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.

Hi there everyone, i am really hoping i can get some much needed support and info at this horrible stage in my pregnancy. Ive been told i have Severe IUGR due to placental malfunction. Im 24 + 5 weeks and at my 20 week scan everything seemed to be normal, but at 23 +3 weeks, baby had not grown barley at all being only 456g. Obs told me that the blood flow from the placenta was not being fed through properly. There was also only a deepest pool of an inch of fluid. A week on, nothing has changed and even less fluid. They have given me the 2 steroid injections to improve a chance if born in next few days/weeks but they dont hold out much hope?! I just dont know what to do, feel or think. My sleep is out of the window and i have so many others trying to keep me positive with stories. But i need facts with people that have been through this. Please help..... Thank You xxx

Hi Jo, I'm so sorry to hear you are going through such a difficult time. I have had a similar experience so I understand some of what you are feeling. I had a growth scan at 26+6 after my bump measured slightly small which showed placental insufficiency and that my baby had severe IUGR. The doctors told me that the conditions my baby was in would only worsen and so he was better out rather than in. He was then delivered by emergency caesarean the next day at 27w weighing 655g. I had had the steroid injections a week earlier abroad because I'd had some spotting on holiday so they gave me the injections as a precaution, although I'm so glad they did now.
This was in March and my DS is now 38w and 4lbs 2. He's still in hospital because he's on oxygen which he'll probably need to come home on, but other then that he's doing well. It's an incredibly difficult and traumatic time but these tiny babies can be very resilient.
I think I was lucky in that everything happened so quickly with me so I didn't have time to think about what was happening, but I can imagine you are so worried. I really hope everything works out for you and I'll be thinking of you x

Loving Jo, this is the right thread for finding someone who's been through the hell you're currently living in. It's been a bit quiet for a while but I'm here to hold your hand if you want it. This is a long thread and there's lots of info about IUGR hiding in it but if you have any questions then do ask and ill try to help as best I can. As a quick word of optimism I was told at 24 and 26 weeks that my baby would probably die in the next day or so. She didn't and we made it to 28 weeks - we know we were VERY lucky to get there. I'll check back soon to see how you're doing.

Hi Jo, have you had a further scan now? I remember so vividly feeling just on the cusp of things turning out ok, wishing for a weight of 500g, and being unable to sleep with the worry that they wouldn't. It's so reassuring to have had the steroids though, to give your LO's breathing a massive boost if needed.

Clabsy, just been rereading this thread - remarkable to think that Charlotte was born already at this point two years' ago! What an amazing journey it was. My next scan isn't until 16th July, which seems like a very long time and in the meantime I swing from complacence to impatience to panic constantly. I'm afraid I'm probably like your OH - having had a C-section, I can no longer find much enthusiasm for a natural birth. So I'm hoping to have a provisional date set at my 34-week appointment on 1st July. How's things with you?

Hi sixer, sounds like things are still going smoothly for you. Lovely news. Today is charlottes birthday - we popped into NNU to leave a card and I failed to hold back the tears. I wonder when i'll stop crying on her birthday? What a traumatic time, and still more people go through it every day. Next scan is this Wednesday 33 weeks and expecting to be asked to set a date for c-section too. I'm actually feeling more positive about a natural birth (naive?). I'm keeping an open mind of course.

Hi I have a prem baby 4 and half month old 1 month corrected I was In a car accident and had a placenta ebration and had to have an emergency c section at just 28 week gestation having a section is not bad at all the scar is really neat and usually after having one you can be mobile with in just a few days it's a bit sore, having a premi baby is hard but rewarding like mine I got to watch him grow outside the womb we was in hospital for 3 month he is home now he's on a lot of meds and a nurse has to come every week and he has a lot of doc and hosp appointment this is only because he got a life threatening infection called neck and he is a very happy little boy the nurses in nicu are brilliant and it's amazing what they do they really are angels if you would like to know anything else just ask Hun x

Hi all

I found this thread really interesting and useful after my DS was born at 27 weeks due to IUGR as a result of placental insufficiency ( story above) Just wondering if there are any updates from posters who are expecting babies following placenta problems with their first? Apologies if this sounds nosey - just really found your positive stories helpful soon after DS was born and interested to hear how your subsequent pregnancies went. Hoping you all had / are having boring, straightforward pregnancies and birth.

