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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Placenta Previa - grade 4

23 replies

raqfletch · 30/04/2009 15:55

Afternoon

I am new on this website & thought id started my own thread the other day but managed to join in another!!
Has anyone got any advice/stories/help, I had grade 4 pp last year with my daughter & it was missed after a bleed then after another very serious bleed was admitted to hospital for the rest of my pregnancy, in total i was in for 40 days & during this time i had several bleeds & was up/down to the labour suite but they didnt want to deliver to early but at 35 weeks & 3 big bleeds in the night they rushed me to have an emergency c section, but surgery was not a pleasant experience due to several things, but 3 1/2 hours later my daughter was born. She was in intensive care but all good now, shes 8 months old next month and after months of saying never ever again could i go through thatm we have decided we would love to give her a brother or sister we have seekend medical advice & they have said its nearly 100% this will happen again to me & i dont know if im strong enough to go through it again. I have today booked a private appointment to get a 2nd opinion but wanted to know if anyone has gone through this more than once or had for the first & not for the second?? ANy advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Rachel

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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legoprincess · 30/04/2009 17:30

A good friend of mine had a very similar first pregnancy to yours and is currently 26 weeks into her second pregnancy. This time her placenta is in a completely normal position and she is being treated just the same as any other pregnant lady, including planning a VBAC.

Cazzaben · 01/05/2009 00:58

Just a question Raq...

Did they say you will definately get it again??? Where was your placenta situated (eg anterior/posterior???

I know they say that The placenta doesn't attach itself in the same place twice but with PP it is very likely it could happen again.
I have been told that I definately cannot have more because the chances of bleeding would be far too great.
I think they also worry about Placenta accreta which is when the placenta starts to grow into the old scar andon to the Bladder which is very dangerous...
Good idea to get a second opinion. Do be prepared to stay in hospital for longer next time though. I spent 3 months away from my 2 year old and DH and it was an awful experience only seeing him for 2 hours a day... It affected him badly.

Just a thought but weigh up the pros and cons of having another...

Take care xxxxxx

Cazzaben · 01/05/2009 01:01

Sorry should have said the chances of them not being able to stop the bleeding are far to great and also the baby would be very very prem... The chances of either/or one of us not making it are very high... (got a bit carried away) xx

Not wanting to scare you either... xxxxxxxx

Original poster

raqfletch · 01/05/2009 09:05

Thank you for your message, my doc said near enough 100% i will get it again, before it was posterior. But in my section which was very traumatic, my uterus stopped contracting, they actually stopped the op to tell me they might have to do a hysterectomy (however you spell it!!! no brain anymore!!). I lost alot of blood as well, 6 times the average. hense why surgery, was 3 1/2 hours long. That in itself scares me as noone has any control over your blood loss. Did you have it with both your children? I dont know how i did it the first time round, and i cant imagine how hard it must have been for you leaving your 2 year old. How long was you in for? x

OP posts:

Original poster

raqfletch · 01/05/2009 09:11

sorry you said how long you were in for!! How prem was your baby? Grace was born at 35 weeks & spent 9 days in intensive care which again was so hard to deal with but thankfully shes a real gem now. xx

OP posts:

Cazzaben · 01/05/2009 13:45

Well I didn't have it for my first pregnancy (luckily) but I did for my second. I was extrememly lucky that although I had one very very Major bleed I had nothing but a bit of spotting thereafter. I had a section (under GA) at 38+3. He had to be rescusitated

Original poster

raqfletch · 01/05/2009 17:45

It is so hard, my head this week is like a washing machine. Today is the best day ive had as lots of tears about it. The more i read up about it the more dangerous it sounds as well, i am looking forward to seeing this private consultant next Sat, even though i kinda know what hes going to say. It just breaks my heart that Grace will be an only child but like you feel extremely lucky to even have her as there are so many woman who cant have any. I think someone was defo watching over you through your experience. x

OP posts:

corkyOrorky · 01/05/2009 18:38

I too had grade 4 and my ds was delivered by emsc at 31 + 4.

My consultant told me there was a 3% chance of it happening again.

Currently trying for number two!

Original poster

raqfletch · 01/05/2009 20:20

i am confused now! I am pleased im gettting a 2nd opinion. Was you in hospital for a long time? good luck with with number 2! x

OP posts:

Original poster

raqfletch · 01/05/2009 20:20

i am confused now! I am pleased im gettting a 2nd opinion. Was you in hospital for a long time? good luck with with number 2! x

OP posts:

corkyOrorky · 01/05/2009 20:36

Hi raqfletch

I was in hospital from 24 weeks til ds was born, so just over 7 weeks in total.

After he was born, whilst I was still in hospital, one midwife told me that it would definitely happen again and another one told me it wouldn't as the placenta attatches itself in a different place every time.

She said this is why pp is more common in women who have had several children.

