Successful births after previous placenta previa?

[Mctm123]

Quite a long one so I’ll try and keep it short!
Bit of background first. So we have two amazing sons aged 6 and 10 months. To get our second son we had years of heartbreak and I was so desperate in the end. We had 3 miscarriages along the way all through Ivf and on our 4th cycle we were successful and he has brought so much joy to our little family and our eldest adores him. I literally worship both my little boys. Anyway when I had my first I was so broody straight away for a second and now I feel the same again so broody for a third. We said we would be happy with two especially everything we went through but I just can’t stop thinking about it. We have 3 embryos in the freezer For 3 years. The thought of destroying them is so upsetting. It’s unlikely we would conceive naturally and to be fair I am not ready yet but possibly in 3 years I would be.

The issue I have to consider though is I suffered with major placenta previa which they thought was about to go accreta into my bladder. I lost 2 litres of blood and had to have a blood transfusion and be admitted from 34 weeks (I had to have him early through c section at 36 weeks) I also had to have surgery for 2 hours after giving birth due to the complications and the baby spent 5 days in special care. I was told it would be possible to have another child but this is likely to happen again and I know in extreme cases it can be fatal however I don’t know the exact odds of that. The fact the consultant said ‘you could do this again if you wanted’ makes me think it’s doable I just don’t know enough about it.

has anyone had any experience of repeated placenta previa or accreta and gone on to have further successful births (I know this would be via c section) or am I completely mad for even considering this? My partner thinks I am and keeps telling me to be thankful and move on after all the heartbreak we finally got there and of course I agree with him too it’s just that feeling as a woman of wanting another is a natural emotion for me. Also he is (rightly so) extremely worried about losing me if we did go through it again and leaving our precious boys behind (that is the major worry I definitely can’t ignore) but I had fantastic care last time and the consultant seemed confident - it wasn’t a case of don’t do this again.

My story is similar - I had placenta previa with one of my twins ending in placental abruption and detachment at 34 weeks and all 3 of us nearly died - not helped that due to covid I was on my own as DH couldn't get anyone to have our eldest in time to get to us. My twins are also IVF babies after several losses and loss of both tubes to ectopics and I also have more top quality embryos still frozen (better graded than the twins actually as I wanted to work backwards so lowest graded to best!). Twins spent nearly a month in NICU which was very hard as every night I had to come home without them. But........I would do it all again in a heartbeat....from the moment I brought the twins home I knew I wanted to at least use up our Frosties and have 1 more child. I can't bring myself to destroy them at all. They are the last embryos I'll ever make as I will never conceive naturally again. I'd rather transfer them and it not work than destroy them

DH is very on the fence especially given C Ronaldo's tragic loss of a twin this week - he thinks we should just be incredibly thankful for what we have and not risk it. In his mind we could end up with twins again from a single transfer (as we know a few twin parents who had this happen to them!) and medically the doctors have already said it would be too dangerous for me to attempt to carry twins again but DH knows there is no way I'd be able to terminate or so selective reduction of twins.

Doctors have said that they don't believe there would be an issue to carry a single baby but have said I would need ultrasounds to check on the state of my c section recovery (I've had 2 now)

In my mind Im very much erring towards doing a transfer but not for another 18 months as need the twins to have 30 hours childcare - I think DH is hoping time will change my mind but I know in my heart it won't. The chances of me actually having a healthy baby from the remaining embryos is so small (multiple miscarriages and it took 5 rounds of ivf to get the twins that odds are I'm more likely to miscarry early then go full term anyway) so I think it's worth the risk

Wow @doingitforthegirls our stories really are so similar! Thank you for sharing and for understanding as I expect some people will think I’m crazy for even considering it. I too have had 2 sections. On that, did the doctors suggest ultrasounds after the sections you mean? I’ve never had that which is interesting as I do still suffer with mild discomfort 10 months on. I think I need to make an appointment and discuss all options before making a decision. I’m not ready yet but equally it’s on my mind A LOT. I have so much more love to give and I can’t lie I would love to add a girl into the family however I would be over the moon with another boy also. Having IVF makes you appreciate life regardless of gender but I am pretty outnumbered in this house (apart from the dog haha) xx

Ha yes my family think im stupid (their words) to be thinking about it

Yes my clinic suggested an ultrasound as they said they could see my scar was quite thin in places previously but obviously there is only so much they can see without having open surgery. I had really bad scar tissue and adhesions after my first c section which is what caused my 2 ectopics and I was still uncomfortable/in pain when going To the loo for months and months after but this time after the twins I've felt great so I think I have healed better and there is less adhesions/scar tissue this time (I had a lot removed when they removed my ectopics)

If I didn't have any embryos left frozen I wouldn't ever consider doing another egg collection it's just they are there and I went through so much to make them that I think they deserve a chance but then I tell myself what if the next transfer does work I still would have one left frozen and no way can we afford 5 children so at some point I have to say stop

i Can relate to every single word you have said! Please keep in touch and let me know how you get on. I can’t believe how similar our stories/thoughts are an even the views of our families! I think unless you have been in this position, no one can really understand it x

I had a grade 4 PP with dd1. In hospital after major bleed at 31 weeks, and then another at 36 weeks when she was delivered by CS

I was told it could happen again but no more likely than for the first. I got pregnant with dd2 when dd1 was 12 months old and had an elective CS with dd2. All fine 😊

@SummerSazz sorry for the late reply! Your story gives me hope.

I am still feeling the same. So broody and really wanting to get another embryo out. Partner is finally listening that I can’t shake this off but he’s Petrified of something bad happening (I am too of course)

what about you @doingitforthegirls how you getting on xx