Placenta Previa -Stressing out

[jacksmomtobe]

In my 18 wk ultrasound they discovered that the placenta was low. Today I has my first Doctor's appt since that discovery and I'm freaking out a bit so I would love to hear from others who have been through this. When I talked with the Dr reviewing the ultrasound she didn't make a big deal of it. I also talked with my sil who is a labor in delivery nurse and she said that if the placenta did not move then they would just do a c-section which is my plan anyways and also did not make a big deal of it. I did some reading recently (probably against my better judgment) and saw the possibility of needing bed rest which with a toddler is a big deal. Today at the Dr's she said that it is likely the placenta will not move (which is diff than I read but maybe I misunderstood her). She said that I will have another ultrasound at 28 wks and then again at 32 weeks if it still has not moved. After the 32 wks ultrasound they would do an amnio (which I had planned to avoid since my ERA came back showing my results as equiv to a 20 yr old) and if the lungs were developing ok then they would plan on an early delivery..about a month early. She also said to make some kind of back up plan for ds in case I need bed rest. She said if I bleed the first two times who result in home bed rest but over 3 times would mean hospitalization. I'm really freaking out about the potential of bed rest and/or delivery early. I know my Dr is very conservative which may be the reason she laid out the propects to me. She also said no intercourse after 24 wks which I am ok with since after reading that could cause bleeding I was not eager to take the risk. I would love to hear from people who've been through this.

Thanks for listening!

[o_mom]

Did they tell you how much of the cervix is covered? The more the cervix is covered, the less likely that it will move enough and the more likely you are to have complications before and during delivery.
A complete previa means it is covering the entire cervix and is unlikely to resolve. A partial may move far enough away for a vagninal birth or later c-section. I had a "low-lying" placenta with DS1 - it was close at 20 wks, but not touching. It did move and I had a vaginal delivery.

I would question the amnio at 32 weeks. If they aren't going to deliver until 36 wks, why do one at 32 wks? There is a risk of pre-term labor with an amnio, so I wouldn't do one "just to see". I would assume they would do another amnio right before the c-section anyway to confirm the lung development. It would make more sense to do one at 36 wks and then do the c-section at that point if they really felt they needed to do it early.

The bedrest is a distinct possibility, since they do tend to bleed. Look into arrangements now while you can still get around if you think you will need a daycare type setting. If you have family or your DH can take time off, it is less of an issue.

[mshen]

Hugs to you! I had a similar situation, placenta was low, partially covering cervix at 16 weeks. I found out because I was bleeding, and scared the heck out of DH. (That was the end of our "romance" for the rest of the pregnancy) ;) Neither the Dr nor the Ultrasound technician was worried though. They told me that it is actually quite common and 95% of the case, the placenta would move, and it would just be a normal pregnancy. In my case, it did move and I had a vaginal delivery. But during the pregnancy, I had a level II ultrasound every 4 weeks to monitor it (to make sure it does move up). And my Dr tried to get me to do an amnio because he saw something in there that could mean downe syndrome. I declined because it wasn't worth the risk. I think Dr's like to be on the conservative side in case of malpractice suits. So, I wouldn't worry too much about it. :) Hugs to you! I know it is scary when the medical authority tells you these possible consequences.
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[jacksmomtobe]

They did not tell me how much the cervix is covered. The orig Dr at the Ultrasound said the placenta was low and there was a possibility of placenta previa. I guess I just figured that it would move and that the worst case was a C-section which I already had planned so today was a real wake up call. I may have been incorrect in indicating that the amnio would be done at 32 wks. My Dr may have just said that the next step would be the amnio if the placenta was still low at 32 wks. She did say delivery would probably be a month early which I would be 36 wks so maybe she indicated that at that point they would do the amnio to check on the lungs and if all was ok I would deliver then.

