# Placenta fragment retained for over a year



## jellob3p0

Hi,

I can't find any info out about this. When I gave birth to my son (3rd child, home water birth) over a year ago, his delivery went very easily but then I couldn't deliver the placenta. My midwife (actually, a doctor) said the placenta had attached in several places and he had to do a manual placenta extraction. Soon after that, I began to bleed a lot and passed out. I ended up being ok, although I opted not to go the hospital for a blood transfusion and was weak for 2 weeks afterward. I also had a LOT of excessive amniotic fluid (cause unknown) while pregnant, don't know it that is related. Although I was breastfeeding, I continued to bleed (less and less) almost until I got my 1st period again, when my son was about 7 months old. I wanted to breastfeed for at least a year but had to give it up at 10 months because my son wasn't gaining any weight due to my lack of breast milk. Anyway, a year after his birth, I started taking birth control pills to control my raging PMS. I bled the whole time I was on them so I stopped taking them. My doctor put me on a lower dose pill but that did nothing for my mood swings. He put me back on the higher dose and I started bleeding again on the 2nd day of taking them. The 3rd day was heavy and I was wearing a tampon. When I went to pee, I was shocked to find what looked like placenta in my underwear. It was much larger than a quarter (chicken egg sized). I called my Dr., who told me to put it in water to see if it dissipated and was really a clot. Nope, solid tissue. He says it probably was a piece of my placenta and not to worry about it but I am still bleeding as much as I would for a heavy period (it has been 2 days) and am passing small clots. Should I be worried? I can find info on retained placenta, but nothing retained this long after birth. Sorry this is so long, just wanted to give all the info I have because I'm really hoping someone knows something about this. Thank you!

jellob3p0


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## elanorh

My retained placenta was discovered at about 3 months pp, not as long as yours. My OB did a d&c to get it all out ... perhaps your doctor can do something about this for you??

My supply was impacted by my retained placenta too.







I'm sorry that you struggled with the same thing. If it is any comfort at all, I did not have retained placenta with my next pregnancy.


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## katelove

I have never heard of placenta being retained for so long but, as you are still bleeding, it really sounds like you may need a D&C to remove any fragments still left.


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## rainashine

I would be unhappy with any doctor who told me "not to worry about it" when I'd just passed placenta A YEAR after my baby was born. I think you need to get checked and possibly find a new doctor.

I, too, had retained placenta, but only for 10 weeks, that impacted my milk suppy. That is sooo tough

ETA: I also had a really hard time finding any information on retention past a week pp.


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## jellob3p0

Thank you for the advice. I will look into getting a d&c as soon as possible, I'm concerned about the possibility of hemmoraging or something otherwise. So no one else has retained placenta this long? That's kind of disturbing to me.


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## elanorh

I should add, my OB had the stuff he extracted with the d&c tested by a lab to see what it was; he was worried about cysts or etc. So the lab test confirmed placental tissue.

I do agree, you may want to see about a second opinion or etc., as this is a very, very long time to have gone. Was your doctor aware you were bleeding that long? Mine wasn't HUGELY concerned that I was still bleeding at 2 months pp, but he said that I would be stopping very soon at that point.

He didn't have any reason to believe I had retained placental fragments, my placenta had appeared intact, and what he found when he did the extraction was a very small piece (just a few centimeters).


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## Sjones

I just want to cry, you are the first bit of info I have found on this. My daughter is 13 months old and I still have retained placenta. I had two d&c's and the OB missed it both times. I bled till she was 8 months old. The only reason is stopped was because it calcified in my uterus. We want another baby now and I have been on a waiting list for 4 months to see a different dr. The dr that did both my d&c's told me after the second o e that since I'm not bleeding anymore we will just leave it and I should be fine. Well if the same amount of placenta is there and it was important enough to do two surgeries why are we just leaving it there now? I'm so scared having that in there will affect me getting pregnant or carrying the pregnancy. Please does anyone k ow anything that can help me? What happened to you?


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## jmarie021

Omg!!!! My baby girl will be one next month and I have the same issue jones! I still have a piece inside me as they missed it during surgery!! What have u done since????


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## ksully

I had a retained placenta about three years ago with the birth of my daughter. They found it about 2 months later and tried the suction removal and when that didn't work they did a D&C the following month. Anyone have the same experience and a successful second birth? We have been ttc for nine months now and nothing has happened and with our first it was on the first try. Everything is normal, my cycles are normal and ovulation kit is positive each month at the same time, so not sure if I should be worried about anything from the D&C.


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## Sjones

Unfortunately I had a miscarriage in march of last year, that is when I finally passed it! But since then I again became pregnant and had my second daughter 3 weeks ago!
With my first dd I haemorrhaged 5 weeks pp.
This time I home birthed in a tub (which went AMAZING!!!) but two hours after birth I severely hemmorraged and had to be rushed to hospital for blood transfusion and many manual removals because I kept bleeding internally. I have not since had a d&c, they ran me on pitocin all night (again). I'm interested to see if the ultrasound shows everything is gone or not. Now with all of that being said. I was found to have some strange placental issues throughout this pregnancy, I was sent to Mount Sinais placental clinic where they found it not to be of any danger (my placenta was made up of many pieces like the Cayman Islands and I had a bifurcated cord as well) what they didn't know is that I also had placenta accreta which is quite rare and when the placenta grows into the uterus. That's why I bled so heavily and why I had the manual removal. I will let you know what comes of my ultrasound on may 22. Wish me luck!!
I hope all is well with you and would be interested in hearing your progress as well
Quote:


> Originally Posted by *jmarie021*
> 
> Omg!!!! My baby girl will be one next month and I have the same issue jones! I still have a piece inside me as they missed it during surgery!! What have u done since????[


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## mwherbs

Placenta accreta/increta have been reported in the lit as still being found 6 months after birth when conservative management was used... So I guess it could be possible that there would be some tissue left a year after, or it could be something else like long term build up from anovulary cycles...


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## aniusti

Was there any resolution to this for you? I had a c-section 4 years ago. About a month ago, I went to the dr. Because I had a period that wouldn't end (@ 5 months). I have a history of polyps so they did a Transvag u/s and saw a mass. They immediately sent me for a cervical and endometrial biopsy. I apparently have a calcified piece of placenta in my uterus. I am having a D&C and hysteroscopy on Tuesday to see exactly what is going on in there. It is my understanding that if it has grown into the uterine wall, the only way to remove it is with a hysterectomy. My dr. Was very surprised but I didn't know why til I researched a little. From what I gather, carrying one for this long is unheard of. I could lose my ability to have more children.


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