Placenta Previa

serenaxo84

so we just had our anatomy scan and everything looks great but it looks like I have Placenta Previa. We go back in a few week to see if my placenta has moved but my ultrasound doctor wasn't very optimistic about it moving.

Have any STMs had any experience with this? This is my second pregnancy and it just makes me nervous and sad if I end up on bed rest for my toddler. 

comealongponds

No previous experience but I currently have a low lying placenta, which was just slightly too close to my cervix at my 16 week ultrasound. The radiologist and OB were hopeful it would move up by my 20 week scan (we shall see in less than a week). I hope you don't get stuck on bed rest and that your placenta defies your docs and moves up for you!

serenaxo84

@comealongponds thank you! I had a low lying placenta with my first and it did move! I hope that yours moves as well! 

ficbot

I was told today that I have a low one also. She said don't worry yet, and I have a follow-up scan at 32 weeks. But she said in the meanwhile I need to just be watchful and if I get any bleeding, go straight to Emerg.

Muscatmommyof4

I had placenta pervia with my last baby and by my third ultrasound at 24w it had moved. They found it at 20w and my tech didn't think it would move enough after the second scan at 22w (it moved but not enough) my tech had me so worried about being on bed rest and having my first C-section but thankfully by the third u/s my placenta finally cleared my cervix. So try not to worry Good luck I hope it moves by your next scan! 

serenaxo84

Thanks ladies! @ficbot I hope yours moves for you! 

@Muscatmommyof4 this gives me hope! I had a c section with my first due to him being breech. luckily my doctor is pretty lax- which kinda evens me out! But I'm glad to hear success stories bc I feel like all you ever read is the bad or extreme! Did you have complete PP? Right now mine is complete - I guess it looks like it starts at my scar and Wraps around the back.

RaeJ004

I had placenta previa with my first. They didn't give me the all clear until between 36-37 weeks. It was nerve wracking but all was good in the end. It's so early don't stress about it yet.

srcr2011

At my anatomy scan with my second pregnancy, I had a low laying placenta that was partially covering cervix. They did a repeat a few weeks later and it moved enough to have a vaginal delivery. Depending on how low, it could defiantly still move.

yosemite2018

I had some bleeding a few weeks ago and they said my placenta is pretty much covering my cervix. I finally stopped bleeding so hopefully that means it's starting to move? My mom works in the hospital so she asked the docs there and they said 95% of the time it moves. My doc gave me more detail at my last appt and said if it doesn't move by my a/s then they will monitor again at 28 weeks before making any decisions about a c-section/more monitoring. Fingers crossed that yours moves up!

MollySm

I had placenta previa with my last pregnancy.  It caused quite a bit of bleeding, which was scary, but my doctor always told me that most of them move as the uterus grows.  Which mine did, so everything was fine.  

RedHead0917

I had a full placenta previa and they weren't very optomistic.  But it completely moved by 36 weeks.  

bzzrbee28

I was diagnosed with previa at my 7 week ultra sound with no change at the 12 week ultrasound. I have been on modified bed rest since 7 weeks With a toddler it was tricky but we got the hang of it quickly. We moved her to a toddler bed and got her a table and chair to eat at so there is no reason for me to lift her. Also, my dh has had to do all the hard work around the house (the only good thing lol).  Im hoping so much that it has moved when i go in 2 weeks for my 20 week. My bff is pregnant with her third and was diagnosed with previa at her 20 week scan and by 26 weeks it had moved. Fingers crossed!!

FirstKru

I hear it is really common to hear about a low laying placenta at 20 weeks. I just came from my anatomy scan today and was told I had the same thing. Since 20 weeks is still very early, the placenta can still be low laying. I do wish us the best and hope it moves up! Hang in there and do not let it stress you and stay away from googling about it.

Muscatmommyof4

@serenaxo84 I did have complete PP and the tech was not very supportive, the horror stories make you want to freak out! But it is very common as other PP are saying so I'm happy your getting some positive reinforcement. Keep us posted!  

Smith2405

Muscatmommyof4 said:

@serenaxo84 I did have complete PP and the tech was not very supportive, the horror stories make you want to freak out! But it is very common as other PP are saying so I'm happy your getting some positive reinforcement. Keep us posted!  

My sister had complete previa as well. She wasn't put on bed rest but was put on pelvic rest (no sex) all was good. She did start to have spotting at 35 weeks and they did a c-section that day because the dr said she could bleed out after that anytime. Her baby was perfectly healthy 6lbs 4oz! 

serenaxo84

Thanks ladies! It's good to hear positive stories!!! Mine is full PP meaning it isn't low lying- it is completely covering the cervix and they weren't optimistic of it moving due to the placement and scar tissue from my last c section. But crazier things have happened and every pregnancy is so different. But I am glad to hear others have been in similar and successful situations.