Hi newtoall, just logging in to update on my newbie so good timing! I'm glad this thread has been useful, it was a lifeline for me. hope your LO is doing well. I had my DD2 on Monday at 41 weeks. She wasn't the biggest overdue baby - 6lb 3oz but good enough. Pregnancy was uneventful and I took aspirin til 36 weeks and blood flow and dopplers were always good. Doc said in his experience each pregnancy is completely independent of the others. I wish I could say birth was easy snd uneventful but you can't have it all! I demanded a VBAC and am beginning to think I was crazy! Good luck if you're thinking of more babies!

Clabsy, congrats, was just about to pm you but saw this happy update, hooray for uneventful second pregnancies, hope you a enjoying your DD2. My second is now CRAWLING and that has taken the day to day chaos to a whole new level. New - yes my second pregnancy was absolutely textbook, and I was extremely well looked after, am now contemplating my third (and definitely final).

Clabsy and milly, congratulations! That is lovely news and makes me feel way more optimistic about a second pregnancy. I only read this thread recently (when it suddenly became very relevant to me ) and was rooting for you both all the way through. I've heard some really good results from taking aspirin while pregnant after having an IUGR baby. The consultant I saw said I should take aspirin and probably be on heparin for subsequent pregnancies. Congrats and enjoy your lovely babies!

Milly - you've gone mad! 3 kids!!! I cannot comprehend the organisational skills and patience that would take. Currently struggling to rein in my very 'helpful' first born but that's a whole other thread.

Good luck newtoall. You have EVERY reason to be optimistic.

And a quick update from me to anyone who may be wondering about prospect of a second pregnancy after IUGR: my second pregnancy was also entirely normal, having taken aspirin from 12 weeks (not at all clear this is what made the difference - more likely that the IUGR is flukey in the first place), resulting in a boy who weighed more than twice my daughter at birth and continues to be a beast (in weight, if not personality!). At 3 and a half, Eleanor is still small for her age, and seems more prone to coughs and colds etc, but she otherwise shows no sign at all of the difficulties she suffered in the womb. I hope this adds to the overall very optimistic postscripts to this thread - take heart, all those who are facing traumatic pregnancies!

Thank you for updating, Sixer, and congratulations on your new(ish) baby. Am really glad everything went so smoothly for you.
I love hearing these positive second pregnancy after IUGR stories. My DS is 18months now and doing very well. Am starting ttc soon - really hope I'll be able to add my own positive story here! Will definitely be prescribed aspirin too.

Hi ladies! My sister referred me to this thread when I found out that I am facing IUGR most likely caused by placental insufficiency. I am 28+2 today and on hospital bed rest until delivery. It's so helpful to read all of your experiences and stories. However, I'm still a mess of anxiety due to facing all the difficult unknowns right now. Hopefully I will be able to contribute to this thread as my pregnancy progresses.

Hi harrislb2015 and others. I too have just been diagnosed with severe iugr and am freaking out about it all.I've been glued to this thread for the past day or so as it's given me so much hope. I was diagnosed at 22 weeks (last Friday) with my baby girl measuring only 18+6 and some blood flow resistance was picked up in a Doppler scan. Last saturday my obstetrician didn't give us much hope at all as bub is so small and her heartbeat was unstable. Since then I've put myself on bed rest, a high protein diet, loads of water and started taking asprin and calcium. My obstetrician has seen me twice last week and reported that baby is looking ok. Her heartbeat has stabilised, she's moving a lot and the amniotic fluid has increased. Today I'm 23+3 and still feeling good movement.
At this stage the goal is to get to 24 weeks (this Friday!) and hope baby has started putting on weight, and that the blood flow resistance has not worsened... I'm finding it hard to stay positive about it all, but really trying to.
You're 28 weeks so you should be in an ok position considering? Perhaps we can keep eachother updated as our pregnancies progress.

Hello to Harris and PrayingHoping, I'm so sorry to hear that you're going through tough times. Your situation truly is mental torture, counting the minutes and hours of every day. It has been 4 years since I was in the same position and yet reading your posts brings it all back. I am glad that this thread is bringing you some comfort as it did for me. Thinking of you.

