Any much needed advice from mums of babies born early due to placental insufficiency?

[Millymolliemandy]

Hi,

We had a very worrying appointment with our consultant yesterday at 26 + 5 weeks, where we were told that the placenta is not working properly and we should prepare ourselves for probable early delivery by c-section. We have another scan/doppler in a week.

We did have some pre-warning that this could happen with a very low PAPP A reading at 12 weeks, baby measuring small at 20 weeks, growth and doppler at 23 weeks where baby was still small but placenta working on the high end of the normal range.

I am desperately trying not to worry myself sick and instead prepare ourselves in the best possible way for baby coming quite soon, if the placenta function decreases over the coming weeks.

I wonder if anyone can give me any practical advice about preparing for a prem baby and a c-section. For some reason, the thought of a c-section is making me particularly upset as I had really hoped for as natural a birth as possible, and I am also desperately keen to breastfeed.

Sorry for the long ramble, but would love to hear from anyone who has found themselves in a similar situation.

Oh and my placenta was quite dishrag like I believe.

Yes I am under the same consultant led team although I haven't seen the main man yet and we are not officially in trouble yet. I think he sticks to the high drama cases!

We are very close, then! Very pleased to be sharing this journey again with you. When is your 20-week scan? Mine is 18 March. Eleanor has had chicken pox this week with various complications - the only positive from which I could draw was that at least this wasn't taking place with a newborn to attend to as well. Has Charlotte had cp yet?

Interesting you should say as we had Sunday lunch for tmw planned and had to cancel because child of friend has CP. would be happy to let her get it but wasn't sure of the protocol about bump although I have had it. 20 week is on 19th march!!! So close!

Must google CP. and pregnancy. Spend too much time on MN and eBay!

Hello ladies. I was on this thread quite a bit under my old name (WC). Tentatively popping back in as am pregnant again after three years of trying. Am on aspirin and high dose folic acid, and will have a detailed scan at 16 weeks. Am only eight weeks now so having all the usual worries!

I was told by consultant after DS was born that I had 20-30% chance of it happening again, but perhaps not so early or severe. Am hoping very much to be in the 70%!

Nice to see things are going well for you all.

Welcome back (willbean) Celtic! I hope you are able to hang around here for a while yet. 3 years of trying must be exhausting - congratulations on making it to 8 weeks and fingers crossed things go well for this pregnancy. I am starting to get anxious now as we approach the 20 week mark I fear an end to my blissfully ignorant state.

Thankyou Clabsy nice to 'talk' to you again. Glad things have gone smoothly for you so far, I wish you a long and boring pregnancy.

Hello again, Willbean Chariot! Great to be sharing this with you, as well as Clabsy. I hope our scans next week will provide you with grounds for optimism for your own pregnancy. My consultant gave a similar stat to yours, but also said that taking aspirin reduces the likelihood of recurrence to 15%. I'm feeling relatively optimistic at the moment - I'm certainly alot fatter than I was with Eleanor, although that may be mostly to do with the vast quantities of stodge I've been inhaling since Christmas.

How did your scan go sixer? Hope you had good news or no news. I'm getting a bit worried about mine tmw.

Scan went well. Measurements normal and no other problems detected, as yet. I'm booked to have dopplers and more growth checks at 24 weeks - 15 April. I'll be thinking of you today and have everything crossed that you will have good news / no news too.

Great news sixer. Thanks for the info about the aspirin too, I had not heard about the risk reduction, that is quite a difference.

Thinking of you today clabsy hope all is well. In fact I was at UCH today for first consultant appointment. It was fairly pointless as I haven't even had a scan yet but consultant was lovely and already knew all about me which was great.

Having a few mild cramps today and crossing fingers it's normal, got to get past 12 weeks before I can worry about the next stage...

I wonder if we crossed paths Celtic?! Hoping your cramps are nothing. So crappy to be constantly worried - you must be nearly 10 weeks now? My scan was also normal today sixer. Phew. We are both past another post. I had been reassured until the doc reminded me that everything with C was also normal at 20 weeks. Thanks for that doc! 17th April for growth scan and dopplers. The femur length although normal looked a bit too close to the 5th centile for my liking and the PI of the umbilical arteries was sky high and off the chart but again 'normal for this stage'. I'm analysing too much no doubt. Hope to check back in 4 weeks to give and get good news from you both.

