Placenta Previa, please ease my anxiety

[MamaBearThius]

Hi all
So, 20 week scan yesterday, baby perfect. Sonographer casually mentioned placenta is blocking the exit, covering the os. Had no idea what he was on about, just happy baby was okay. He said it can increase the risk of needing a section, I'm having a planned section anyhow so didn't think anything of it. Had a 2 minute after appointment with a midwife who said any bleeding I must immediately come into hospital, if it's heavy then 999 ambulance. I was a bit shocked to ask any questions and she hurried me out of the door saying I'd have a scan at 30 weeks and hopefully it's not previa anymore.
I promised myself I would not Google.
So obviously I googled last night and I am now a complete mess of anxiety. Convinced myself if I have sex or a long walk I'm going to bleed out and die on the spot leaving my beautiful 3 year old daughter and husband behind.
I've had a tough start to this pregnancy with HG and it had finally eased up and I was enjoying my life again. Now I'm terrified. I can't find out if I should rest/avoid sex etc NOW or if it hasn't changed by next scan.
Please can anyone share/comfort/virtual shake me?

Anyone?

Bless you OP, I can imagine this must be frightening for you.

I don't have any experience of this, but can you get yourself a GP appt so they can talk things through with you? I don't think you should stew on this on your own.

It's totally understandable that you're very worried OP

However it's a relatively common issue - it affects 1 in 200 pregnancies - but in 9/10 cases the placenta has moved before birth. The chances of life threatening complications are very very low, your care team are just trying to make sure you know what to do in the absolute worst case scenario.

My friend was told the same at her 20 week scan she's gone today at 28 weeks and the placentor has moved. Try not to worry but any concerns speak to your community midwife

Hi I had this in my second pregnancy. I also googled when I shouldn’t have done and freaked myself out!! By the time I had my scan at 29 weeks my placenta had moved out of the way and the consultant told me that in 99 out of 100 cases this is what happens.

The likelihood is that your placenta will move. I was told to contact triage if I experienced any bleeding. I did have some small bleeds which was really frightening but because they knew about my placenta being low I was really carefully monitored.

I was told to rest and avoid sex but this was because I did have some bleeding after 20 weeks. Until this happened I wasn’t advised to do anything differently. Can you ring your community midwife and ask her advice re: rest, sex etc?

It is scary but now it’s known about it can be managed. Hope this helps and makes you feel less anxious x

I had this and it moved at 34 weeks. I think it's quite common and they keep an eye on it

I had this and had a few major bleeds i had to stay in hospital for the last few weeks. It really was okay as you will be closely monitored if your placenta doesnt move. Its more boring being stuck in hospiral.

The risk with placenta praevia is that if you go into labour and the placenta is covering the os then as your waters break the placenta could “break” too.

The chances of you going into early labour are very tiny at this stage and the likelihood of the placenta moving up out of the way as your uterus stretches is good.

They generally start issuing advice about bed rest and considering hospital admission in the weeks leading up to birth if the placenta stays praevia because that’s the time when there is a measurable risk of your waters breaking. So you should carry on about your business as normal unless you have any bit of bleeding. Bleeding obviously indicates an increased risk of something kicking off in which case your risk profile, and the advice they’ll give you, changes.

It would be well worth while talking this through with your midwife or GP though so you’re better informed and less worried

I had this, by my 30 week scan it had corrected itself.

I was told to avoid strenuous activities and heavy lifting. Me and DH still managed certain other activities though... Just gently

Mine didn’t move and because of heavy bleeding I had to stay in hospital for a month prior to delivery. No, not great, especially with a toddler at home, but it was The safest place to be at the time. Crossing my fingers for you that it won’t come to that

Thank you lovelies. Had a very low tearful day. Those who had it and it moved, were yours completely covering the os at the 20 week?
My 3 year old daughter and I are so very close, as are me and my husband (we're a close family I'm trying to clumsily say) and it'd break me to spend so long in hospital.
I feel so out of control

I've had this twice. The first time, it moved out the way by 32 weeks. The second, it didn't move but apart from 1 bleed at 30 weeks, I continued on as normal. I had 2 other young children at the time so couldn't really rest! The only thing I didn't do, was have sex.

I know someone who had placenta previa in all 3 pregnancies. One of her consultants asked her permission if he could use her history as a case study in a medical journal he was writing, as he'd never come across anyone who'd had it in all 3 pregnancies where it hadn't moved out of the way later on.

In her 1st pregnancy she started bleeding close to her due date, phoned an ambulance, had a CS that night. It wasn't a big gush or anything but they didn't mess about at the hospital and rushed her straight in for the CS.

2nd was a planned CS.

3rd was bedrest in hospital from about 32 weeks due to bleeding, baby born by emergency CS at 35 weeks when contractions started.

