Posterior Placenta Previa

[Mumma4262]

Hi Ladies,

Yesterday I had my 20 week scan and the scanner informed me I had Posterior Placenta Previa (where the placenta is covering the opening of my cervix).

I need to have serial scans anyway but she said I will have to go back at 32 weeks to see if it has moved. She said it’s 50/50 and if it doesn’t I will have to have a c-section.

She also asked if I have bled, which I haven’t.

Anyway, so I got home and googled to find out more and a lot of information I have seen explains that bleeding is likely and you can even be in bed rest in hospital!

Now I’m worried. Have you Alfie’s ever had this? Did the placenta move? What was your story?

I should point out that it’s not low-lying placenta where it is only slightly covering the opening of the cervix, it is currently fully covering it.

Thanks x

^Ladies, not Alfie’s 🤦🏼‍♀️

I have this, diagnosed at 20 weeks and now 31 weeks! Try not to worry too much, but if you have any bleeding at all get to hospital/maternity as quickly as you can. I had a bleed at 26 weeks, rang 999 who sent an ambulance immediately as it's classed as their top priority. Didn't do any checks or anything just sped me to maternity (nothing they could do as paramedics) where I was prepped for surgery on arrival. But luckily I stopped bleeding and they let me go home the next day after a bag of IV fluids and constant checks. I'd pack a hospital bag If I were you, especially as no visiting in hospitals now. Like I say, 31 weeks now and no more bleeding. I have a scan soon to see if it's moved but I'm having a planned C-section anyway due to an emergency one with my first baby girl. I know it's easy to worry especially with the scary stories but if you look at my thread on this there were loads of positive stories from people on here

Thanks for your reply! I’m scared about bleeding, especially with everything going on at the moment as we are on lockdown. I have a 1 and 3 year old too and my husband is a key worker and my parents live 30 mins away so I worry about who can get here for the kids. I do have to go back in 2 weeks for something unrelated so I will see then if it has moved or not. But I have read that if it’s posterior Previa then it is less likely? I hope you’re loved for you too x

Try not to worry but definitely have a plan in place. Yes, less likely to move if posterior BUT less likely to cause problems during the csection as it doesn't need to be cut into.
It's a horrible uncertain time to be pregnant isn't it. I have just about got my head around the fact I'll be going into hospital alone and not seeing my husband or baby (she's 4 but still) until I'm discharged. Totally not the original plan

29 weeks with this and I haven't had any bleeding or worrying symptoms so far. Hoping and praying it moves but not the end of the world if it doesn't. x

Thank you for your reply.

The scanner didn’t say mine was complete but she did say it’s blocking my cervix so I guess that means for now it is complete.

I hope yours moved too. I think I’m more worried of the bleeding.

I won't lie it was a bit scary, as you don't expect to find blood when pregnant but honestly from phoning 999 to being in hospital prepped for the section was around 15/20 minutes. I felt very much a priority. Of course hoping I don't have another bleed but I'm much less scared now than before I had one if that makes sense?

Yeah I see what you mean. It’s just these uncertain times and my husband is a key worker and is at work still. And I have 2 kids under 3 and I worry nobody will be able to watch them as we are in lockdown. All this uncertainty adds to the worry doesn’t it.

Have you had a scan since your 20 week one to confirm yours is still Posterior Placenta Previa?

I spoke to my midwife yesterday about something different and mentioned that the scanner told me I had this for now and she asked if I was then sent to antenatal after, which I wasn’t.

@Mumma4262 I'm the same, I had my anomaly scan yesterday and I have a low lying anterior placenta. I'm back for a 32 week scan on the 1st of July, I did the exact same last night and google it ...im petrified of bleeding also

@WeeDinah yes, googling is the worst thing but at least we are now aware of what could happen. From what I’ve read I think anterior is more likely to move than posterior, but anterior could be trickier when performing a c-section.

My midwife asked if the scanner said it was low lying or complete but she just said it was covering my cervix and that I have to come back at 32 weeks.

