Pregnancy after minor placental abruption

[babyphat]

Hi - I had a minor placental abruption at 28 weeks with dd - had to spend a night in hospital followed by a week of bedrest (and no sex for the whole pregnancy after that!). When I gave birth they checked the placenta and there was a clot thing around 2/3 inches I think. I was pretty closely monitored during labour but dd was absolutely fine thank goodness.

Am ttc no2 and tbh it hadn't occurred to me that it might happen again, but I googled it because I was wondering whether I'd be OK to run/exercise during the next pg, and found some pretty scary stats, including that there is a 10% risk of it happening in subsequent pregnancies. Now I'm really scared and thinking about just counting my blessings and sticking with 1. (And if I am pregnant this month, panicking I guess)

I don't have any of the risk factors for it - I'm youngish (31) and was 28 when I had dd, don't smoke crack - can't remember the rest but none applied. It happened out of the blue (well, I was wallpapering but I've never heard you shouldn't do that while you're pregnant!).

Anybody had the same thing happen - do you have more monitoring in pregnancy, is the recurrence risk for all bleeds or just the major ones, are the scary stats on the risk to the baby for all bleeds or big ones? I am planning to make a dr appt to discuss it once I know whether I'm pg this month but would really appreciate anyone's knowledge or experience. Last time round was really scary - I'd had a m/c previously and then this happened, it made for quite a frightening time and the thought of this hanging over me for 9 months is freaking me out a bit.

[madmomma]

watching with interest as had a v small bleed with clot last night (am 28weeks).

[silverangel]

Hi, no real answer to your question but I had a major placental abruption at 31 weeks and had an emergency section, I had twins so unlike you did have one of the risk factors. I didn't have any 'warning' bleeds or anything like that either. I found I was completely misdiagnosed / mismanaged so my advice to you would be to go armed to your dr with as much info as you can and maybe try and get a referral to a specialist consultant. My girls are nine weeks now and doing really well so a good outcome but it was terrifying at the time.

[babyphat]

thank you both for replying! madmomma, hope you are OK and have had some medical advice. my bleed started on a saturday evening, had an initial small bleed (i guess like period amounts) and a further one later the same night/early hours. They kept me on a monitor for a few hours to check the baby was ok and then on the ward overnight and for most of the next day. i actually called an ambulance (poss overreaction?) as i had no idea what to do and getting the bus didn't seem like the best idea. After they discharged me I had a week off work and then a further check of baby's heartrate in hospital at the end of that week, all was fine, i then had an extra ultrasound at 31 weeks and i think nothing further beyond midwife appts though they were going to induce at 40 weeks, luckily dd came of her own accord and with no problems at 37 weeks.

Silverangel, so glad your girls were OK. That must have been really scary. I was counting the weeks after my scare - torn between wanting her inside a bit longer, but feeling like my body wasn't a safe place for her either. Thank you for the advice - I will ask my GP about a referral.

[madmomma]

Thanks baby. Went into delivery last night to get checked out. They've said everything seems fine but just come back quick if there's any more spotting.