Need to talk? Call 1800 882 436.
It's a free call with a maternal child health nurse. *call charges may apply from your mobile

Is it an emergency? Dial 000
If you need urgent medical help, call triple zero immediately.

beginning of content

Placental abruption

9-minute read

If you experience bleeding during your pregnancy, contact your midwife or doctor immediately. If the bleeding or pain are severe, call triple zero (000) and ask for an ambulance.

Key facts

  • Placental abruption is a medical emergency that can happen during pregnancy.
  • It is when your placenta partially or completely separates from the wall of the uterus before your baby’s birth.
  • Placental abruption can cause pain and heavy bleeding.
  • Placental abruption is rare but can be very dangerous for you and your baby.
  • If you have any vaginal bleeding during your pregnancy, it’s important to see your doctor or midwife as soon as possible.

What is placental abruption?

Placental abruption happens when the placenta partially or completely separates from the wall of the uterus (womb). While it can happen at any stage from 20 weeks into pregnancy, almost 1 in every 2 cases of placental abruption happen after week 37 of pregnancy.

While placental abruption is rare, it is a medical emergency, because your baby depends on the placenta for their survival.

Image showing placenta abruption, where part of the placenta has come away from the uterus and some fresh blood trickling down the uterine wall
Illustration of normal placenta position (left) and placenta abruption (right) during pregnancy.

What are the symptoms of placental abruption?

Common symptoms of placental abruption are:

The amount of bleeding doesn’t necessarily reflect how bad the abruption is. In some cases, bleeding (which can be severe) occurs behind the placenta and does not come out of your vagina. However, in most cases, there will be some type of vaginal bleeding.

With placental abruption, pain tends to be constant, rather than coming in waves like contractions. It is usually severe, however in some cases there is only mild pain or none at all.

If you experience bleeding during your pregnancy, contact your midwife or doctor immediately. If the bleeding or pain are severe, call an ambulance on triple zero (000), or go to your nearest hospital emergency department.

CHECK YOUR SYMPTOMS — Use the Symptom Checker and find out if you need to seek medical help.

What are the causes of placental abruption?

The cause of placental abruption is usually unknown.

In a minority of cases, a serious injury to the abdomen, such as a fall or car accident, is the cause of placental abruption.

Factors that may increase your chance of placental abruption include:

When should I see my doctor?

If you have any vaginal bleeding during your pregnancy, it’s important to see your doctor or midwife as soon as possible.

Vaginal bleeding during the last trimester of pregnancy is often due to a problem with your placenta.

It’s important to keep your routine antennal appointments throughout your pregnancy. This helps your health team find and address any problems early, so you and your baby have the best chance of a safe, uncomplicated birth.

If you experience bleeding during your pregnancy, contact your midwife or doctor straight away. If the bleeding or pain are severe, call triple zero (000) and ask for an ambulance.

FIND A HEALTH SERVICE — The Service Finder can help you find doctors, pharmacies, hospitals and other health services.

How is placental abruption diagnosed?

There is no test that can be used to definitively diagnose placental abruption. Your doctor may suspect placental abruption based on your symptoms, a physical examination and some special tests.

The physical examination will usually include, with your consent, an internal examination with a speculum to check for the source of the bleeding.

Ultrasound isn’t usually used to diagnose placental abruption, but it may be used to rule out other causes of pain and bleeding such as placenta praevia.

Your doctor or midwife may also recommend fetal heart monitoring with a cardiotocograph (CTG) to check for contractions and assess your baby’s general wellbeing. You may also have blood tests to check your haemoglobin levels and blood group, in case you need a blood transfusion.

How is placental abruption treated?

Placental abruption is a medical emergency that requires urgent assessment and treatment.

If your placenta has completely separated, there is nothing your doctor can do to reattach it. It is a medical emergency that is life-threatening to your baby if it is not treated immediately. In most cases, you will need an emergency caesarean to birth your baby safely. Complete placental abruption can also cause severe bleeding that may be life-threatening for you without urgent medical treatment.

