Placenta Previa Grade 4 at 30+1 weeks.... anyone had similar?

[madmissy]

whats chance of it moving etc?
just after some advice
this is my 3rd pg

[seeyounexttuesday]

yes, i have had this, and funnily enough with my 3rd too.
I presume you are in hospital?

I went in with it at 23 weeks after i had some bleeds. I had to stay there on bed rest until the baby was born by CS under GA at 36 weeks.

Now I have a very healthy child.

[madmissy]

no not in hosp had no bleeds yet..... fingers crossed!

it was only picked up about week and half ago at a 4d scan! went back there today for her to check again and not moved lol but when she was scanning she said yes very low and on cervix its grade 4 i have consultant on monday and a scan again

consultant rolled eyes at me last week when i mentioned it as its no where on my notes and i had a its 'probably nothing talk'

i have been getting pains which have been concerning me (and increased amount of discharge )so needless to say i will def take it easy

so did you have bleeding or pain? what should i expect on monday? sorry for all the q's!

[madmissy]

just read you bled! sorry baby brain!

i am wondering also if placenta was low and not picked up last time with dd2 as i had retained placenta and a pph

[SazZaVoom]

I had this with brown discharge at 29 weeks, big big (very painless) bleed at 31 weeks, a week in hospital, 4 weeks at home (under constant supervision) and then DD1 born at 36 weeks via CS after a second big bleed under Spinal not GA

I think it is rare they move at this stage, but never say never. Happy to answer any Q's. I would say rest up, no strenuous stuff (obviously include hoovering in that ) and no hot baths

[seeyounexttuesday]

Well if it is a true grade 4 then it used to be hospital. I had 3 huge bleeds whilst i was in there. one at 28 32 34 weeks. Had CS under GA at 36 weeks.

Grade 4 does not move as it is right across the cervix and CS is necessary as obviously it is in the way of the birth canal.

Your consultant will confirm exactly which grade it is. Do not worry, just do as Saz says and take it really really easy. I don't want to frighten you but the bleeds are sudden and big, but as i said your consultant will advise you.

[SazZaVoom]

Seeyou - i was allowed home under the strict instruction i had someone with me at ALL times. The hospital was 20 minutes away and this was the very edge of their comfort zone for letting me out. I believe many consultants would not have allowed it. I also had weekly scans and cross matching of bloods

[SazZaVoom]

Oh and there should be no pain. With pain i think i would definitely get it checked out

[madmissy]

i read that it used to be that you were on ward and monitored but they changed it? i did read on my obsessive googling this week

ok so take it easy...
bleeds can happen at any time and should be painless...

with any bleed no matter how small i wld need checking as i have rhesus so wld need a shot of that

have the scan pic to show consultant on monday but its very def sat on top of the cervix

so i suppose i should be prepared?

[seeyounexttuesday]

Saz - sounds like you had mirror of what i had. No pain and big sudden bleeds. All that cross matching of bloods makes me feel very humbled and soooo eternally grateful for those who donate blood. Both DS and myself needed transfusions after birth. But all is well now.

[seeyounexttuesday]

yes mad - just have a bag ready and any faint dot of blood should have you trotting off to the hospital rapido. In fact if you had a bleed they hospital should be called to let them know you are coming and be prepared.

Are you seeing a midwife before next week? I honestly feel that you need this confirmed asap.

[SazZaVoom]

Yes, be prepared with bag etc, number of delivery suite on your mobile (I phoned them from the loo at 3am - oh the glamour!) and just call an ambulance. They can't do much but it feels good to be in the hands of the professionals IYSWIM and they will make sure a team is waiting for you if a bleed happens

Oh, and have a camera in your bag. I have no pics of DD1 on her 1st day in this world as i had not bothered to put the camera in the bag at that early stage. Hospital shops do not sell them, funnily enough

Fingers x'd you stay intact and have a plan with your consultant for a stress free delivery . Despite the circumstances i managed to have a lovely CS with DD1

[SazZaVoom]

See you, I agree with the cross matching - very humbled. I had 5 lots and never used any as i was lucky enough not to need a transfusion. I feel very bad it all went to waste though

[madmissy]

i have the consultant and a scan on monday coming tbh stupid as it sounds im glad that its been brought up at a 4d and i was brave enough to say to consultant

she had a good grr and roll of eyes so glad that i'm not wasting her time!

have the report from sonographer and a pic of its position (which hasn't moved in the last 11days grr) so that she/they can compare

have to say i am worried about bleeding as had a bleed with dd1 in pg and then the placenta probs in labour with the retain and haemorrage (sp)

oh the joys

[SazZaVoom]

It's definitely good to know what you are dealing with . Sounds like your placentas have been very naughty

I was lucky that in my second pg, my placenta was well behaved, high up and posterior. Never can tell what they will do

[seeyounexttuesday]

mad i had a retained placenta with my second as well. I did ask when they said i had placenta previa if there was any connection. I was told that they thought each placenta likes to plonk itself in an area not used in previous preg which was interesting if true.