Hi all, is anyone still on this thread? I've been admitted today with persistent absent edf so feeling very confused. It was only detected as I went in with reduced movements then had a scan as its my second incident. I am 30+1 with my first baby.

About to read through the thread now for inspiration

Just replying to my own post incase this comes up for anyone else going through the same situation.

My absent edf was spotted on a scan following my second episode of reduced movements. I was admitted to hospital on a Friday and had steroids on the Friday and Saturday. I was discharged from the antenatal assessment unit on the Monday as the baby had grown over the weekend and the flow was intermittent absent. I still don't really understand how he apparently improved so much and I was discharged (against my will as I was very worried about how to monitor baby). I was told he would certainly be delivered early but I wasn't told how or whether this would happen naturally. I was told I would be coming back for daily CTG monitoring and weekly scans/consultant appointments.

I returned the following day (Monday) and the baby's heartbeat decelerated during my first CTG and I was told I would have a c-section within half an hour if he didn't improve. The heartbeat did improve and I was admitted again for regular CTGs. In early evening I was transferred from antenatal assessment to the delivery suite for a trace to be taken overnight. At around 2am I was made nil by mouth to prepare for an emergency section in morning.

At 9am the consultant made the decision to deliver. She agonised hard over whether the baby would be safer in or out of the womb but she also suspected IUGR and thought he would thrive better in NICU.

Luca was delivered at 10:48 at 30+6. He weighed 2lb 10oz and gave out a tiny cry when he was born. He was placed in a plastic bag and required some light resuscitation with a bag. He was taken straight to NICU in an incubator. I stayed in hospital for a week and Luca remained for 6 weeks; 1 week in intensive care, 2 weeks in high dependency and 4 weeks in special care.

Luckily he did not have any major health issues aside from being premature. I really think the steroids made a huge huge difference (worth the pain) as he never required ventilation. He was only on CPAP for a few days. I tried to take a magnesium sulphate drip the night before delivery which they said would help brain development but I couldn't tolerate it.

Luca is now 5lb 12oz at 11 weeks (2 weeks corrected) and is a healthy happy baby. I hope my story helps anyone else going through this situation.

Hello i've only just realied that MN had a premature baby chat, I can't type as much as I'd like as I've got spondylitis in my neck and arms and it's really painful so this might be short and sweet

Really, a message of hope to all of you = I can't believe 17 years ago I had my son by emergency c-section at 31 weeks - he's stopped growing at 26 weeks. It would make a bloody good book chapter one day because there were some Monty Python type scenes that day as well as the utter shock and distress.. I thought there had been something wrong but it hadn't been picked up on until I saw a different GP the day he was born. Apparantly my placenta wasn't delivering all the nutrients etc that he needed so he came out weighing 1lb 12 oz. What I want to say to all of you that are in a similar situation is, this was 17 years ago and he's still here, I really hope that any of you going through it will get through this tough time and look back on it as an experience that whilst you wouldn't chose it, you can't change it. I'm thinking of you all, and hope it will get better for all of you.

My son was premature due to reverse flow umbilical cord issues, he hadn't grown since is 20 week scan and was born at 28 weeks + 3 days. It was a shock, I had only put on about 6 or 7 lbs and was still wearing my Topshop skinny jeans in a smug manner! I went for a routine visit to see my midwife, I hadn't grown when she measured my pubic area and worst still my son was in Brady cardia! I was sent straight to hospital and spent the next 3 days being monitored, scanned, and pumped with steroids. Every morning the operating theatre was saved for me and me and my partner were shown the special baby unit. On the 4th day I had my boy and he weighed 1lb 10lb. He was very tiny, long but skinny. He was and off Cpap, intubated many times and lots of infections as well as apnea, where he had to be intubated yet again. It was such a hard time. Many times I thought he'd die. After 3 long months he was allowed home. He's about to turn seven and he's a lovely boy, medically he's great but he does have emotional issues, he is upset easily, may have ADD, he's been tested for dyspraxia which he doesn't have. I'm not sure if he'd have the emotional issues with or without the prem birth, it's hard to say. He is smaller then other kids his age, and has the most beautiful little elf like face. He is a miracle. X

I know this is an old zombie thread but just to say thank you to all the lovely people who have shared their stories on this thread. I am 22+2 and going through my own early onset iugr nightmare and reading this thread has given me the hope I need to stay positive.

