Pregnancy and childbirth are a natural process of life following timely ovulation and fertilization (Bledsoe, Porter & Cherry, 2011). Childbirth occurs daily and usually requires minimal assistance, however complications can arise and as healthcare professionals it is our duty to be able to recognize them quickly to manage them accordingly (Bledsoe et al., 2011). This essay will focus on the complications of obstetric hemorrhage (OH) in the antepartum and postpartum periods. As described by Mosby (2010), antepartum hemorrhage (APH) is any form of bleeding originating from a pregnant uterus with a normally positioned placenta, particularly after the 28th week of gestation. In comparison, postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is classified as excessive amounts of bleeding immediately after giving birth. A small amount of bleeding is normal, but if it amounts to more than 500 ml, intervention is required (Mosby, 2010). Furthermore, this essay will discuss the principles of epidemiology, assessment, presentation and pre-hospital management (PHM) for the incidence of both types of OH while, together, exploring critical evaluations of current treatments and discovering ethical and cultural diversities within of the medical sector of this specialized population. OH is the leading cause of maternal mortality globally, responsible for approximately 25% of the estimated 300,000 maternal deaths each year (El Ayadi et al., 2013). Poor care, including late diagnosis and institution of timely and appropriate treatment, was identified in 80% of maternal deaths (Ratnam et al., 2008). The majority of these maternal deaths occur in resource-limited settings (Sutherland et al., 2013). PPH causes the greatest number of maternal deaths and is lar...... half of paper ......ca, 89(8), 1096-1099. doi:10.3109/00016349.2012.481015St John New Zealand. (2013). Clinical practice guidelines 2013-2015. Wellington, New Zealand: St John New Zealand.Sutherland, T., Downing, J., Miller, S., Bishai, D.M., Butrick, E., Fathalla, M.F., Mourad-Youssif, M., Ojengbede, O., & Kahn, J. G. (2013). Non-pneumatic anti-shock garment (NASG) use for life-threatening obstetric hemorrhage: a cost-effectiveness analysis in Egypt and Nigeria. Plos ONE, 8(4), 1-8. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0062282Te Ara, the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. (2012). History: Papatuanuku-the land. Retrieved April 17, 2014, from http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/papatuanuku-the-land/page-4The Code of Health and Disability Services Consumer's Right 1996. (2009). Commissioner for Health and Disability. Retrieved April 15, 2014, from http://www.hdc.org.nz/the-act--code/the-code-of-rights