Was your 4d scan done privately? What did the scanner person advise you when he saw it in that position?

Saz - I am sure those donors would be equally pleased that their blood was on standby and not needed on that occasion, which is equally as important as using it for transfusions. I would just love to give them all a big hug and say thankyou personally

[madmissy]

yes was extremely... well still am but in different way! nervous of the birth.

no idea what to think now... annoyed that its been missed though... as its very obvious when you look at the scan

[SazZaVoom]

I was told that too SeeYou - hence i was pleased when my second nice and high after the 1st dramas

[seeyounexttuesday]

Yes, my first was in perfect position, 2nd low but retained and came out in bits (tmi) 3rd Grade 4. Didn't think it was wise to have a 4th, the placenta would have been hanging out my nethers at that rate

[mel1981]

I had a grade 3 with 3 bleeds spotting more at 26 weeks 9 /12 wk stay in hospital (with no further bleeds) let me home as it had moved. I lasted 23 hours and bled again -more this time& went back for the w'end. Allowed home again for 3 wks as scan showed it had moved but wasnt allowed to do anything and had to basically be babysat. At 38+6 Had a big bleed was rushed back into hospital scan showed it had moved still so consultant was going to pop waters, but during an internal exam it was still completely covering!!! Didnt show on at least 6 scans though.
But DS is here now happy& healthy so thats all that matters.

[madmissy]

seeyou thats really interesting! i am sure its connected somehow now! i has asked when i was aware it was low but was looked at with blank faces lol

yes 4d scan was private..

on the 2nd i had it and she noticed it was low and that i should go and get checked out (had consultant the following monday) she even checked over again when i had done a wee...

i went to the consulant who a bit peed that i had a 4d and was told it was low and that they need to scan me so booked me in for 19th

in meantime i realised i had no report from 4d on the 2nd so i rang and she said i will get sonographer to call you

which she then did and asked if i cld come back for a re scan as she wanted to be sure, which is why i went back today ( despite having scan on monday- i figured it wld be nothing like the cons said and if anything i cld see ds again!)

so when she checked me and she said yes just like i thought thats very low and its sitting on the cervix so you really do need more scans to keep eye on it, said she was glad i went back and it had put her mind at rest
i asked whats it classed as? she said grade 4 and me being ignorant thought oh not that bad then thinking 1 is worse lol

[madmissy]

mel how can they miss it! grr

[seeyounexttuesday]

oh well deffo sounds like it is a 4 then. Do they not do scans at your local gp surgery by any chance?

Did you call your consultant after the second opinion today. Just wondering if they will want to see you before monday. I to did not have a clue what placenta previa was when diagnosed and grade 4 meant nothing until the midwife said, you have to stay in because it is the highest grade.

I shall be watching this thread with interest to see how yours all pans out. Hopefully you will be able to be at home with someone with you and thing will progress normally.

[VerityClinch]

I had grade 4 placenta praevia - first seen at 20 weeks when I was told "it will probably move", then at 36 weeks, it had got worse not better.

Had no bleeding at all, but an action plan in place at work, just in case, and went on maternity leave early and dossed about at home for about 7 weeks...

Had elective CS at 38+5. Baby had been transverse up to that point, which was probably why I didn't bleed, as no downward pressure on the placenta. Had a scan the morning of the CS and she had turned head down (which I felt her do the night before, and blimey, THAT was quite something!) so they whipped her out quick!

Haemorraged in theatre and lost 3.5 pints of blood - so they didn't drop the screen when my DD came out, which was a bit of a shame, but they thought I wouldn't want to see what must have been an unholy mess down there. What they didn't seem to have realised was the thing they were using to suction off the blood was draining into a tube which went past my ear, so I saw ALL of that blood dripping down anyway...I kept asking the anaesthetist "am I OK? am I OK?" and she was laughing at me which I didn't find very helpful...

So yes, another big vote of thanks to the blood donors out there from me!

DD is now 15 weeks and wholly unscathed... as am I now I have got over it. Would do it all over again in a heartbeat.

Very very good luck for a safe birth. Am sure you'll be fine though. All I would say is if you're not happy about having students in with you, SAY SO, because (due to the severity of the condition) it is quite rare and they do want people to have a look, iyswim, and I had a student anaesthetist and THREE house officers in with me, as well as all the other theatre staff and the whole thing was a bit claustrophobic to say the least.

[seeyounexttuesday]

mel that's dreadful, missing it 6 bloody times. So dangerous if nothing else.

[mel1981]

LOL at seeyou. I completely agree with you- im not having any more for the same reason...infact waiting on DHs snip appointment to fall on the doorstep

My 1st & 2nd preg were fine placenta wise, with 3rd I had low lying but it moved with 4th I was told I had low lying at 20wk scan to find out at 26wk bleed it was grade 3. They knew that at 20wks but they dont make a big deal out of it as placenta usually moves!
I was also told that the placenta will grow in a different spot for each pregnancy.