When she told the woman at the computer who types up the findings, she did say Posterior Placenta Previa. So, from google, that shows the cervix is covered 🤷🏼‍♀️

I'm in the same boat, only mine is anterior. I'm back at the end of June (34 weeks) go see if it's shifted but again the sonographer didn't say if it was partially or fully blocking my cervix and I didn't think to ask until I was walking back to to the car.

The idea of a section scares me as due to furlough we won't be able to afford for my husband to take his paternity leave straight away.

As long as it gets 2cm from the cervix everything should be ok!

@Babyshine2020 it’s scary isn’t it! How far was you when they first told you you had it? I didn’t even know this was a thing as silly as that sounds now.

And this is my 3rd baby!

@Mumma4262 I found out I had an anterior placenta at 16 weeks (midwife tried for a heartbeat, couldn't find it, went into panic & sent me to triage - exactly why they shouldn't check at 16 weeks!) but I found out about my cervix being blocked at 20 weeks but they were so blasé about it and it wasn't until I got home and read up on it I actually understood what it was/what the consequences of it were.

I'm not sure if my experience is because there as only an ultra sound tech there to explain and no midwife but literally all she said was the cervix is blocked and I'll need another scan .. shame!

I'm at the midwife at the end of April so I'm going to ask more then

@Babyshine2020 exactly the same situation (except mine is posterior). They were so blasé about it!

That’s when I googled and saw how dangerous it can be!

Sounds like we are due similar time, when are you? I’m 22nd August.

I do go back in 2 weeks anyway so will see if it’s still in the same position.

I'm due August 8th but at the hoists 29th June for the scan (34 weeks) but due at the midwife in 29th April and so far it seems like I'll actually see her which I think will be better!

Like I know it needs to move 2cm from the cervix but if there 6cm of the placenta on the cervix meaning it'll have to move 8cm in total (if that makes sense) is that even likely?

I've had my MatB1 already though so my HR dept is swamped so my midwife got it out the way with which has been handy.

Yeah, that’s the thing, I don’t even know how much of my placenta is covering it, she just told me it’s blocking the entrance to it so i imagine it’s full on covering it.

When I spoke to my midwife yesterday she said it’s less likely to move than anterior. I’m starting to get my head around it more now.

Good job I did look into it as it would be a shock if I bled and wasn’t expecting it.

I’m a stay at home mum so I don’t need to worry about that. Well, that’s one less thing to worry about for now!

I had it, it moved and developed into vasa previa. Which as far as I know is worse. And I still had placenta previa marginalis.
However, I had a scheduled preterm section and the baby was fine.

@girl

I’ve never heard of vasa Previa and placenta previa marginalis, what are those?

And did you originally have Posterior Placenta Previa?

Do you mind me asking when they first noticed and then when it got worse?

And how far you was when you had your c-section?

Thanks.

I've had a scan since yes at 27 weeks and it hadn't moved. Got another scan on the 20th when I'll be 33 weeks.
I ended up having a semi emergency C-section after a 7 day labour with my little girl. Even though I had complications afterwards, a C-section really isn't the end of the world. Just need to rest as much as you can and take your time but I was surprised at how much I could do. I had her at 5pm and was in the shower by myself at 7am

I had this with my pregnancy last year. Diagnosed as "covering" at 20 week scan though it wasn't made clear whether completely covering or not. Also posterior. I read all the stats about how unlikely it was to move. I never had any bleeding though at any point in the pregnancy.

I was scheduled to have a scan at 32 weeks to recheck position though it actually happened a few days early as my waters went at 31 weeks. Placenta had moved completely out of the way and I had a normal delivery.

Yeah that’s the thing, all we can do is take it easy.

@fratercula

Sounda the same as my pregnancy this time. Hopefully mine will move too. Hope your baby was ok born early, must have been scary when your waters broke at 31 weeks.

Thanks Mumma4262 - he was born at 33+4 in the end, hung on for another 2 weeks after waters went! It was a bit of a long haul to get him feeding but he's a healthy 5 month old now. I'd had both a CS and a VBAC previously and was really glad to avoid another CS.