Placenta praevia at Chelsea & Westminster

[aquagrace]

Hi I'm a first time mum and at my 20 week scan placenta praevia was picked up. It's still there at 32 weeks so have an appointment with the obstetrician at 34 weeks to discuss options. We just started NCT classes too which focus so much on natural birth, but we feel really in limbo at the moment as we don't know whether natural birth will be an option.
I wonder if anyone knows the policy at C&W in the weeks leading up to EDD if placenta praevia has been picked up? I don't know if I want to keep having scans and deal with the uncertainty - we're thinking of just telling the obstetrician next week that we'd prefer to just get the c-section scheduled in (presumably this will be at 38 weeks? I have no idea).
I'm still struggling with the uncertainty to be honest and a niggling thought that if I have a c-section I won't be giving birth "properly" but I know it's due to a medical reason really.
Any advice welcome! Please be gentle as I'm a first-time poster
Thanks so much in advance
Laura x

I don't think it'll vary between hospital. If you have PP it'll be a c section. They might scan again at 36 weeks to be sure.

I had this although I was not under this hospital, I was scanned at 36 weeks and as it was still an issue booked for a c section. A friend also had this ar the same time and as the baby grew and the womb expanded it sorted itself by 36 weeks and she had a natural birth

Not sure of the hospital's policy on placenta praevia, but just wanted to say that I had a c section 6 weeks ago at C&W and it was magical. Postnatal ward was about as shite as I expected but the op itself was a wonderful experience (scar is already almost invisible, too!) and the observation ward I was on for 9 or 10 hours before postnatal was absolute bliss.

The truth of the matter is that in many respects, one is as much a passive participant in a vaginal birth as a section - nothing about the outcome of a vaginal birth is determined by one's skill or any other "value" quality. Women in comas have given birth - beyond a certain point, the bus very much drives itself. As a society we have grossly fetishised the natural and this is at nobody's expense more than that of the gestating woman. The most important thing is that you are the baby are safe, as undamaged as feasibly possible and that any avoidable psychological trauma is prevented.

Hope someone can give you a heads up re: PP policy at C&W but regardless, you WILL be giving birth. Any therapist or gynae surgeon that deals with postpartum women (of whom I have more than one in my immediate family) will tell you that the "naturalness" of a delivery is not in any way, shape or form the predictor of how fondly it will be remembered. There is a lot to be said for the power of the adrenaline involved in a reasonably straightforward vaginal delivery, but there is also a lot to be said for seeing in the most spectacularly magical moment of one's life painless and lucid and laughing in a room full of smiling faces.

Thank you so much for your responses. The consultant has booked us in at 39 weeks for a c section. It was all quite matter of fact and now we've processed it a bit more, we happen to have a midwife appointment this week where we'll ask more about the detail. They booked a scan at 37 weeks as well but I'm thinking of just cancelling that and going with the c section - Dr Duncan said things are unlikely to change so I'd like to just stick with the c section plan. Thanks again everyone xx