Low-lying placenta

[Roni]

When I had my 20-week ultrasound, I was told that my placenta was low. I had a follow-up today at 32 weeks, and it is still low. (I think it's 1.3 centimeters and they want it at 2.) I think they will schedule one more ultrasound at 38 weeks, but it looks like I may have to have a C-section. I'm very bummed. I didn't even have an epidural with #2, so I was really hoping for a natural delivery. Does anyone have any experience with this problem? Do I have options? A friend suggested trying physical therapy to manipulate things. Although I would really like to avoid the C-section, I don't want to endanger my life or the baby's, but I'm feeling pretty down tonight.

TIA

[swissair81]

It's called placenta previa. There are plenty of articles about it online. Ask if the placenta is covering the cervix in any way. If it is covering even part of it, then there aren't really any options for a natural delivery. I understand that you are bummed though. I would be too. Hugs!

[nrp]

I think I wrote your post a couple of years ago! Same thing happened to me with DS - I had a marginal previa (meaning it was close but not overlapping the cervix) and I did end up with a CS. Good news is that, even with it low at 32 weeks, I believe a lot of them still resolve. I wouldn't think that any sort of physical therapy would do anything, since it doesn't have anything to do with the baby's position, it's just where the placenta is attached to your uterus. You might ask your OB if it is attached in an anterior or posterior position - I think the anterior attachments have better luck at resolving, because of the way the uterus expands.

My OB didn't want me going into labor at all, so I had a scheduled CS at 37w1d. I kept pushing back to delay it, to give DS more time to bake, but my OB (who I love and trust implicitly) said that while in my case it might be possible to deliver vaginally without a problem, if there *was* a problem, it would mean hemorrhaging and a crash CS. I don't want to scare you, but I remember when he finally put it that way, it made me actually feel better about the CS because I knew the risk I was avoiding by having one.

I was down too for awhile when I first found out, but honestly the CS wasn't that bad. Recovery was a bit worse than my vaginal delivery with DD, but truly not horrible. And the good part is that with another DC at home, it makes it much easier making arrangements!

[Roni]

Thanks for your posts. I feel a little better. If there's nothing I can do, than it will be easier to accept. But, I will ask all of those questions. My sister's first baby was breech, and her water broke early, before she could try to have a version. She has since had 2 more C-sections. Ugh!

It will definitely be easier to know the date. Not being able to drive will be hard, though because my daughters are so active, and my mother can't drive my car.

I don't think it's a full placenta previa. It was a little confusing because I ended up seeing a mid-wife yesterday because the Dr. was running late, & they had to call down for the ultrasound results, which hadn't come in yet. The technician had told us it was just under 2 cm, but the report came back as 1.3.