I understand your concerns about going into hospital early and being parted from your DC - I had to the go in for bedrest at 36 weeks (polyhydramnios) and hated being away from my then 4 year old. But the risks were too great not to - a chance I could haemorrhage and baby dies if I went into early labour and cord prolapse.

There's every chance it will move out of the way and if not, you will be very closely monitored.

I had the exact same thing this pregnancy. It made an emotional time even more emotional!
Just take it easy till your next scan, no heavy lifting, bending or sex to avoid a bleed.

I bled before I was diagnosed but didn't bleed once after I was diagnosed.

Had a scan at 32 weeks and placenta had completely shifted. It moves in something like 98% of cases, it might already be on its way up!
Just take it easy, it's a great way to get out of all housework for 10 weeks 😅

Thank you for the lovely replies, it's such a comfort.
I don't want to get out of housework =( honestly bloody hyperemesis stole my life for so long I just laid around feeling useless while my (amazing) husband did everything and now I'm finally back to "normal" I just want to enjoy pregnancy. Waaahh. So sorry for the pity party I just struggle with anxiety as it is, my head goes to the furthest worst case scenario. And even worse when I feel out of control (when my daughter had a sickbug I thought I'd actually explode with panic).
Does anyone know about aspirin? I've been put on it daily as I showed signs of preeclampsia last pregnancy but now I think I should stop incase I do have a bleed?
Thank you all for the support, feel less alone

I'm also getting like a pressure very low down, pelvic/cervix. Is that related or am I just over sensitive to normal pregnancy symptoms now?

Bumping for the evening ladies

I had this in both pregnancies. It had moved by 30 weeks with DD1. With DD2 it stayed put. Like a PP I had some bleeding. Was told to avoid heavy lifting, any exersion and avoid sex. I then had a further bleed and was confined to hospital. Was there for 4 weeks prior to delivery. DD2 is currently sitting next to me colouring in. Try not to worry, in most cases it sorts itself out. Easier said than done, I know

Thank you for sharing. When yours moved, was it blocking the os at your 20 week scan?
Also, is there any warning before the bleed? Is it a major one at first or would it be small as a warning to get to hospital? Terrified of instantly bleeding out at home

It will move don’t worry - mine did- and if it doesn’t you will be booked in for a C-Section with no fuss.

One thing to watch out for is placental abruption. Read up on the symptoms on the NHS website. It can happen to anyone at any time no matter where the placenta is and the symptoms can be really subtle.

Mama The first bleed was small. I called and was asked to come in. I was kept in overnight and went home the next day. Told to take it easy. Second bleed was still fairly small but because It was the second time I was not allowed home. I had a complete previa. I didn't have any further bleeding in hospital but was on bed rest which obviously helped. They told me I would be having a CS and a plan was put in place for that.

Sorry, meant to say with DD1 it was a partial previa at 20 weeks and had moved by the next scan.

Having a planned section anyway as I had a traumatic time with my daughter so that doesn't worry me it's the bleeding that I'm terrified of and having to stay so long in hospital and have canulars in for weeks and weeks. Really appreciate the support, thank you.

Placental Abruption sounds horrific. Another panic for my list

I’m one of the 1 in 10 who hadn’t moved enough that it ended in a section.

I like you after my 20 week scan googled and was terrified, I fortunately never had any bleeding and have my fingers crossed you won’t either. Mine would have not been picked up at all had my sonographer not caught it at my 20 week scan when she went back to recheck everything, it did not effect my pregnancy at all.

In terms of staying in hospital beforehand it’s ifs and buts really. This was my biggest concern as I didn’t want this to happen (Baby was due early January and would of meant being in over Xmas and new year)

Mine at 36 + 6 days was exactly 2cm from OS, it had just moved enough however being 28 miles from hospital and previous birth had been quick my consultant wasn’t too keen but said as it was 2cm I could if I really wanted to.

The options she gave me were

1. Natural birth (Not recommenced)
2. Section (with steroid injections for delivery before 39 weeks)
3. Hospitalisation from 37 weeks till 39 weeks when they would have performed section (they like to keep baby till 39 weeks if they can)

I did not want to be hospitalised as that would of been Christmas and New year, didn’t want to risk natural as live far from hospital so went with the early section. All I can say is my consultant was amazing and listened to what I wanted. Also in regards to the being hospitalised and when I said no she said ‘No one wants to do that, but I have to give it to you as an option’

Thankfully I didn’t try for a natural birth as my placenta had been ‘sticky’ and needed to be ‘hacked’ off the back wall and would have been dangerous in a natural delivery. I lost the max blood allowed in my section before they would of needed to intervene with a blood transfusion. I’m so thankful for the great NHS team that looked after me.

If you have any questions please feel free to ask as I know from experience there isn’t much out there, only the 9 out of 10 move info 🙄