Placenta previa-hospitalised till delivery = fear+frustration

[jesswhite25]

Hi all, I'm new to this site but it's been recommended as a good support network so thought I'd give posting a whirl as feeling quite alone at the mo.

I'm 33 wks tomorrow. Was diagnosed with complete pp at 30 wks after 2 bleeds (one small, one medium). Spent a week in hospital after 2nd bleed but was finally allowed home! A week and half on, another medium bleed happened yesterday so back in hospital again and although the consultant hasnt confirmed it (she isn't on the ward till tomorrow, grrrr), her deputy consultant and the midwives have ssid they're 99% sure I'll be in here till cesarean at 38 weeks, if I make it that far. Also, they don't think the placenta will move now.

Have almost reconciled myself with this because I know its for the best to be here in case I have a big bleed and need emergency cesarean. Have a portable DVD player and books on the go etc but am still finding it hard to imagine being here for 5 weeks...

Am also incredibly frightened that at any moment I can bleed majorly and baby will have to come prematurely with emergency c section :-(

Has anyone out there been through this and successfully out of the other side? Any successful stories would really help at the moment. Or is anyone in the same boat?

Sorry for the essay but thanks in advance for any advice!

Hi plieadian, glad everything is planned now! With how unpredictable pp can be, I think taking control of what you can helps.

3 weeks done, 2 to go. I've hit 36 weeks today :-) Only 1 week off what they consider full term so I'm reassured that if baby has to come out early, at least we are nearer full term than we were when I had the first bleed. 2 weeks till my c section date but I'm still sitting here expecting to 'burst' at any time which isn't a great feeling but am trying (not always succeeding) to think positive and that I'll be meeting my baby soon, whatever happens.

Enjoy your last few weeks of freedom x

Just looked at your thread. Hope you don't have any more bleeds until your planned c section date. Sounds like you're coping well with your very long hospital stay and getting closer to full term. Books, internet, tv and a few visits got me through my short stay (felt long at the time).

I was hospitalised at 36 weeks with complete pp in 2010. A two week wait until c section. I was bored stupid, not allowed to go off the ward unless someone was with me. Nevertheless I got into a routine and took each day as it came. I felt a bit of a fraud in hospital because I felt fine. Ward was noisy with admissions sometimes in the middle of the night. I was pleased to have earplugs with me. Consultant took pity on me a little bit too and I was allowed out for 3 hours for lunch with husband on both Sundays which helped with my sanity. (we had to stay in very close proximity to hospital grounds).

I had been told from 20wks not to worry about low pp as it normally moves. So I didn't worry, kept working/lifting heavy stuff etc without thinking. Small bleed at 30wks with an overnight stay in hospital but dr still said it could move. Sent home, signed off work. Had some very minor bleeds but I didn't think it was that serious. Scan at 36 weeks and told it was pp grade 4 at the front, barely allowed home to pick up hospital bag. Bit of a shock and upset that it was going to be a section. I only realised the seriousness of pp when I started looking on internet once in hospital. I then had some small bleeds again but nothing major, and made it to 38 weeks and although worrying, c section went great. Staff were excellent.

DS2 was with VBAC, placenta not in the way at all.

Now I'm 23 weeks pregnant with DS3 and complete pp was shown up at 20wk scan. This time I'm very worried already!

Fingers crossed for you. xx

Ladies, out of interest how many of you had pp again after having it with a previous pregnancy? How many of you had a subsequent 'normal' pregnancy after a pp pregnancy?

Redcat - congratulations on the pregnancy! So glad yo hear you had a successful outcome with your son but sorry you know you've got pp again for this pregnancy. At least you know you had a positive outcome with the last pp pregnancy and you didn't have any big bleeds/emergency scenarios - i'll be thinking of you though cos the worrying and anticipation is tiring isn't it.

