Placenta Praevia Support

[blacktreaclecat]

Just been diagnosed with posterior pp after small bleeds at 24 and 26 weeks. The placenta reaches but doesn't completely cover os.
I have been advised to stop work, pelvic rest, no lifting, pushing supermarket trolley, exercise and to take life very easy.
I have put myself on modified bed rest- spend a lot of time in bed/ sofa but get up to potter about the house and for a short slow gentle walk daily to prevent dvt.
I am really struggling emotionally. This is an ivf baby after 3 years ttc and 2 losses. I am so so scared baby will come very early and be poorly. We were so happy and now it just seems a nightmare.
I'm 27+1 today. Baby seems fine at the moment and oblivious of all the worry it is causing.

Glad to hear the baby is fine at the moment, it's such a worrying thing, but I hope you can rest as much as possible and that the MWs and hospital are looking after you, and keeping an eye on things.

Do you have people around you for support? especially emotional support?

After my escapade this week it really shocked me that I'd gone from everything being smooth and lovely, to possibly not having a baby, or one coming too early etc... - so i can relate to how you feel and the emotional rollercoaster that PP causes.

Hopefully someone else on here, with a bit more experience, can provide a bit more support. [busmile]

Hi Poppy
Thought I'd start a new thread- the old pp thread is a chat one now.
How are you doing- you sound calmer than me- how far along are you?
I do have support- H, my parents, my MIL and my best mate are all very supportive. I am concerned though- my consultant thinks I may get PND or not bond with the baby. I'm going to ring my mw on Tuesday and ask for an urgent Antenatal mental health referral.
Are you at home at the moment- have you been told to rest?
Reading up on pp I think a lot of people are admitted and become long stay Antenatal ward pts which sounds horrid but I'll do anything to get our little "blob" here safe and well.
Take care xxxx

First off congratulations on your pregnancy. being on bedrest is the most sensible thing you can do.

I had pp stage 4 with dc1 and discovered it at 30 weeks when I had contractions. After a scan and rush to hospital they signed me off work and said complete bedrest. Thankfully no other events happened and I had my son thru elective csection at 39 weeks.

All v calm and although recovery was painful (csection!!) he was a healthy 8pound 1 who bf till 23 months!!

And I went on to have a vbac 2.7 years later.

The best thing you can do really is start to nest and take it easy. No shopping or walking much at all.

Friend of mine didn't really take much notice of the advice and ended up having her second son which was a pp at 32 weeks or so. But still he was fine - just small!

Hang in there!!! Good luck.

Forgot to add they wanted to admit me for 10 weeks but I said no. The consultant was vv good and agreed but said if anything happened I was to blue light myself to the hospital. Not even to wait for dh to return from work.

I also had posterior pp. that's great! Because it means when they do the section they wont cut through the placenta and it bleeds more!

Good idea blacktreaclecat [busmile]
I'm 23+1, I'm really glad you do have supportive people around you as my DP is crap at that sort of thing! :o
Sounds like a sensible idea to get referred, especially if you have any concerns at all. I've been told to rest and relax. My PP was grade 3 at 20wk scan, anterior, and was still in similar position at scan last Wed :( They wanted to keep me in for longer, but we don't live far from the hospital and all my other obs were ok, so they let me home but i have to go striaght back in if it happens again. Appt with consultant on Friday, so think I'll feel a bit better after that.
Had a few wobbly emotional days, but am trying to stay focused on the fact that bump is happy.

It'd be great to hear some other stories and outcomes though :)

I had grade 4 pp last summer, I was admitted for 3 days after a small bleed at 26 weeks, and then for a month after a major bleed at 30 weeks. My twins were delivered at 34 weeks after another small bleed, they both stayed in scbu for 3 weeks, but are now 7 months old and fine. Try not to panic, take it easy and carry your phone with you at all times, if you haven't had a major bleed, be prepared, it feels like your waters going, just breathe deeply and call 999. As a long term resident of an antenatal ward, I met many other pp mums, and we all have healthy babies safely at home now, and actually more of them were born at term than early.
Good luck to you all.

