Anyone been told that they have an "asthmatic" placenta??

[Everhopeful76]

Hi
Am almost 31 weeks pregnant, on mega monitoring for placenta issues and low uterine blood flow/high risk pre eclampsia. I ve had different terms for placenta issues, but an asthmatic or spluttering one this is new to me.
I am expecting to be delivering baby by planned c section at 34 weeks, but possibly could be earlier so am busily being stabbed by steroid injections and being hooked to various monitors on an every other day basis.
Had a really disasterous pregnancy. The pregnancy is an IVF one, was extremely lucky for it to work first time as was told my odds were nominal, but had terrible sickness till 23 weeks and still on/off now, threatened chromosomal issues (something that has been made less of a problem since I changed Trusts due to moving). My baby has bilateral talipes but the feeling is that this is an isolated concern and now all the issues with placenta.
Anyone have any positive stories about placental issues, and early deliveries of their babies? Many thanks

[kittygirl33]

Hi Everhopeful, no advice to offer but I am in a similar position. 31 weeks today and I am being heavily monitored as baby has not grown much in last 2 weeks and is now below the 10th percentile. I had the lovely steroid injections earlier this week so now it's just a waiting game. Hand hold all round d

[eurochick]

Hi hopeful. I've never heard of that term but also had placenta issues in an IVF pregnancy (high pressure in the uterine arteries). I was closely monitored from 28 weeks and the Drs thought the situation was getting too risky at around 33 weeks so I was told I should have a planned section as soon as a nicu cot was available. She was delivered at 34+0 weighing 3lb6. Other than being small she was in decent shape. She developed jaundice (pretty standard for premmies) and needed to put on weight. She never got the hang of breastfeeding but as soon as she had put on some weight and could eat from a bottle she left hospital.

[Everhopeful76]

Hi Kittygirl, good to know I have found someone in same boat. Have you been told that you are likely to be delivering at 34 weeks or that they would play by ear to see what develops? I am going in every other day for the fetal heart tracer sessions (next one tomorrow) and am seeing consultant twice a week. I am being told that the uterine blood flow is reducing but yet my baby had managed to grow 7 oz in 5 days, so doesn't make a lot of sense. I had the steroid injections over Thurs and Fri and also the anti d jab on fri for rhesus neg blood. Not the nicest shots to get, any of them - got 2 of them within an hour of each other!! Also had had a morning in maternity day care the day before getting the GTT as my midwife had forgotten to sort that test for me, Luckily no gestational diabetes so feel as if the unit is my second home. Keep me posted how you are getting on.

Thanks Eurochick. I asked about method of delivery thinking they would induce me, but definite no go area there because of the placenta issue. Am hoping I can have a planned c section at 34/35 weeks, but I am having to consider the possibility of this happening sooner and that it could be an emergency. Bit terrifying. I wonder if the placenta problem is more common to IVF babies!? Consultant thinks baby is already 3lb 3 oz but is still under 10th percentile, a figure of 1500g was the minimum weight they wanted to see, I think the conversion makes her a bit under that at moment.

Didn't really consider I d be having baby so soon, and am totally disorganised. Did you end up buying lots of tiny/prem baby sized clothes? Or did your NICU provide what baby needed until she had grown sufficiently? I had some reassuring advice from midwife doing my anti d injection, along the lines of "ah don't worry, we have 24-26 weekers who make it, as long as they don't have any underlying problems, and babies who are only a 1lb". Then she said, would be good if you got to 34 or even 36 weeks really. Hmmm
Am sure you understand that when you ve had IVF to conceive and have already gone thru that process, you can really do without complications at the business end of proceedings. Pregnancy hasn't suited me at all, sadly. I guess the positive thing is I get to meet my little girl earlier
Still a worry

Thanks for replying guys!!

[Everhopeful76]

PS Eurochick. I was hoping to breast feed as well. I wonder how having a prem baby makes that a possibility and the practicalities of that working too. Am unsure about whether you can stay with your baby on the ward, I guess am jumping the gun a bit and need to wait to see what happens

[eurochick]

I guess each hospital will be different. We were in two - one great, one less so. One provided nappies and cotton wool, etc, one didn't. I found mothercare good for prem stuff as they do a couple of sizes. Both provided everything I needed to express on the premises. I hired a hospital grade pump for home.

I wasn't an NHS patient so couldn't stay in and frankly didn't want to. I hate hospitals and find them very stressful. We visited around three times a day to begin with and when she went into an open cot I hung around the hospital for most of the day to do as many feeds and changes as possible.

3lb6 was 1530g, to give you some idea on the conversion.

Re: breastfeeding, they wanted her to take either breast or bottle so they could remove the ng tube before discharge. We tried both every day. She got the hang of the bottle first. As she had caught two infections whilst in the second hospital I just wanted to do whatever was necessary to get her out of there ASAP. We both did much better when she was home!

Apparently there is some correlation between IVF and placenta issues in pregnancy. As far as I know no one has found the cause but I've seen speculation from the fluid the embryos are in in the lab to the fact that ivfers tend to be older or that there is something in the infertility cause that interferes with implantation. Who knows. The good thing is that this has been spotted and is being monitored.

Good luck!

[kittygirl33]

Hi Ever, sorry I haven't replied in so long, hope you are still hanging in there? I am getting twice weekly Doppler scans and cry and so far everything is totally normal, the placenta blood flow is great and baby is happy so I am starting to wonder about the accuracy of the growth scans! I have another growth scan on Tuesday so will find out then if we can relax a bit. They've just said they will let the pregnancy go as far as possible so fingers crossed.