placenta previa @20 weeks

[Frecklesandspecs]

Firstly, sorry for typos. I am writing on phone.
A few days ago i woke to find some blood on tissue when wiping. Had a very small amount of spotting for a couple of hours and went to day care to check it out. I am 20 weeks with third child.
They did an internal exam and went Dr said she could see a bit if blood.
She told me to wait until my scan which was yesterday and see how things were.
Everything fine until she did internal and said placenta was a bit low.
Booked me in for rescan at 34 weeks and wrote on notes that placenta was within 2cm of os .
I was wondering what grade of pp this is and the likelihood of it moving?
I am also object heparin fir previous blood clot so also worried that bleeding could potentially be worse?
I don't see anyone now until midwife in about 8 weeks so a bit worried about what this all means ad nothing has been explained. I just happened to check it online.
Thanks in advance.

Ps was also a bit worried that a couple of days before the Dr had done internal and i read that nothing should be inserted into vagina if pp wad suspected.

Hi Freckles, fwiw, my 20 week scan also revealed the placenta near to the os, I was also booked in for 34 week scan to check up on it. Mine didn't move, I had light bleeding from 25 weeks onwards, and every time I bled, I had an overnight stay in hospital (which was just the hospital's policy - I discharged myself once when it wasn't convenient). My baby was delivered by cs at 30 weeks and she is now 2 and a half! A good friend of mine also had pp, she had her baby at 38 weeks as planned, and was delivered by cs. I guess every situation is different but the fact that it's been picked up this early means the medical staff will keep a eye on you which should give you confidence.

Thankyou huppo ;-)
Glad yours turned out well though must have been difficult at the time.

I was totally nonchalant about it at the time! I remember being a bit pissed off when the consultant said 'no sex' and 'no cycling'. I understand why not, now...!

Btw, they will keep doing internal exams if they need to, I expect. But do be careful about putting anything else in there ...

Has your bleeding stopped now?

Hi huppo yes, no more blood. I would be mad too as i hate sitting doing nothing. I hope it moves up out of the way soon :-) the thought of staying in hospital for any length of time bears no thinking about.

That doesn't make sense does it ?!

Makes perfect sense! Staying in hospital is dull, especially if you're just sitting about on the antenatal ward, feeling like nothing is wrong (which is how I felt). Let's hope you don't have to.

Hope all stays peaceful, non-bleeding and normal!
X

Hello Freckles, welcome to the information blackhole that is placenta praevia and the NHS!

When you say it's within 2cm of the os, is it covering the os? And is it anterior or posterior?

At 20 weeks, I had internal scan showed my placenta was 8mm (0.8cm) away from os, but wasn't covering. My understanding is that if it doesn't cover os, but is nearby, it is a grade 1 and the least threatening, as a ridiculously high proportion (95% plus) of these move away by full-term.

If it is anterior, it is even more likely to move up out of the way, as the uterus expands more along the front than the back, so the bit between the os and the placenta stretches in a sense.

Posterior placentas still move, but not to the same extent.

It's good that they are rescanning you - I found out a couple of weeks ago that apparently my Trust don't rescan unless placenta is completely covering the os at 20 weeks. This was after being told that I would be rescanned and that I couldn't fly by two separate midwives.

I now have a niggling 'what if mine hasn't moved' worry but won't find out until delivery day if there's a problem or not!

Really hope you don't get any more bleeding (did they confirm it was from the low placenta?) and that you get the peace of mind you need. Most placentas move out of the way - and at least you get a chance to see you LO again before delivery day.

Hi Freckles, yep sounds like grade 1 to me so fingers crossed it will move.

I have grade 4 (currently into 3rd week of my 5 week stay in hospital before cesarean, if we get there and don't have to deliver early with another bleed) and was told it wouldn't move (mine didnt develop till 3rd trimester) but the consultant said most grade 1 and 2s do move by final trimester so fingers crossed yours will. It sounds like you're being taken really good care of which is the main thing with pp.

Brave - can you ask for another scan anyway just for peace of mind?

Good luck ladies!

Jess poor you - you seem to be coping well with it all... fingers crossed for no more bleeds and a calm delivery when it comes to it!

I may raise this with midwife next week - I didn't get to speak to her before, she just left a message on my answermachine saying 'oops, after all that, there won't be another scan and you could have gone on holiday after all'

I've had no bleeds so am pretty lucky. Fingers crossed for you!

I had PP but the outcome was not as good as expected - my DD arrived but not without some quite severe complications.

Won't say more unless you want to hear but my advice is to be wary if your consultant tells you towards the end of your pregnancy that you can try for a vaginal delivery.