IUGR and placenta insufficiency

[hulahoop7]

I am 29 weeks pregnant and have had elevated uterine dopplers and since last week growth of AC and HC below the 5th quartile. I am being monitored very closely and take a daily low dose aspirin but are there any other measures anybody knows of that will help with this condition? In Germany and the US women are often put on bedrest for this condition. Has anyone in the UK advised to do that in the UK?

Hi hulahoop

I had IUGR and problems with the placenta in my last pregnancy, from about 27 they noticed a growth problem and notching on the doppler scans and I was hospitalised and put on bedrest from about 29 weeks and told to try and lie on my left side as much as possible.

I actually didn't get put on aspirin, although I can see why you are and funny enough I've been put on it this time, as a precautionary measure should the same thing should happen (it hasn't thank goodness). I was put on blood pressure meds as it had started to creep up and IUGR can sometimes be a sign of pre-eclampsia.

Other than that it was just very close monitoring (doppler every week, growth scan every two weeks, ctg several times a day) and trying to keep the balancing act of keeping ds in as long as possible without either of us coming to harm.

My case is slightly different but maybe it helps... My 32 week (routine growth) scan showed placental malfunction and low fluid and a baby on the 5th centile. I wasn't told to rest or take aspirin. But they did give me two steroid shots in case they have to deliver the baby early (for lung maturity). (All this was in London at UCH). They then repeated the Doppler and fluids scan a few days later and suddenly those seemed ok. They still repeated the scan a few days later to double check and now they scan weekly, I guess just to be on the safe sids. (Baby still measuring small though...)

If your docs notice that your baby doesn't grow well enough and is "better off outside the womb then inside" and will need to deliver early, then I would ask for steroid shots. That is really all I can tell you.

Good luck!