Please help me calm down - complete placenta previa

[Peregrin]

I have already searched through the pregnancy archives here, which were a help, but I have just received an email from a friend whose 11 year old, heavily disabled son died a couple of weeks ago. My friend disclosed that she had marginal (!) placenta previa with that pregnancy, bled copiously from months 5 to 7 even on bed rest and receiving medication, then bled for three hours before receiving a caesarian, all of which resulted in her son's heavy brain damage (due to lack of oxygen, I suppose).

It was bad enough reading about the risk of haemorrhage and hysterectomy, now I'm positively terrified. I am seeing my doctor early next week and will probably attack him with an arm's length of questions, but until then, anybody share some positive stories or advice?
I know I should rest, which I was interpreting as abstaining from chores, sex etc but I thought I can go back to my office job.

I am 17 weeks gone by the way, and have had an episode of spotting and an episode of more marked discharge (finding it hard to assess what constitutes 'light' bleeding and what is more significant). Went on a week's bed rest after that.

Thank you...

Hi - didn't want to read and run. I had a partial PP which meant I had to have a hospital birth and it was advised that the placenta was medically removed. There were no problems, it seems to be relatively common. I'm really sorry about your friend BUT I really don't think that her story is standard. She was horribly unlucky. It will not happen to you. Talk to your doctor, ask lots of questions and try to remember that it is far more likely that everything will be absolutely fine.

Hi. No one will stop you worrying sadly. This is a scary situation for you. I had full placenta praevia 27 years ago. Was picked up at 33 weeks by a very savvy midwife. No routine scans. Admitted for rest straight away. Rest meant doing nothing. I had been working as a nurse heavy lifting etc. I was very lucky that I had had no bleeding until till then. I had a planned section two weeks before my due date so that I did not go into labour. She was really skinny when she was born but fed really well. Go for your appointment. Ask questions. You should then be clear what your situation means for you and what choices you have. Put your feet up and don't worry about work until you have seen your doctor.My daughter is a fabulous wonderful person who lives life to the full and overflowing.

Hello, if you've searched the archives you might have seen my story under my old name of rek21. This time 4 years ago I was in hospital before dd2 was born, I was there 8 weeks all told. It was very tough and I did bleed very heavily after the section resulting in a second op.

However I'm ast

Gah! Bloody iPhone.

I was going to say, I'm astonished that your friend was left to bleed for three hours. I had a big bleed at 7 months and they were all for doing the c-section there and then. The bleed stopped after about half an hour and dd was actually born at 36 weeks.

I think your friend's case was very sad and unusual. PP can be a tough journey, but in the vast majority of cases it all works out well.

Thank you so much for the posts and keeping me company. I've stopped hyperventillating for now (being hormonal probably doesn't help) and bought a cheap bundle of newborn clothes on eBay by way of therapy..

CabbageLooking, I am glad you had no problems in the end. I am sure that you are right, my friend was horribly unlucky, but facing the very possibility that this could also happen gave me a right fright.

leavesalmond, it does sound like you were lucky and it was good to read of your experience! Thank you for having shared it.

TheFowl, my gosh, yes I've read your old posts and went a bit weak just from reading your birth story!

My friend had a complete PP. unfortunately it wasn't detected at her 20 week scan so she didn't know anything about it until she had a serious bleed at 27 weeks. She spent 48 hits in hospital and was then released, only to have another bleed a few days later. She was then hospitalised from week 29 until she had a c-section at 34 weeks. They wouldn't allow her to go any further as the risks of spontaneous labour were too great. Baby was fine and is now a strapping toddler :)

It must be terribly scary for you but hopefully you'll fare as well as my friend and her baby did.

Don't worry Peregrin I met lots of women with PP whilst in hospital, most have very few problems, have a straightforward section and are back home in a very short time. But if it does go a bit less straightforwardly like with me, well there's lots of support here. Feel free to message me if you have questions.

Honestly if you saw my bonny bouncy dd today, you'd have no clue that she had a slightly rocky start

Another positive story here - my cousin had complete PP picked up at the 20w scan and was hospitalised at 32 weeks as a precaution but all was fine and she had a section at I think 38 weeks. She and the baby were absolutely fine.

I hope all goes well for you.