In cases where the placenta has only partially separated from your uterus and you have mild symptoms only, your doctor may recommend close monitoring in hospital. This is especially true if you are less than 37 weeks pregnant. In these cases, the bleeding may resolve on its own. If it worsens, you will be in the safest place for urgent treatment.

Your doctor will discuss with you the safest course of action depending on your situation.

What are the complications of placental abruption?

Placental abruption is rare, but the serious complications can be life-threatening.

Your baby depends on the placenta for survival. If the placenta separates too early, there is a chance of stillbirth.

Treatment for placental abruption often requires premature birth, which is associated with its own potential risks.

If you have severe blood loss following placental abruption, you may need a blood transfusion or other treatments recommended by your medical team.

What can I expect recovering from a birth with placental abruption?

If you needed to give birth urgently because of a placental abruption, you or your baby may need to recover for longer than expected in hospital.

Whether you had a recovery or caesarean birth, recovery can be more difficult if your birth didn’t go as planned.

If you experience unexpected problems during pregnancy and birth, you may feel disappointed, sad or distressed. It’s important to speak with your medical team about how you are feeling so they can help you and your family through your recovery.

Learn more about the emotional impact of birth trauma.

If you need to talk to someone about your mental health call Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.

Resources and support

Speak with your medical team so they can help you and your family through your recovery.

You can get help and information from:

You can also call:

Other languages

NSW Health offer a Having a baby book in English and other languages.

Speak to a maternal child health nurse

Call Pregnancy, Birth and Baby to speak to a maternal child health nurse on 1800 882 436 or video call. Available 7am to midnight (AET), 7 days a week.

Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content.

Last reviewed: April 2024


Back To Top

Need more information?

Placental abruption - Better Health Channel

Placental abruption means the placenta has detached from the wall of the uterus, starving the baby of oxygen and nutrients.

Read more on Better Health Channel website

Placental insufficiency

Placental insufficiency is when the placenta doesn’t provide enough oxygen and nutrients for your baby. Find out about symptoms, causes and risks.

Read more on Pregnancy, Birth & Baby website

Causes of Preterm Labour - Miracle Babies

There are many causes of preterm birth

Read more on Miracle Babies Foundation website

Bleeding during pregnancy

Vaginal bleeding during pregnancy is relatively common, but you should always seek medical attention immediately if it happens to you.

Read more on Pregnancy, Birth & Baby website

Placenta accreta

Placenta accreta is a serious but rare pregnancy complication that causes heavy bleeding. If you have it, you will need special care at the birth.

Read more on Pregnancy, Birth & Baby website

About the placenta

The placenta develops inside the uterus (womb) during pregnancy. It gives your baby nutrients and oxygen. Find out more about the placenta here.

Read more on Pregnancy, Birth & Baby website

Injuries during pregnancy

There are many ways you can be injured during pregnancy. Learn what to do if you’re pregnant and have a fall, accident, burn, or other injury.

Read more on Pregnancy, Birth & Baby website

Pre-eclampsia and High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy

During pregnancy, very high blood pressure (severe hypertension) can cause complications for both you and your baby

Read more on RANZCOG - Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists website

Complications - Rahma Health

Some women may experience diabetes, high blood pressure or other complications during pregnancy.

Read more on Rahma Health website

Causes - Miracle Babies

Every year in Australia around 48,000 newborn babies require the help of a NICU or SCN, there are many factors linked to premature birth and also many that remain unexplained

Read more on Miracle Babies Foundation website

Call us and speak to a Maternal Child Health Nurse for personal advice and guidance.

Need further advice or guidance from our maternal child health nurses?

Healthdirect Australia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to the Traditional Owners and to Elders both past and present.

This information is for your general information and use only and is not intended to be used as medical advice and should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any medical condition, nor should it be used for therapeutic purposes.

The information is not a substitute for independent professional advice and should not be used as an alternative to professional health care. If you have a particular medical problem, please consult a healthcare professional.

Except as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, this publication or any part of it may not be reproduced, altered, adapted, stored and/or distributed in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of Healthdirect Australia.