I've already been worried about a plan for ds while I was in the hospital after delivery and while I was home recovering. We have a great babysitter now but she will be unavailable for the summer. I guess hearing the possibility of bedrest really hit a nerve about something I've already been worrying about. As for family my Mom is in her 70s. She would help out to the best of her abilities but she's not great about driving at night etc and I wouldn't want to put too much stress on her. DH travels a lot for work which usually I'm ok with but now I'm thinking what if something happens when he's gone and it's the middle of the night. DH's sister is a labor & del nurse but she is hard to get a hold of even via cell most of the time. But maybe something can be worked out there for an emergency. I am very paranoid/wary about finding someone to take care of ds. With our sitter, who is ds's first sitter I knew I would be here trying to get stuff done in the beginning and be able to observe with my own eyes to gain comfort. I've seen many nannies at the park and how little they seem to care for the kids which really makes me feel that we got lucky with our sitter. I have a friend who found a sitter (who I think orig nannied for them) for her 3 kids that she used for many years. She mentioned that she found her through this Nun who is known for her thorough review of the women she recommends. I was thinking of finding out more so that I would be prepared for when the baby comes but I guess I should call my friend tomorrow and get the ball rolling.

I appreciate people's feedback. I will see my Orig Moms group tomorrow for our weekly get together and maybe I will feel better just talking with them. Also maybe I will call my sil tomorrow and talk to her more about it. I think I've just felt more concerned about this pregnancy than my previous one just because I'm that much older(37) than I was before. All my tests had come back great up until this point so my underlying worry is probably why I'm so upset now. Dh is traveling so I gave him the overview via phone. Luckily Ds went to bed on the early side tonight so I have a chance to just release some emotion without ds seeing me upset. I guess I just have to come with a plan and maybe having that will make me feel some control so I can move forward and wait to see what happens rather than worrying so much about what may not happen. I really enjoy the support this board provides. I appreciate all who are reading my rambling flow of emotion.

Thanks,

[o_mom]

I know how hard it is to remember everything after you leave - you have time to sort it all out and see what exactly they are suggesting. It sounds like maybe they think if it is still very low/covering at 32 wks, it is unlikely to move enough to wait to full term, so they would schedule the amnio at 36 wks and then do the c-section if lungs are OK?

It is hard to find someone to trust with your child. I guess I would just tell you to try and keep it in perspective. A couple months of sub-optimal care (NOT neglect or abuse, obviously) will not harm DS in the long run. It may be easier on you to look for an established center, rather than a nanny or sitter. It will be less personal, but at the same time have lots of procedures and rules so that may help you feel that he is getting at least a minimum care level. (not sure if I am wording this well). This of course depends on where you live, but where I am, there are not long waiting lists at every place and it seems you can always find at least one that will take them immediately.

To look at the bright side - you have warning and time to look into these things. Good Luck!

[jacksmomtobe]

I'm not sure that a daycare center would be feasible since it would be tough to get ds there. DH travels a lot and even when he is in town he is typically leaving the house early and not getting home that early. However maybe he could work from home to be able to accomodate getting ds to and from a daycare. It definitely made me realize that I need to get my butt in gear in a lot of ways..finding care for ds and also getthing the house in order. It is better to know now to prepare for the possibilities and hopefully come up with a plan I feel good about.

Your synopsis of the situation sounds correct. I think that if at 32 wks there is no movement then they would do the amnio at 36 wks and see if delivery is possible. I talked to dh today and he didn't understand why I was worried. He however is not involved in ds's care during the week due to the amt of travel that he does and the hours he keeps at work. He probably thinks having me on big rest won't have such a bid impact. I know I have to relax about this a bit but I'm still feeling the orig impact of the information.

Thanks,

[amp]

I had marginal placenta previa and it resolved itself well before the end of the pregnancy.

Also had a friend who had it recently and hers resolved well before the birth as well.

[Jo..]

Kim,

I also had this diagnosed two days ago during my 13 week ultrasound.
It's been causing me a lot of spotting, so I was actually relieved to have an explantion.
I didn't worry about it too much at the time because my doctor didn't seem worried and I had other problems.

I did a little research on the internet and I have some numbers for you (statistics always make me feel better):

Pregnancies with complete previa in second trimester:
90% of them are resolved by term.

Pregnancies with marginal previas in second trimester:
95% of them are resolved by term.

So the chances are 90% - 95% that this problem will take care of itself!

http://pregnancy.about.com/cs/placentaprevia/a/previa.htm

Hope this makes you feel a little better :)






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[jacksmomtobe]

Thanks for the upbeat statistics. I'm really hoping this resolves itself but I guess it will be good to come up with some contingency plans. At Ds' playdate yesterday one of the other Moms there knew 2 people in a similiar situation where everything turned out fine before delivery.

Thanks for everyone's support!