To ask for your low lying placenta stories

[elm26]

Hello

I was diagnosed with low lying placenta at 20 weeks, it has got lower at 28 weeks and 32 weeks remained roughly the same.

I have a scan Wednesday at 35+2 and when I spoke to the consultant after my last scan he said as it's posterior it's unlikely to move and they may admit me to the maternity ward and C-section between 36-38 weeks depending on how low it is.

I was calm about this until today where I've been really emotional.

Touch wood and thank goodness I haven't had any bleeding at all and I know the safe thing to do would be to admit me because as baby gets heavier etc more pressure is put on the placenta.

I feel really sad at the prospect of spending at least 3 weeks in hospital, I'll miss my DH and dog and even felt sad making my DH lunch for work tomorrow thinking I may not be here to do it after Tuesday. He's a great DH, supportive, caring and kind and does his fair share of laundry, lunches, cooking, cleaning etc but he's been working 7 day weeks and I like to look after him because he's exhausted all of the time trying to get additional savings away for when baby is here.

I think I'm all up in the air with my hormones, I'm sad at the thought of a hosp stay but at the same time I want her out as soon as possible and safely, I've had a horrific pregnancy with Hyperemesis etc.

I'm rambling but I'm starting to get anxious now about it all and can't sleep.

Has anyone been through the same that can share some stories with me?

Haven't been through the same but did have an unexpected cesarean.
My advice would be to accept the situation for the sake if your baby and for you.
Look at it as an exciting way of meeting your baby earlier than expected.
Husband should be looking after you anyway not the other way around even if working all the hours.
Treat is as a much earned rest before sleep deprivation of a newborn.
Sounds like nature is forcing you to put your feet up.
Why 3 weeks in hospital if all is well it's a max of 3 days for a csec?

I had placenta praevia diagnosed around 22 weeks when pregnant with DT’s. Was told they would monitor its position with my fortnightly growth scans and told to carry my maternity notes with me at all times plus to go straight to nearest maternity unit if I had any bleeding even if it wasn’t my booked hospital. As it happened, I had no issues whatsoever and had elective c section at 34 weeks (for other issues not related to placental position).

Depends totally on placenta position but I’m surprised they’re considering admission to hospital for potentially 3 weeks if you’re not symptomatic and it’s only classed as low lying not pp. Do you have other issues that would make them consider this course of action?

Mine was posterior and did move so I could give birth vaginally. I believe there's an 85 percent chance it will do if posterior. I really didn't want a c section as I have a real fear of surgery. I didn't know if it had moved or not till late as baby's head was blocking them seeing on the scan so couldn't tell you if it may move still, but I'd say judging by the fact they still scan at 36 weeks I'd say there's a chance. I had a few tiny spotting incidents which due to having the placenta issue, made me more anxious than I would have been and had to spend a lot of time pre due date being monitored,. partly due to NHS caution partly my own paranoia. I also bled a lot post birth but I don't know whether that was due to the position of placenta or the fact I pushed placenta out myself too early, straining because I was fearful of a repeat of medical intervention as per my first child.

My friend had one that was completely blocked. Her second pregnancy. She absolutely raves about how much better her c section was than vaginal birth. In and out in a few days and driving after two weeks. She had her husband to help the first two weeks so that probably helped.
She was able to breastfeed no problems and had no issues with supply(whereas I did and I had a vaginal birth)

An elective section is usually a more positive experience than an emergency so do hold that in your head if you can.

Remember if it does move there's no guarantee that you won't need an emergency c section anyway, so if it doesn't it doesn't mean otherwise you would have had a smooth birth.

Good luck and remember it can be a good experience with either method.

I had this op. Bleeding and pprom at 31 weeks and I spent 31-36 weeks in hospital. Was awful but mostly because I was away from my toddler and constantly leaking fluid which might have been a bleed. I think it is much easier with a first baby.

But you are about to be a mummy and have a baby to put first so you need to accept the advice and crack on.

also it won’t move at this late stage!

practically, take lots of stuff to entertain you. Make sure you shower and dress everyday. Get your slippers and dressing gown ready too for nighttime trips to the loo as you probably won’t have an ensuite. Will you finish work when you are admitted? Also hospital food when pregnant is awful so you might need to line up DH to help with stuff here so you have enough protein. Can he work around visiting hours? Are you sorted for the dog if baby comes as an emergency?

also just be prepared that you might have to be cannulated the whole time. I was so bruised from them resiting every few days. I think that was the worst bit.

I think you need to change your mindset to one where DH has to help you. Not the other way around. This is a high risk pregnancy.

happy to help if you have questions!

I had the same. It moved by 36 weeks. Started natural Labour and ended up with emergency c section. Personally I wish it had never moved

I have been before section in the hospital with another complication,one positive out of all the negatives is you dont have other kids at home missing you. Your husband and dog will be fine. 36-38 weeks is good time for a section i recently met a lady whos two daughters were born 23 and 24 weeks, how hard it must have been for her to leave baby behind at rhe hospital for months.

if they take you in its great best place to be for you and the baby,pack well,prepare snacks hospital food is not generous or the best- i personally cant eat anything there im egg intolerant,celiac and diabetic lol so i also pack my own food too :) good luck best wishes

If all is well up to 3 days post section but they can admit anytime if the mum
might need emergency section, one lady i shared a room with when i was admitted early was going to be kept in for 4 months and she had other kids at home

@Bloopsie 4 months?! Omg, how daunting.

This happened to me, I was admitted at 35 weeks even tho I'd had no bleeding at all. Then they did a transvaginal scan at 38 weeks and sent me home as they said it was over 3cm away from cervix. Then, I did have a massive bleed a week later and went in for emergency cs. It was a bit of a trauma but the cs was actually fine and ds was perfect and still is now 9 years later. The cs recovery was hard as I already had ds1 at home.

My first birth was vaginal. they were both equally horrid experiences tbh but I got a healthy baby at the end of both of them which was all that mattered. I bf after both without any problems.

I had praevia. I had no bleeding at all but the placenta didn't move. I had a C section booked at 39 weeks but my waters broke three days earlier so I had to have an emergency section. The section was OK. Obviously not my first choice of spending an evening but you just get on with it really. I did have a large haemorrhage afterwards and I'm not sure if this was related to the praevia. So my next few days in hospital weren't that pleasant. My milk was late - I assume because my body had been under a lot of stress, so it didn't come for about 5 days and I ended up bottle feeding. None of it matters though once your baby is here.

Thank you everyone for sharing!

@PerfectPrepPrincess I probably should have worded it better but he does look after me, I can't fault him at all 😊 if my placenta is still as low as it is or it's moved lower, they will admit me in case of any heavy bleeding or haemorrhage as baby gets bigger so I could be in from tomorrow until I have C-section then 2-3 days after fingers crossed it goes smoothly and we aren't in any longer.

I will 100% do whatever the consultant suggests is safest, I've had 13 miscarriages to get to this point and just want the baby and I to be safe and healthy so whatever I need to do I'll do it. I'm just feeling emotional I guess!

Dog is sorted, my Dad is having him from when he needs to for as long as we need. Much to my Dad's delight as he bloody loves this dog 😂

Low lying posterior placenta was noted at my 20 week scan. Had a massive bleed at 27 weeks, was kept in until another big bleed at 36 weeks when he was born under GA. They made it out to be such a life threatening situation, I wasn't even allowed to leave the ward the whole 9 weeks and I had to get a new venflon inserted every 3 days as they said if I haemmorhaged my veins would collapse and they only had 6 minutes to get baby out. It was much less dramatic in the end and baby was fine!