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Original poster

Placenta praevia

33 replies

lozengeoflove · 24/07/2018 13:53

I’ve just had the 20 week scan. Baby is fine. I’ve been diagnosed with complete placenta praevia and booked in for a scan at 28 weeks, and am waiting for an urgent consultant appointment.

Has anyone had complete PP at

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Original poster
lozengeoflove · 24/07/2018 13:53

Arg!
....at 20 weeks, and what was the outcome?

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Dorabean · 24/07/2018 16:50

My friend had this, had a scan at 32 weeks and her placenta had moved out of the way enough for it to not cause any problems! Good luck!

MagicalCreatures · 24/07/2018 16:57

Hi Hun.
Glad to hear baby is all looking healthy.
I’ve got a friend who has full placenta previa. She had a lot of bleeding at the beginnig of her pregnancy and they diagnosed her at 20 weeks.
She hasn’t been lucky. It’s stayed right where it is (unlike pp aboves friend because they can be known to move into a better position) so she has got to have a c-section. Don’t want to worry you but trying to give you other alternative situations x

Gizmo2206 · 24/07/2018 17:58

Hiya I’m 36 weeks tomorrow with complete placenta previa. Are you based in U.K.? I wasn’t even told at 20 weeks that the placenta may be a problem (but am having monthly growth scans anyway) I had some brown spotting at 25 weeks and nothing since then. Had a scan last week and placenta still covering, have one next week to confirm, but they said at this point probably unlikely to move (but apparently only 1 in 500 diagnosed at 20 weeks don’t move - so chances are yours will!) guidelines in U.K. are now planned section at 39 weeks - or that’s what I’ve been told

15star · 24/07/2018 18:13

I had complete placenta previa at 20 weeks. Please try not to Google!! I had extra scans. The placenta itself cannot move as its attached but as everything expands it can move up. I had a bleed at 35 weeks but in the end this was just due to the placenta moving up. It ended up being 2mm away from the cut off point and I had a vaginal birth at 38 weeks.
Most of them do move but if yours doesn't it would be a planned c section.
I would say have a small hospital bag packed for yourself just in case you do bleed. I had one with spare clothes, underwear, pads, charger, earphones and toiletries and I left it in the car. I ended up bleeding in the very early hours and it made a big difference having it all prepared. Take your notes with you all the time. I had to stay in for a couple of days and my husband would of been useless at packing one for me.

Outbackshack · 24/07/2018 18:15

I had this. Extra scan at 38 weeks showed it was completely out of the way and i had a vaginal birth. I actually quite liked the extra scan.

Original poster
lozengeoflove · 24/07/2018 20:16

Thank you so much for replying everyone Flowers

Excellent advice, 15 star - I’ll pack a bag ASAP. I also have protein C deficiency and factor V Leiden gene and am on Clexane, so bleeding is something I’ll have to watch.

gizmo, thanks so much for the stats, had no idea that the chances are so great for the complete PP to move after 20 weeks. My next scan is at 28 weeks so we’ll see. I’m in the UK and under the care of a wonderful consultant, so I feel confident she’ll be able to give me more info as soon as I can get an appointment to see her.

My previous two births were so straight forward and the thought of CS does full me with dread.

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Original poster
lozengeoflove · 25/07/2018 06:52

Oh why did I have to google Sad?

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Chrisinthemorning · 25/07/2018 06:59

Hi I had a praevia. I bled loads of times and was admitted. I had the steroids. DS hung on until 36+3 Grin
Try not to worry but rest, rest, rest. Unless you have a desk job with no commute, get signed off work. No lifting, pushing supermarket trolley, hoovering, sex.
Good luck Flowers

Original poster
lozengeoflove · 25/07/2018 07:05

Thank you, chris. On school holidays at the moment thankfully.

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LorelaiVictoriaGilmore · 25/07/2018 07:20

I had total placenta previa but I wasn't diagnosed until 32 weeks. At 20 weeks I was just told I had a low lying placenta.

The statistic stated by pp doesn't seem right. If you are diagnosed with a low lying placenta at 20 weeks, the chances of it 'moving' as your uterus expands are 9 out of 10. However, your chances are less good if you have had a previous c section, your placenta is anterior or if your placenta appears to cover the os at 20 weeks. It sounds like your placenta does appear to cover the os (as did mine). It still could move, but the chances aren't so good.

Even if you have total placenta previa, you may not experience any bleeding. Or, if you do experience bleeding, it may be much later on.

