Author: Sarah Fraser
Back in September last year I was blessed to welcome 2 healthy babies into our family, making them kids number 3 and 4 for hubby and I. Plus 4 under 4
I always knew the twins would come via c-section as both of my previous pregnancies were also c-sections due to them being breech and not turning. I am also lucky that with all 3 pregnancies I have never experienced labour (bonus!!).
C-section with twins
I was booked in with the hospital to have my twins at 37 +3 after an uncomplicated pregnancy. I was first up in the morning and with no issues I was back on the ward with 2 healthy babies by lunch time. After 3 nights in hospital I was sent home with follow ups from the home midwifes over the next week.
Being babies 3 and 4 the only thing I really needed to get the hang of was feeding two babies otherwise everything was going well.


It was 2 weeks after having the c-section that the bleeding began.
For 2 days previous I was experiencing what I thought were period pains then on the Monday I began to bleed very heavily. Because I had my tubes removed during the c-section I assumed I was having a heavy period, so I got hubby to go to the shops for both heavy duty tampons and pads. Within 48 hours the bleeding had stopped and there was no more pain.
That Thursday a community midwife commenced her visits with me and when I explained the heavy bleeding she informed me that in fact it wasn’t normal and that if it happened again to call the maternity department at the hospital.
One week later I had a second bleed.
A week after the first bleed we were all getting ready for our
Whilst still on the toilet I made the call with Hubby and the kids watching on. Within 30 seconds hubby questioned whether or not I was peeing…. I was not and that’s when it started to pour out of me and the clots were huge! The midwife on the phone told me to call an ambulance straight away, but as I was all ready to go and only 5 mins from the hospital we decided to head straight there.
Going to hospital for retained placenta after twins
Upon arrival at the emergency department a nurse and orderly were waiting for me with a wheel chair. I don’t think I realized how serious it was until this point.
As they helped me and all the towels lining the car seat into the wheel chair, all I could think of was the twins and how they were due to be fed. I asked the nurse to help hubby grab the twins out and into the pram so they could come with me whilst hubby parked the car.
As soon as I was in a bed I started feeding the twins, the tests would have to wait! Blood, urine, abdominal tests plus an ultrasound all revealed a partial retained placenta the size of a squashed tennis ball. I was to have surgery as soon as possible.
In the meantime I organized a friend to look after the big kids at our place so hubby could be with the twins whilst I was under and in recovery. The time came to be taken to surgery but the twins needed to be fed again as I wasn’t sure how long I would be. I fed one whilst still in emergency and then strapped her into the pram and fed our little man whilst being wheeled to theatre. One of the lovely nurses followed me and then took the twins back to hubby.
Retained placenta after twins
I woke in recovery and was told I had lost over 1.5 litres of blood and had the rest of the retained placenta removed successfully. After the twins and I spent another 2 nights in hospital we were allowed to go home.
Unfortunately this was just was of those things that shouldn’t have happened but did. It was a mistake the obstetrician made and has apologized profusely for many times since. Such a scary ordeal to go through and in hindsight I should have gotten checked out after the first bleed. But 4 months on I have had no further complications and the twins are thriving!


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