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Pregnancy

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Original poster

Low lying placenta at 20wk scan. Reassurances please

10 replies

CherylAnnTweedy · 19/07/2010 19:27

Hi, I had my 20wk scan today. The sonographer didn't exactly have the best bedside manner, she was very clinical and did nothing to reassure us at all.

Everything is fine with baby, but she said the placenta is laying over the exit. I've been booked in for another scan in October. When she told me I asked what that meant and told me I need a cs. No reassurances that it may change, angle of scan etc. Just that. Even when I said to DP that it buggers up my home birth she didn't offer any reassurances then.

We've googled and have seen that it is quite common to look like it's covering the opening at 20wks, but only 1 in 600 of those who return for a later scan have placenta praevia.I see my mw on Weds and will be having a good chat with her about it but need some reassurances from people who've been in this position and all has been ok.

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FourEyesGood · 19/07/2010 19:46

I can't offer much reassurance, except that I'm in exactly the same situation, but had a much more helpful sonographer and post-scan midwife appointment. They told me that the placenta is covering the entrance to the cervix and that in 50% of cases, the placenta moves up naturally. If my rescan at 32 weeks shows that it's still low, they'll monitor me and keep checking, but if by, say, 36 weeks, it hasn't budged enough, I'll be booked in for a caesarean. Like you, I'm very keen on a home birth (my first was so lovely!) but am resigned to not knowing for weeks and weeks whether or not it's a possibility. At least the baby's healthy, though! At the worst, you and I will end up having C-sections, but I've been reading up on them (on here) and the advice and anecdotes have been really helpful. Either way, we'll end with our beautiful babies, and in the long run, it doesn't matter so much how they're born, as long as they are!

lionmummy · 19/07/2010 20:03

I had this with both my pregnancies & in both cases it turned out fine. Is one of those things that you can't change so can only try & not worrk but hope all goes well with your next scans

Original poster

CherylAnnTweedy · 19/07/2010 20:22

Thank you.

Lionmummy, glad both yours turned out fine, that's reassuring.

FourEyesGood, you're right, we have healthy babies, and hopefully in a few months they will have a nice, safe entry into this world, no matter how that happens. I just wish I'd had a midwife sonographer like I did last time who could have reassured me properly. It's annoying that we've come out unsure of what's going to happen, annoyed at her attidude instead of being excited and happy that our baby is fit and well.

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sotough · 19/07/2010 20:28

hi there - just one thing to mention in case the sonographer didn't...it may be dangerous for you to have sex if you have a low lying placenta or placenta praevia. forgive me for mentioning something so personal, but i have just had a scare with this myself and wouldn't want the same to happen to you. i had a scan on friday which showed a low lying placenta, though i'm only 14 weeks pregnant and it's not very clear at this stage. the sonographer didn't mention anything about risks associated with having sex. i have subsequently found out that it can be very dangerous indeed to have intercourse in these circumstances as there is a risk of the placenta detaching from the uterus. i'd be interested to hear if your sonographer mentioned this as i feel they definitely should have.

FourEyesGood · 19/07/2010 20:34

My midwife mentioned that sex is OK as long as I haven't had any bleeding. If I do experience any bleeding, sex is definitely a bad idea. To be honest, I'm mostly off sex at the moment anyway, because of a bad back!

MrsMalcolmTucker · 19/07/2010 20:38

I had this too with dd - it worked out fine and although I ended up with a emergency cs, it was nothing to do with the placenta and everything to do with my enormous football-shaped head, which I passed on to dd.

ChequeredFlag · 19/07/2010 20:40

I had this right upto a scan at 36 weeks, then another scan at 38 weeks showed it had moved away completely, so I got my home birth instead of the cs I had resigned myself to. Good luck!

Soapsy · 19/07/2010 20:40

Had this with my first pregnancy and all was fine by the later scan (32 weeks? - can't remember it was 5 years ago). Had a vaginal delivery (won't say it was normal though!) There is an increased risk of bleeding in general, I was told, but didn't have any at any point.

hellymelly · 19/07/2010 20:43

I had this,and by the next scan it had moved up.I did have a c-section,but not for that reason.My friend has just had it too and hers has also moved,I think it is really common as several of my group of friends had a low placenta at the 20 week scan but none at the follow-up one.

Original poster

CherylAnnTweedy · 19/07/2010 20:58

Thanks, that all sounds very reassuring.

lol (I think) MrsMalcolmTucker

sotough - sonographer said nothing at all except I need a cs and when I tried to ask other questions about it, she just said, "I'm not a mw".

My area has only recently started doing detailed scans so I could well have had this with my 2 boys, but as the only scan I had was a 16wk dating scan I wouldn't have had a clue. I'm thinking ignorance is bliss!

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