If your placenta doesn't move, you'll be scheduled for a c section at 39 weeks. Depending on how close to a hospital you live and whether you have any bleeding, you may need to spend some time in hospital before that or arrange for someone to be with you to drive you to the hospital.

I live 10 mins from the hospital so it was arranged for my mum to come stay from week 36. However I had my first bleed at 36+3 - just a teaspoon of blood - and ended up in hospital until I went into early labour and had a c section at exactly week 37. It all went pretty smoothly!

Original poster
lozengeoflove · 25/07/2018 08:16

Thank you for posting, lorelai. Placenta is indeed covering os completely and what I’ve read so far indicates that chances of it shifting up are not brilliant.

I have two children and no family in the UK so CS is filling me with dread. DP doesn’t drive, I’m worried about how I’ll cope with life post CS and that’s not even thinking about the rest of this pregnancy, possible premature delivery, bed rest and so on.

I’ve lived in total ignorant bliss in my other two pregnancies.

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Bowlofbabelfish · 25/07/2018 10:31

If it covers the OS totally the chances of it moving are much lower.

Mine was just over, and it didn’t move. I had a section at 38 weeks and I lost a lot of blood (placenta was anterior as well) but baby and I were ok.

What’s really, really important is that if you get any bleeding you seek advice and help immediately

Some good info on chances of moving: placentaprevia.wordpress.com

outdoors41 · 25/07/2018 11:34

I had this and my daughter was born at 28 weeks..she was only 2lb 8oz. I never knew until the last minute and she was born there and then..I was very young.

Original poster
lozengeoflove · 25/07/2018 12:22

Thanks so much bowl. Will read now. And that’s what I understood about the low chances of movement now.

outdoors, were you and Dd OK? Did you have a vaginal delivery?

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outdoors41 · 25/07/2018 12:41

Hi, yes I did, it was all very quick and suddenly she was here. Yeah she's ok..I struggled with her as I was only 17 and no family etc but that's a different post! You wouldn't think she's been so tiny to see her now! I hope everything goes ok with you x

LorelaiVictoriaGilmore · 25/07/2018 13:46

How close are you to a hospital?

Original poster
lozengeoflove · 25/07/2018 14:02

On w good day, without traffic, 20 minutes.

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71HourAchmed · 25/07/2018 14:18

I had placenta praevia, but also placenta percreta (totally do not google). Had a huge bleed at 23 weeks, and was then in hospital, bleeding on and off until another massive bleed at 30+6, when I had a crash section. Having said that, woman in antenatal with me held on until 36 weeks, so really does depend

Original poster
lozengeoflove · 25/07/2018 14:36

That ship has sailed 71; came across it during last night’s awful google sesh 😩😱
How did you and baby cope?
Good to hear about the woman who made it to 36 weeks.

DP thinks I’m over-reacting and that we just need to carry on, taking it one day at a time. I can’t even push a fucking trolley! Although, I must add, the thought of him doing ALL the work around the house does sound appealing Grin

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LorelaiVictoriaGilmore · 25/07/2018 14:38

Ha! Your DP sounds like mine! In a way, they are right... you might not bleed at all and get to 39 weeks for a planned section. 🤷🏻‍♀️

If you are 20+ mins away from the hospital, they might want you in from week 36. Would your DP be able to take time off work?

Original poster
lozengeoflove · 25/07/2018 16:52

Hoping he’s spot on Grin

He won’t be able to take time off and my parents will be busy outside the UK then, so I think this is the main reason behind the worry - how on earth will I cope?

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LorelaiVictoriaGilmore · 25/07/2018 17:40

My parents had to cancel their two week holiday of a life time because I was in hospital for a week and there was no one else to look after ds. And I could have been in for longer than that...

71HourAchmed · 25/07/2018 17:56

We were fine - I was in ICU for a while after the section (huge haemorrhage) and DD was in NICU / SCBU for about 5 weeks. As I'd been in hospital so long beforehand though I'd had steroid injections to speed up the development of DDs lungs - she needed breathing support for a while, and was tube fed for a few weeks, but she's a tough little thing Smile- was on the 50th centile (the normal one, not corrected for prem babies) by the time she was 5 months old, despite being born at a less than whopping 2.9lbs

15star · 25/07/2018 22:44

The thing is with Google people only put the bad stories up, you never get the times everything was all ok because people don't tend to post about it. Mine was completely covering os and moved. I spent the last half of my pregnancy googling and stressing myself out. Fingers crossed for you