Another c section isn't ideal. I was hoping possibly for a VBAC but a healthy baby and mama is the most important thing. Guess time will tell! We go back in 4 weeks- I'll be 23 weeks then and we will see if it moves... Hopefully it will, even just a little! I think they will closely monitor with ultrasound and will deliver at 37 weeks if it doesn't go away. 

on the plus side since the placenta is a low anterior and the rest is posterior- I have felt this baby move way more than my first! And way earlier too! 

Edit words 

iamapixie

I was diagnosed with CPP around 16 weeks. It's completely covering my cervix. I'm on pelvic rest, no exercise, no lifting anything heavier than a gallon of milk. I haven't had any bleeding, thank goodness. I will follow up with mfm in a few weeks to see if it moves. This is my third baby and I've never had it before. The weird thing is that this is the only pregnancy that I haven't had any bleeding. I've been feeling great and was excited that I have had the energy to work out amd cook healthy meals. That's all put the window now lol. It's pretty common for previa to resolve when it's diagnosed this early so I'm hopeful  

serenaxo84

Good luck @iamapixie! I can imagine that it's difficult not to lift your little ones. It's one of my biggest worries! Right now my doctor didn't put me on any restrictions but once I hit 22 weeks I will. Good thoughts on no bleeding! I had a SCH with my first and bleeding is just horrifying when your pregnant- esp when it's bright red and in large amounts! Seems like a lot of ladies have good experiences- hopefully we are both added to that list!

clyons2008

I just got the results from my 20 week US and thankful baby is perfectly healthy and growing add her/she should (we find out Saturday at our reveal party), but my doctor did say that the placenta was low but thinks it is far enough away from the cervix that labor/delivery shouldn't be a problem. I just worry because, with my first pregnancy I was diagnosed with preeclampsia and the doctor didn't think it would be very severe and I ultimately ended up on hospital bed rest till delivery (from 34 to 37 weeks). Is it possible that the placenta will move further down?

comealongponds

I know my placenta was only low lying, but I thought I'd add another happy ending story: Baby B's placenta has moved up enough to that not is now considered normal instead of low lying so we are clear for a vaginal delivery assuming Baby A stays head down and their sizes stay the same! The change happened over about four weeks (it only needed to move 0.6cm)...hoping for the best for all of the rest of you mamas with previa or low lying placentas!

krox81

I have been diagnosed with Placenta Previa after my doctor referred me to a high risk center. This was at 17 weeks. I'm now seeing the HRD every 2 weeks to watch, next appt is Tuesday. They said based on where my placenta is the chance of it moving was almost non-existent. No bleeding or bed rest yet, but no sex allowed, no exercise and nothing outside of really getting up and going to work to sit at a desk all day is allowed for me.

Fingers Crossed!

krox81

And baby is laying head on the right hand side, feet on the left. Doc said this was because there was not enough room to be head down due to the placenta. This is my first so pretty much everything she tells me is Greek, however I seriously need to stop doing research online!

msu_gal

I'm still being diagnosed as placenta previa as of my 24 week appointment and placed on light duty.  Just curious how the rest of you have progressed?  Anyone been cleared?

camcbeth

I also have complete placenta previa. I was diagnosed at 20 weeks, went back at 22 weeks for more images of other things they didn't get the first time and it hadn't moved like predicted. I won't go back until August 12th (29+1) to see how it progressed. I hate the waiting!

msu_gal

I agree @camcbeth !  That's kinda why I was looking for some people to talk to that might be experiencing the same thing.  I don't have my next appt until 8/25 (28 + 3) and the waiting is killing me.  Are you also on light duty?

camcbeth

@msu_gal  Only restricted on intimacy. I put myself on light duty, no lifting or working out too hard. I do lots of walking though. Although from what I read it's when we are in the third trimester that we could be put on bedrest and/or light duty for fear of bleeding or causing pre-term labor. I'm glad you started this thread again because I've been wondering about how others are doing with the same diagnosis. 

serenaxo84

I am still a complete previa. I was in the hospital from 6/28-7/5 due to two bleed episodes. I just got off bedrest and have been allowed to go back to work with restrictions- can only sit at my desk while at work, not a ton of walking or standing. 

I go back 8/9 for another ultrasound... But they aren't hopeful it will move. The placenta is both anterior and posterior so it needs to move totally in one direction- which isn't likely. So now we are watching to make sure it doesn't adher to my c section scar.

hopeing I don't have another bleed as I will be on bedrest/ possibility that they could deliver the baby early. 

