women s health issues
Excessive Uterine Bleeding at Delivery
Introduction
Excessive bleeding from the uterus refers to loss of more than 2 pints of blood or symptoms of significant blood loss that occur within 24 hours after childbirth. After the baby is delivered, excessive bleeding from the uterus is a major concern. Ordinarily, a woman loses about 1 pint of blood during and after vaginal delivery. Blood is lost because some blood vessels are opened when the placenta detaches from the uterus. The contractions of the uterus help close these vessels until the vessels can heal. Typically, Cesarean Delivery results in about twice the blood loss as vaginal delivery, partly because delivery requires an incision in the uterus, and a lot of blood is pumped to the uterus during pregnancy. Blood loss is considered excessive if one of the following occurs within 24 hours of delivery: More than 2 pints of blood are lost. A woman has symptoms of significant blood loss, such as low blood pressure, a rapid heart rate, dizziness, light-headedness, fatigue, and weakness. Excessive blood loss usually occurs soon after delivery but may occur as late as 1 month afterward. 