birth, postnatal, gynecological and primary health care to underserved women and their families in Washington, D.C. Recently Cynthia served as Associate Professor of Nursing at Seattle University. There she not only taught, but remained in full scope clinical midwifery practice at Valley Medical Center where she cared for pregnant and birthing women, and practices well-woman gynecology, family planning, and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases.
Cynthia founded Columbia Women's Clinic and Birth Center, where she took care of pregnant women and infants up to two weeks of age and attended both birth center and hospital births. Before Cynthia earned her CNM, she worked as a registered nurse in labor and delivery and postpartum and is a certified Doula and Doula trainer.
