C-section at 35 weeks (Vasa Praevia) - St Tom's, Kings or Lewisham?

[Brenau]

At my 20 week scan I was diagnosed with Placenta Praevia and Vasa Praevia. Vasa Praevia is a rare condition where the umbilical cord sits across the cervix and makes VB impossible as the baby would bleed out. Suggested management is that you are hospitalised from 30 weeks and deliver via C-section at 35 weeks.

At the sonogram, I was told about the condition but said they would look at it again at 28 weeks but when I got home and started researching Vasa Praevia, it turns out to be quite a serious condition where 95% of babies that aren't diagnosed prenatally are born still. The good news is they've caught it now and can manage the situation to make sure the baby is delivered before I have the chance to go into labour. However, waiting 2 months for any sort of information has been killing me and I'm really pushing to get a consultant to see me and talk to me before then but I've no success. I've spoken to two GPs at my practice but neither knew of the condition at all. Aside from booking confirmation of my 28 week scan I've had nothing despite many efforts to get an appointment with a consultant.

I'm currently booked in at Lewisham but was hoping for a low risk birth in their birthing centre. Now that option is no longer available, I'm really not comfortable with the hospital and would like to switch to St Thomas or Kings but I am really worried about getting lost in the system at this stage (24 weeks). I am also trying to think of my sanity as it is very likely I will spend 5 weeks in this hospital and get to know it very, very well.

I could be in hospital in as little as 6 weeks and am feeling a little overwhelmed by it all and would really appreciate advice on any of the following:

• anyone who has dealt with prenatally diagnosed Vasa Praevia
• anyone who has delivered via C-section and St Thomas', Kings, or Lewisham
• anyone who has spent any amount of time on any of the wards or has experience of keeping sane during 5 weeks of hospitalisation

Thanks in advance for any thoughts/advice anyone can provide!

Thanks Natasha - I am really grateful that they identified it, especially as I have had no bleeding or anything to indicate that I might have the condition. As scary as the stats sound, the prenatal diagnosis means we can manage the outcome, as you said.

The vasa praevia website has some great info and knowledge sharing, I'm not sure I'm strong enough for the FB page but do want to thank their efforts of raising the profile as it is campaigns like this that make it possible to identify prenatally. My heart goes to your colleague...

I can advise partially.

I had placenta praevia with DC1 and an undiagnosed placenta accreta (where the placenta has grown through the uterine wall, undiagnosed it often ends up in maternal death) with DC2. Had 2xELCS at Kings. I also have a blood clotting condition that means I inject blood thinners when pregnant - but must stop for the CS!

The ELCS team at Kings are brilliant - saved my life under extremely difficult conditions the second time. Your DP/DH will also be able to stay next to you overnight (in a chair) in the post-natal ward.

Not sure where you'll be prior to the birth but after DC1 I was put on the ante-natal ward as post-natal was full and it was really lovely. The post-natal ward was crap - but then most of them are as far as I can see.

I also spend 24hrs in the High Dependency Unit after DC2 and that was great too.

I'm sorry about your condition, which I know nothing about. I would hate to be in hospital that long too. It is good that they've diagnosed it early though.

I did have to spend time (1 week) on the ante-natal ward at St Thomas's in Dec 2010 and I though the care there was really good (crap food though :-). Really great caring midwives who wanted to help put my mind at rest as much as possible. I think you would be well looked after there.

Post -natal ward was awful though (but most women say that about any London hospital and hopefully you wold only be there 2 days or so).

Hi.
Had placenta previa with dc1 and had to be in hospital 12 weeks prior to birth. Dc1 born by ELCS at 37 weeks.
I was in Lewisham and can not fault either- their antenatal care or the section. Lovely midwives and a brilliant experienced consultant ( Ruth Cochrane) who I strongly recommend. If you are in Lewisham your midwife can refer you.

I spent 3 weeks on the antenatal ward at St Thomas' in April. The staff were utterly fantastic and I was very well looked after - lovely caring midwives and excellent consultants.

The best thing I found was that, being so close to central London, lots of friends who work there were able to come and visit me on their way home in the evenings, which definitely kept my spirits up. Also, as long as all is well, you can ask to escape from the ward now and then and go for a walk downstairs, go to the cafe, walk around outside, etc. The students run a cinema on a Wednesday night I think, which a lot of the women said was good fun.

I'm not going to lie, it is tough to be there for a long time. I found I had to play the cheery person card to try and keep other people's spirits up, but that paid off and I made some good friends.

I passed the time (when I didn't have visitors) watching tv, knitting, doing puzzles etc. I was geared up to be there for 10 weeks (admitted at 29 weeks), but in the end DS decided he wanted out at 31+5.

The other great thing about Thomas' is the Neonatal ward - I assume if you are delivering at 35 weeks there's a chance your baby may need to go there initially? Kings also has a fabulous neonatal unit, from what I hear, but I think Lewisham is part of a network of hospitals which use Thomas' for neonatal care (not 100% sure on that though).

Basically I love St Thomas' and think it is the best hospital ever