Came across this discussion by chance (and as a new Mumsnet member) and wish I'd found this last year as it would have given me some hope and support. Appreciate it's an old thread but as another mum-to-be posted a message on 2nd June, thought I would add my own, so that she and anyone else currently reading this might be helped by new comments.
I was diagnosed with severe and early onset IUGR last autumn, due to placental insufficiency, having found out during the summer that I was pregnant. We'd already had a worrying time because I had an amniocentesis at 15 weeks because the baby was considered at very high risk for certain syndromes (partly due to me being 42 and partly due to having extremely low PAPP-A) however the results of this came back fine. At 19 weeks I had the mid-term anomaly scan and at this point, growth was already approx 1 week behind. I was scanned fortnightly up until 26 weeks (at 22 weeks things looked so bad as the placenta was bleeding and working very hard, and we were told that on our return at 24 weeks there might not be a heartbeat). We too were told the magic number was 28 weeks - and 500g - which our little boy was struggling to get to, he was only just estimated to be this weight at 28 weeks. I then had scans twice a week to check for movements, growth and blood flow, and then when things were on the cusp of changing, scans three times a week. Our baby boy had to be delivered following a scan at 30 + 0 weeks weighing 1lb 10, or 758g. This sounds tiny but we were just thrilled to have got past 28 weeks and over 500g. I had an emergency c-section but was expecting a c-section as he was so small and this was the safest option for delivery.
He was in the neonatal unit of Royal Derby Hospital for 14 1/2 weeks and we've been home for 11 weeks now. He's had to come home on oxygen (though only a smidge) and is being tube fed, as due to reflux he's not coped with bottles, but we'll get there. Despite everything he's been through (2 infections in hospital, (1 very serious), blood transfusions, hernia op, endless tests etc) he is a very settled and content baby. He's delayed a little with head control but otherwise is alert and engaged with us and behaves just like any other full term baby. We're amazed by how far he's come - these babies are very resilient and one of the consultants told us IUGR babies tend to do very well once they're born.
For anyone else going through this (I wasn't even aware it was a thing until it happened to us!) then would reiterate what other mums here have said - it is a waiting game and the most frustrating and worrying thing is that you can't do anything really to fix it. I was signed off work for 8 weeks prior to him arriving, as the stress was too much and I did nothing but rest, sleep and eat properly, to give him the best possible chance. We also had a chat with one of the neonatal consultants prior to the baby arriving and had a tour of the neonatal unit. It did seem scary but at least we knew what everything looked like and we'd seen some of the staff. Fingers crossed for you NoIDon'tWatchLoveIsland and hope you keep well and all is ok with your baby.

I also wanted to update this thread as there might be others out there who will read it & take something from it.
On 75mg aspirin from 4w.
20 week scan - very short femurs:

Nb I stopped work at 23w. I took the choice that I wanted no stress & was lucky I had annual leave & a very understanding employer.

I also have been having accupuncture every 2 weeks, and am focussing a lot on eating vasodilating foods (high nitrate eg beetroot, rocket lettuce etc), eating regularly, high nutrition food - eggs, protein, fresh veg, enough good fats etc and have been drinking a glass of milk every evening before bed. No idea how much it can achieve but weight gain has been better than we expected over the last 4 weeks.

NoIDontWatchLoveIsland, thanks for the update, reading your message takes me back to my fetal medicine appointments and scans... I don't recall the exact numbers from our scans (as you hand your pregnancy book in once discharged - wish I'd kept a copy!) but this all sounds very familiar. Your baby's estimated weight sounds great already - and much better than ours, took until week 28/29 before his weight was estimated to be 500g. Our baby was also estimated to have very short legs - however, he had the longest legs when he was born (still very long in length) so don't panic too much about this. I think also it's called asymmetric IUGR - so the blood flow and nutrients go to the parts of the baby that need them the most, ie the head and trunk for the major organs. So the legs are the last bit to grow but will catch up. Would also say that the estimated weights are exactly that - on the day our baby was delivered the consultant estimated 600g, but was in fact 758g, which doesn't sound like much of a difference but we were relieved at that!
Hope you're keeping rested and not going too mad with worry - it's very difficult not to google things! I too was off work from 22 weeks due to stress and to keep rested. Best of luck to you.