This got me totally confused and so I made sure I asked my consultant before I was discharged.

She said that the risk was low but she couldn't quite remember the exact percentage figure.

She wrote to me a couple of weeks later and said it was a 3% chance of it happening again. And I breathed a sigh of relief.

I hope that you will get some answers from the 2nd opinion. Good luck! x

Original poster

raqfletch · 02/05/2009 06:25

Bless you that was also a long time. In hospital it was the same with me, one said i would/one said i wouldnt!! No wonder were all confused!! Thank you for what you got told as well. x

OP posts:

aprilc2002 · 10/05/2009 08:49

hello, i have just had my 20 weeks scan and my placenta is lying low. In my notes it says "posterior major placenta praevia". Does that mean its really low or not? They said i had a 50/50 chance of it moving. The midwife said that it needs to move 2mm. is that a lot?? Please let me know if anyone knows anything i am really scared. xx

corkyOrorky · 10/05/2009 13:08

Try not to worry aprilc. There is a really good chance of it moving and I think in most cases it does.

2mm doesn't sound alot, have they said whether it is completely covering the cervix or not?

Mine was and didn't move which meant I had to have a cs.

What you do need to do is tell your midwife straightaway if you have any bleeding ( which I'm sure you would anyway).

raqfletch how did you get on with your appointment with the consultant?

aprilc2002 · 10/05/2009 19:22

no she never said if it was covering the cervix or not. I will just have to wait till my 32 week scan to see what they say. thanks

Cazzaben · 10/05/2009 21:59

Hi april...

Major Placenta preavia means that its completely covering the OS... It the lowest it can be im afraid.
Posterior means that its sitting behind your tummy not in front.

I had anterior major placenta preavia.

Have you had any babies before?? Or have you had any type of surgery down there??

I hope it moves for you. If you start to bleed lots call an ambulance. Don't have sex or even have an orgasm. Dont ride a bike or lift anything heavy. Dont have too hot baths.
Sorry to give you all this info. Just take care and be very careful. xxxxxxxxxxx

Cazzaben · 10/05/2009 22:01

Oh and by the way. Not sure why your midwife said it needs to move 2mm...??

if its major then it will need to move a lot further than that. When is your next scan? x

SazzlesA · 10/05/2009 22:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

aprilc2002 · 11/05/2009 13:04

Yes i have a daughter but there were no problems with that pregnacy i had a normal delivery.
No never had any surgery before.
My next scan is not till 23rd july i will be 32 weeks then.
I love my hots baths how come you cant have a hot bath?
Thanks for giving me the info and advice. x

Cazzaben · 11/05/2009 17:18

Just in case it sets off bleeding... which is what you want to avoid. It doesn't happen to everyone I only know that as a lady I met (who is now a very close friend of mine) told me that when she had a hot bath she used to bleed. You can still have baths just make sure they aren't so hot.
Sounds quite probable that it'll move up for you. They usually say that if you've had surgery (ie c-section, d&c or a medical abortion) then it is more likely not to move. So it's all going your way at the moment.
Keep us posted though, I'd be happy to hear how your getting on xxx

bevlin · 12/05/2009 14:02

Hi,
I had Placenta Previa and many other problems with my first. I went into labour at 37 weeks and started to bleed heavily (not for the first time). My emerg c section went well though and I had a healthy boy. I like you started to worry about number 2 so went to see a consultant at the high risk clinic. She told me everybody has a 1% chance of getting PP (dont we feel special)! If you have had it before though it is 15% but the main thing is where it would lie next time. If it is prosterier then it has little chance of being any more of a problem but if it lies over your scar then there is a 50% chance of placenta acrea which is quite serious. The placenta imbeds itself into the uterus wall and the delivery is dangerous due to blood loss. With those stats in mind I crossed my fingers and am now 5.5 weeks pregnant - and nervous! Every case is different though and you do need to discuss yours and ask why she said 100% (weird). Good luck x

Cazzaben · 12/05/2009 22:04

Well I was also told I would have PP again 100%. I know that the more scar tissue that you have the more likely it is that the placenta will attach itself there. (i had an anterior placenta preavia) Can I ask bevlin was yours a major or minor preavia? Having the operation (section) I had was serious enough for my consultant to advise my husband and I not to have anymore. I have a c-section scar that is 3 times the normal size for a section and they cut through the placenta to pull my baby through...
It must be different with each individual I suppose.

bevlin · 15/05/2009 16:07

Hi Cazzaben,
I feel stupid not knowing the answer to that but I dont. It started off very low but moved itself quite a bit. My section was described as very straight forward. The scar is lower than normal as they usually try to avoid the placenta if they can but it is a small scar. Im sorry to hear you can't have anymore children, was that your first? The consultant seemed to be giving me very run of the mill stats and the 15% was for someone who had placenta previa and a section scar but that must have been based on my type of previa then? Im very nervous about this pregnancy now! x

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