Low lying placenta at 36 weeks

[Hopeful83]

Hi, I have been told at a scan yesterday that I have a low-lying placenta still. It is 15mm away from the cervix. I am already booked for a C section at 39+0 for other reasons, and am due to see the consultant next Thursday, when I will be 37+1. I had a big PPH (2.3L) with my last labour and this is why I am under consultant care. I am now panicking as I have done some research online and scared myself as I read lots about having a big risk of having a huge haemorrhage and possible hysterectomy, and I was already worried about bleeding anyway after my last labour. I know I need to see what the consultant says but can anyone offer any reassurance? Thanks

Agh, in the same boat as you but also with suspected accreta as well. Having c section on Feb 7th at 36 weeks and completely terrified!! Hoping to get some reassurance from someone on here...

Good luck with your section. What has your consultant said? Why do they suspect accreta as well? I read online about taking iron beforehand but I'm not yet as I haven't seen a Dr about it

I don't have any reassurance, I had undiagnosed placenta praevia and it wasn't a good experience as they tried to induce me for normal birth. However with a scheduled section you should be fine, it will be a routine procedure done calmly with everything in place should it be needed. A hysterectomy is very unlikely and not something that would be performed without serious need.

It will be fine. I had a Grade 4 Placenta Previa and premature labour and I didn't bleed all that much compared to my CS for Grade 1 PP. A lot of those who haemorrhage often do so because of undiagnosed PP. Yours sounds like a Grade 1 PP and you should really be fine.

Oh I had suspected accreta as well. And I had a chat with the surgeon and he said 'look we have to talk to you about hysterectomy risks etc but in 20 years of operating on women with complex placentas I have had to do 5 hysterectomies and 3 of those were cases were the accreta was undiagnosed.'

It is highly unlikely that with grade 1 praevia that you will have a pph that requires a hysterectomy. It is good that you have read about possible scenarios, but try to stay positive, it is really rare (around 0.5% of all caesarian cases according to one study, 38% of those had accreta with most of those having had prior uterine surgery of some kind, 34% of those for uterine atony (uterus not contracting back, more common in women who have had multiple children)).

I had grade 4 placenta praevia with percreta (worst case accreta) into my bladder. This was because I had two previous c sections and the placenta grew through the thinner scar tissue. I had dc3 at 34 weeks, he was fine and didn't need scbu and breastfed fine. I did have a hysterectomy and a 7 litre blood loss, but I am still here with my children which is the important thing. No lasting bladder damage. I was in hdu but not itu and home after 6 days.

A lady in hospital with me had accreta and 2 previous c sections and did not have a hysterectomy. She had balloon occlusion and pelvic arterial embolization.

Another lady with grade 4 praevia and no accreta had a pph, but no hysterectomy/arterial embolization. She breastfed her 34 week old and was home 3 days later.

If you are at risk of a major pph then making sure your iron levels are up is crucial before delivery. Your consultant should make arrangements for a delivery at a level 3 facility with a whole team of people there to look after you.

Study I quoted from.

I have a low laying placenta absolutely dreading my 36week scan don’t know what to expect or what they will suggest if my placenta is still laying low. Has anyone els had a low placenta at 36 weeks and what was the outcome of this ?

I had this. Dd was delivered at 38 weeks via c section. They said I had quite a bit of blood loss but didn't need transfusion. Good luck, I'm sure you will be fine.

Thank you for your respond and sharing your experience, quite reassuring everything will be okay just can’t stop thinking what will happen, i did want a normal labour hoping placenta will go up, hoping for a miracle to happen so scared to have a c section 😓

did they give you a date for your c section to go ahead? Like was you prepared mentally and physically?

I had a low laying placenta that “moved up” only it hadn’t and I ended up with a crash section, it wasn’t nice.

a scheduled section is nothing to be worried about, it’s a safe controlled way to deliver the baby. If I had the same situation again I’d insist on one.

I had a low placenta that had moved just enough at 36 weeks for a natural birth, and it was all fine at 41 weeks. The cord was extremely short and my baby had other issues but he's a very happy 6 year old. All the best, don't worry yourself, consultant will look after you.

Thank you for sharing I will definitely keep that in mind, feeling quite positive about it now, i have my internal scan tomorrow the doctors will let me know what to do, whatever is safe for baby will defiantly go ahead, currently 36 weeks now.

I am on 27+2 and have Vasa Previa with possible accreta. I've already had one set of steroids as I had a big bleed a few weeks ago and now we are working towards a delivery at 34 weeks xx