Glad all is well so far clabsy. I'm sure it's natural to over analyse when you've been through what you have!

Sadly I'm out for the time being. Had a bit of bleeding last night so I went into EPU this morning. I should be 10+4 but scan showed the baby died about nine weeks. We are completely gutted, but DH is being fab and we're looking after each other.

I wish you the best of luck with your pregnancies, will check in from time to time. Hope I am back soon.

Oh that's really rubbish news Celtic. I hope you can keep your spirits up enough to start trying again quickly. Maybe an old wives tale but lots of people say you are more fertile after a miscarriage. I took a year to get pregnant the first time, had a miscarriage and then pregnant within 2 months. There's no rhyme or reason to these things but I'm hoping there's something in the old wives tale to keep you optimistic.

Take care and be back soon.

Thanks clabsy. We are positive about the future along with the sadness, I am one of those relentlessly optimistic types, I can't help it. Tough few weeks to come though. Thankyou for your kind words x

Celtic, what devastating news. I'm so very sorry you have to go through this; it seems so unjust. I hope the world is very kind to you over coming days and weeks; meanwhile your optimism is a great gift. The increased fertility after a miscarriage is more than an old wives' tale - a fertility expert that we saw before we conceived Eleanor said the same thing, though I can't remember how he explained it. I know of more than one mother who would testify to it, also. So I hope you will be back into battle (as it were!) as soon as you feel ready. Take care of yourself xx

Thank you sixer. That is good to hear about fertility from both of you, we do want to try again as soon as it is all over.

Hope your pregnancy continues to go smoothly.

Hi I wonder if anyone has been in my position I was sent to the Hosp because my midwife measured my belly and it was measuring 25 wks when I'm 28wk + 2 and they scanne me at the Hosp and my dopplers were raised they scanned me again 2 days later and my dopplers are still raised but the baby is measuring above average on the graph so they are pleased with the growth! Has anyone else been in this situation as normally with raised dopplers babies are measuring small the doctors have told me it doesn't make sense the puzzle doesn't fit!!!!!! This doesn't help me tho will I have to have the baby early they have said I cud have I would be lowly of someone else with raised dopplers but normal growth could let me know wht happened with their pregnancy I'm terrified I have a 6 yr old and 2 yr old and havig a prem baby is scary as they will miss out x

So sorry but I've no experience of your situation. IME raised dopplers meant small baby, I've done a lot of googling on the subject and not come across your situation. Hope someone can help and give you some reassurance.

How's things sixer? Had a scan at 26 weeks today and all looks good for baby and growth at the mo. blood flow through the uterine artery is not ideal but currently not affecting flow through the umbilical artery and baby is keeping a nice growth curve albeit on the lower centiles however she has already surpassed charlottes birthweight which is a relief I can tell you.

Weeell, it's so far so good for me as well, though I hardly like to tempt fate by posting it. One of the arteries had a blood flow at the low end of normal at 24 weeks, but the average of the two was apparently no cause for concern. Baby estimated at just over a kilo at 27-week scan on Monday, with consultant remarking on how amazing aspirin is. I have to carry on with aspirin to 32 weeks, but won't be scanned again till 36, which will feel very strange as Eleanor was 2 weeks' old at that point. Are you still led to expect a c-section at 37 weeks, and on aspirin similarly?

Hi sixer, I'm glad to hear that aspirin continues to serve you well. Congratulations! I'm 28+4 today and C was born at 28+3 so another milestone reached. Phew. Next scan is at 29ish weeks next week. Not been told to stop aspirin. Consultant said if growth and placenta keep looking ok then he prefers natural birth but there'll be no induction and I won't be allowed to go too much overdue (if at all). So chances of c-section look high to me but not a definite by any means. Other half petrified of natural birth! I don't have any faith that we'll get that far tbh but have fingers crossed for 32 weeks or more now. Stay in touch. Don't be superstitious!

Hello clabsy and sixer, glad to hear things are going well at the moment, wishing you both all the best.