Question

After normal delivery of an infant and placenta, you note that the mother is bleeding heavily from the vagina. Your initial steps in caring for this patient would include:

Answer 1

To care for a mother bleeding heavily after childbirth, an obstetrician must check for retained placental fragments and ensure that the uterus is contracting properly for involution. Breastfeeding can help facilitate uterine contractions. Excessive bleeding is a serious sign that requires immediate medical attention.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a mother is bleeding heavily from the vagina after normal delivery, it is crucial to address this situation as it might be an indication of postpartum hemorrhage, a serious condition requiring immediate medical attention. The obstetrician must check if the entire placenta and fetal membranes have been expelled since any retained fragments can cause heavy bleeding. It's also important to ensure that the uterus is contracting properly to reduce blood loss, a process known as involution. Initiating breastfeeding can facilitate this process by promoting uterine contractions, helping the uterus to return to its pre-pregnancy size and reducing postpartum bleeding.

Some normal postpartum vaginal discharge, or lochia, is expected, which transitions from lochia rubra to lochia serosa, and then to lochia alba over a few weeks. However, excessive bleeding is not part of this normal process and could be a sign of complications such as incomplete delivery of the placenta or tears in the birth canal that need immediate medical intervention.