Only finding out about mine at 30 weeks, I was able to really enjoy my pregnancy before that but I do worry that if we go onto have baby no 2 and I find out earlier on, it'll completely cloud the pregnancy. That said, given my placenta was fine at 12 and 20 week scans this time, I think I'd worry anyway that, again, it would develop late in the day.

The joys of pp hey. Hope everyone is well x

I found out about pp stage 4 at 30 weeks like you and DS was born at 39 weeks, 3.65kg (8 pounds) so a good weight. No bleeding just contractions. Didn't stay in other than a 2 day stay when contractions started but was signed off work.

Dd was a vbac. Bad experience but I don't think that had anything to do with pp. 3.9kg, 8 pounds 10!

Jess - My PP was a grade 4 for DD1. Placenta completely out of the way for DD2

I opted for a CS as my first one was a very positive experience. I could have had a VBAC - completely my choice.

I could have written the OP post. I was on bed rest in hospital for over 7 weeks - baby born by section start of week 38. Two big bleeds (completely painless, just scary) - both times I was so glad that I was in hospital. Take advantage of all that free time to read and rest. Section was fantastic - I think that having all the time to relax stands to you and the baby. I was told at the time that chances of something similar happening with a subsequent pregnancy is about 1 in a 100.
Two years on I'm 40 and a half weeks pregnant - hoping to go naturally any day now!

Had a small bleed last night at 3am :-( so was reminded about why I'm in here. It was smaller than the ones that landed me here in first place so dont know why it bothered me, think the 3 week bleed free in here lulled me into false sense of security. It's settled down now but am back on bed rest and only allowed up to use the loo, grrrrr. Really just want to get to Sunday when I'm full term, please keep everything crossed for us guys.

Oh and god Amber, 7 weeks! I think 5 is bad enough...thanks for the second time round info Amber, Takeaway and Sizzle.

Hello ladies, I was away last weekend with no Internet so I'm still catching up.

Jess, you asked about pregnancy post pp, well DS was normal induced birth but manual removal of placenta (known to cause scarring which may lead to pp); next, missed MC, ERPC I don't know if this may contribute to scarring or not; DD1 grade 4 pp one big bleed at 33.5 weeks followed by loads of minor ones in hospital planned CS at 37.5 weeks 8lb 11oz (4kg); DD2 grade 4 pp bleeds at 24 weeks, 26, 31, 3 times at 33 weeks, emergency CS at 36+1, she was 5lb 13oz (3kg).

I have been advised not to have any more DC, consultant advised fitting of coil 3 weeks after delivery, which was actually prior to my due date!

Incidentally, I wasn't put on bed rest until the final bleed and had the section the next day.

Jess, you are now past the gestation when DD2 was born. She is currently sitting next to me playing a game on the kids ipad. She had 10 minutes in a warmer, no special care or anything and home within 48 hours. Good luck.

I asked about the risks of a second PP pregnancy after DD1 and was told not to worry about it.

When diagnosed the second time, one of the MW was astounded, she said she had been taught the placenta amuses scarring so a subsequent egg will not implant in the same place!

Have a safe week everyone.

I'm sure the placenta causes scarring rather than a,using it, but who knows

How's things OP?

Bump. How are people doing?

Hi all, sorry I should have updated the thread shouldn't I but it's all been very first time Mum chaotic and exhausting now we've gotten home and are adjusting to a baby!

So, my placenta held out to the planned c section at 38 and a half weeks, yay! Had a couple of small bleeds in the last few weeks but nothing huge and baby Oliver was born two weeks ago :-) 5 lb 11 so a tiny baby bless him (but hardly surprising given I'm 4 ft 11 and my hubby is 5 ft 3...).

Had 2 days in hospital after the op but we finally got home, after 6 weeks of being in hospital.... Wept with joy/relief when we pulled up onto our drive and I saw our house! I think I'd missed home more than I realised.

Thanks so much for all of your best wishes and reassurance throughout the whole pp fun. It was so reassuring to be able to go back onto the thread and read your comments when I was having a low/very anxious moment.

plieadianpony - how are you doing? Are you in hospital now?