Hi
I'm sorry you aren't finding your H supportive, hope you are ok. From what I've read at 23 weeks with an anterior pp you have axreasonable chance of it moving up. Whether it moves up enough for a vb seems variable but a bit of upward movement must make things safer.
Mine is posterior so less likely to move up but cs should be easier as they don't have to go through placenta to get to baby.
I'm struggling still with anxiety- wish I could fast forward time.
My hips are killing from lying on my side 20+ hours a day!
On the plus side MIL is bringing me needles and wool round today - starting a baby blanket. Xxxx

Hi Cat

I also have PP, I am 29 weeks now but no other symptoms than my scan (and bubba is lying transverse which means it is still pp!!!).

My midwife said that there is still loads of time for it to move and I have 3 friends this year that had the same thing and theirs all moved. So I am gonna stay positive and try not to worry as their is nothing we can do. It is horrible I know :(

When are they going to rescan you?

Frog x

I'm 27+3 today and have another scan at 28+6.
I'm having a section whatever but I think they want to monitor closely after the 2 small bleeds.
I'm sorry you are going through this too. It is terrifying.

How are you doing today blacktreaclecat? are you feeling a bit better? I've been signed off sick this week as I'm still not 100% and am spotting on a daily basis (how charming!! :)) so don't want to rush back to work and set things off again,

Will feel much better after I've been to see consultant on Friday, I think, and once I've got to 24wks.

Hope you're feeling a bit better.

Figners crossed FF that yours moves in time, too. I'm being rescanned in 2 weeks to check on mine.

Feeling a little more positive over a week now since the bleed and even the brown discharge has settled. I'm off work sick until it turns into ML now. Bed rest is boring isn't it. Have taken up knitting and Jeremy Kyle!
What do you do? I wouldn't go back to work still spotting. TMI is it red or brown? Between my first and second bleed I went to work etc with brown but no red. They hadn't diagnosed pp yet then. My fetal medicine consultant missed it on my 22w scan (and 16w and 12w- oops)
Roll on 24 weeks for you.
Xxx

Friedfrog hope yours moves- is it anterior or posterior?
Xxx

Glad you're feeling a bit more positive, that's good to hear. Bed rest is boring, but it's for the best :) I've been trying to rest as much as possible, but also keep slightly active around the house, scared of DVT!

I have a very stressful office job, so combination of sitting at desk and rushing around different floors, plus it's a 40 minute journey to work (walk/bus), long hours/late nights etc... so I'm going to check with consultant what's best to do.

Spotting is various shades of pink, from light to dark, but it really is tiny compared to what happened last week, still I'm not confident about rushing back and starting it all off. Say Dr yesterday and she wasn't too concerned, but will check on Friday.

I would ask to be signed off. It just isn't worth it. PP seems to be one condition where rest can make a significant difference. I'm a dentist so have quite a physical full on job too and practically the first thing my consultant said to me was give up work. I only had another 5 weeks before I was due to start ML anyway.
I do get up and potter about the house and am wearing sexy travel socks for dvt. Xxx
BTW your name always makes me want chocolate!

thanks btc :) I'll speak to the consultant on Friday and see what they suggest. As soon as I start doing anything more than pottering around the house, the spotting gets worse . bah!
I also have those glamorous support stockings for DVT - swit-swooo!

Re name - It makes me want chocolate too :o

cat I don't know which one I have. I just checked all my notes and it doesn't say! I am guessing posterior as I can feel kicks at the front but will ask my mw when I see het. I know that they found a little fibroid at the same time , mw says this increases it's potential to stay where it is as it can latch on :(

I am having no spotting so feel lucky compared to you lovelies. I am thinking I may pay for a private scan? But then I think it won't change anything!

