What should you know about partial placental abruption?

The placenta supplies oxygen and nutrients to the baby through the uterine attachment. If part separates before birth, bleeding can collect behind the placenta or pass through the vagina. The uterus may feel tender, tight, or painful, although the amount of visible blood does not always show the full problem.

Assessment may include checking your blood pressure, pulse, pain, bleeding, contractions, and the baby’s heart rate. The maternity team decides whether observation, hospital care, or birth is safest for you and the baby.

If abruption is suspected, contact your maternity unit or emergency service without driving yourself if you feel faint or unwell. Note when pain or bleeding began, but do not delay care to measure it. Avoid vaginal insertion and follow instructions about food, drink, medicines, and travel while the team assesses you.

Seek emergency help for vaginal bleeding, persistent abdominal or back pain, a hard or tender uterus, frequent contractions, dizziness, fainting, or reduced fetal movement. Sudden severe pain, collapse, or breathlessness requires an ambulance. Symptoms can change quickly, so improvement does not replace assessment.

Ask what the monitoring showed, whether the placenta is still partly separated, how the baby is being monitored, what symptoms should trigger a return, and when a Caesarean Section or another birth plan may be considered.