Pregnancy and child birth are natural functions from which most women recover without complication. Postpartum haemorrhage is one of the leading causes of death in women who deliver after 20 weeks of gestation.

It is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as post-partum blood loss in excess of 500 ml, it is a clinical diagnosis that encompasses excessive blood loss after delivery of the baby from a variety of sites: uterus, cervix, vagina.

Every year more than 585,000 women die worldwide from pregnancy and child birth related complications.

This knowledge alerts the nurse to be particularly vigilant in monitoring these women so that excessive bleeding can be anticipated and minimized. Postpartum haemorrhage is a lifethreatening situation and an obstetrician’s nightmare.