Are all your babies transverse?

Frog xxx

Frog are you being rescanned? I've scans booked at 26 and 36 wks to check on the progress, so if they're rescanning you it might not be necessary to do a private one too.

Bump is currently flitting between transverse and extended breech :) both of which are common with PP apparently... it might say on your last scan letter whether it's posterior or not..? Fingers crossed it moves, most of them do I think

Poppy how did it go with the consultant?

ahh, thanks cat it all went ok, she's given me the go ahead to be a bit more active and go back to work.

I went over everything that's happened over the last week since discharge from hosp, and she wasn't too worried. I've got check ups/scans every two weeks until Mid May, so that's reassuring. And if there's any more bleeding, or pain I have to go straight back in. Feel a bit more confident now, but am not going to start rushing around..! Phew :)

How are you doing?

Feeling happier for being 28 weeks today :)
No bleeding or brown for over a week thank goodness. Still trying to take it easy.
Went to Asda for an hour this morning and bought: nappies (one pack pampers micro, one pack newborn,), a tiny baby starter set- 2x vest, sleepsuit and scratch mitts and hat up to 5lb. A fair few vests and sleepsuits in new baby (up to 7lb). Sudocrem, cotton wool etc. Plus mat pads, breast pads, big knickers (4 full briefs in a pack for £2.50) etc for me.
Feel a lot more prepared.
Hoping the pampers micro and tiny baby set aren't needed - will donate to hospital neonatal unit.
Spent the rest of the day lying down.
So back at work on Monday? Try to take it a bit easier- can you work from home at all?
Xxxx

Hi everyone

Yeah I am being rescanned at 36 weeks, fingers crossed.

cat Its so nice buying the baby stuff isn't it! Top offer at the moment is boots are doing the Huggies pure wipes as a £1 a pack, from trying them out on my niece etc, they don't tear like the others.

poppy that's great news, just take it easy OK?

Checked my letter and it doesn't say their either. I am seeing the MW of the 29th so will ask her then.

We started on names today :)

Hope everyone has a healthy happy weekend

FF xx

Thanks FF, glad you've got a rescan booked in. And good luck with the name choosing, that's something we're a bit rubbish on at the moment.
thanks btc am going to sort something out, hope things are still progressing well and you're resting up still. Sounds like you're much more prepared. :)

Hi ff and poppy
Hope you are both ok and getting lots of rest. Try to stay off your feet as much as pos.
MW appt today to break the tedium of lying down! MIL round this afternoon to look at my knitting - better get on.
Ordered the car seat yesterday- we were having fun and games because the pram we want is an Uppababy vista but maxi cosi on isofix doesn't fit our car (Tiguan). Ordered besafe izi go on isofix yesterday in JL- fits our car and the Uppababy. Result.
Xxx

Hello Folks, I'm 36 weeks pregnant and have to go to into hospital tomorrow until my c-section at 39 weeks because I have a complete posterior praevia. I've had no bleeding whatsoever so far so I know I'm one of the lucky ones - it sounds terrifying. I feel like I'm in safe hands though, I like my consultant and I'm not too worried about the pregnancy. Mostly, I could do with some advice on how to cope being away from my son for so long. I've been dreading this since I was diagnosed, he's two and having trouble coming to terms with the new baby as it is, now I have to leave him for almost a month and I'm worried how it'll affect him and our relationship. Any advice or anything would be really appreciated.

Thank you and I hope you're all doing ok :)

Hi rhiannon sorry to hear you're going into hospital, but really pleased to hear no bleeding. I've been in hospital since Saturday (28weeks) with my third PP bleeding episode :( and they're not letting me out until next week at least.

I don't have a 2 year old, but it's still hard being here and away from my DP and normal life. :(

I am sure someone else will be along with some advice, but hopefully you have someone to look after him, and he can come visit.

Wishing you all the best. :)
xxx