This is is such a shitty issue as you have no idea what's going to happen! You might bleed, you might not, it could move, it might not, etc etc. I really wanted to enjoy this pregnancy but so far all its done is stress me out!

msu_gal

So scary @serenaxo84
Do you mind if I ask- do you have any idea what caused the bleed? 
I think my OB freaked me out a little bit when she mentioned that I shouldn't even push very hard if I get constipated.  Now I am scared to look down in the toilet (sorry if that's TMI).  Now I'm scared to do anything. 
She said vaginal rest, nothing more than walking in the way of workouts, don't lift more than 20 pounds, don't do anything where you're pushing down or contracting your abs. 

From what I've read, if we're going to get cleared it will happen before 30 weeks.  This waiting and not knowing is killing me.  And if they do schedule a c section, it's typically between 36-37 weeks because our risk of a dangerous bleed if we were to go into labor is high.  Is that the same thing you guys have heard?

camcbeth

@msu_gal I've heard the same thing as you. I didn't know that if we were to be cleared it be before 30 weeks. That does make a lot of sense though. I've also read the c-section is scheduled at 37 weeks due to wanting to avoid a dangerous bleed. Which is why I'm both excited and terrified for the third trimester. I read 95% of those with pp it does move. I'm terrified I'll be in the 5%. I do not want a c-section. 

msu_gal

I think the 95% statistic is for those that are found earlier on.  The further we get that it hasn't moved, the lower that statistic gets.  Sorry to be debbie downer...

msu_gal

This chart was kinda helpful for me:
https://placentaprevia.wordpress.com/

Justpeachier13

I have low lying placenta diagnosed at 20 weeks but I didn't find out until 25 weeks at my last appointment. My doctor said not to be concerned and that most of the time they move up. He said at my 28 week appointment we would schedule another ultrasound. After reading here I'm guessing for 30 weeks to see if we need to change birth plan. Kinda freaked out that if I need a c section it would be in 11 or so weeks! Yikes! Question....if it doesn't move by 30 and they schedule for c section, could it still love after that and they would cancel it? 

serenaxo84

@msu_gal no no real reason on why I had the bleeding. I was the same as you, pelvic rest and just trying to take it easy- no crazy working out. I bleed both times while I was asleep. So I wasn't doing anything physical at the time. At Labor and Delivery they said it was likely a blood vessel that popped. Your placenta has a ton of blood vessels. I had a major gush of blood with a lot of large feeling blood clots each time I bleed but then the bleeding stopped. The blood clots were prob due to the fact that I was laying down so when the vessel popped the blood started to clot and when I got up it all came out.

mine isn't likely to move because it is complete- complete is the least likely to move. Most marginal or partial previas do clear up. I have heard of women with complete having their placenta move to marginal previa. But in my case they said it isn't lucky. 

We we are planning to deliver at 37 weeks. I am going to ask my doctor at next weeks appointment when we will schedule the section. If I have any bleeding at this point (26 weeks) they will do the steroid shot. If I have any bleeding after 35 weeks they will likely deliver. It's kind of up in the air. I plan on getting a hospital bag together in a couple weeks. You really don't need much in the hospital and your SO can always go home to grab what you do need in the event of an emergency. 

I didn't meet the NICU team while I was in the hospital because if something happened and hemmoraged- the baby would be too small to survival. However- if I am back in the hospital/ have another bleed I will meet with the NICU team as our LOs chances of survival are much higher now and get higher with each week. 

In very severe and least likely cases there is the danger of hemmoraging- which is why you would have a c section early.... As you dilate and prepare for labor the placenta can tear away from your uterus causing dangerous bleeding. 

While a c section isn't ideal it's not the worst. I was hoping for a VBAC with this pregnancy as he is number 2. But at the end of the day my health for my children and my children's health is best. I didn't find the recovery to be hard and honestly am more scared of having to recover from vaginal tearing/ having bladder issues from a vaginal birth. Breast feeding wasn't an issue and a long as you make a plan with your OB you will get lots of skin to skin right away. DS1 was with me in the recovery room and they took him for testing when  I was getting moved to my actual room- so we weren't apart right away and we were not apart for long. 

ChristyMommie

I was also diagnosed with placenta previa at 22 weeks. The only restrictions I have been put on is no sex for now. The doctor said he will recheck the placenta at 30 weeks to see if it moved. The ultrasound technician seemed pretty optimistic on the placenta getting out of the way. I've got my fingers crossed.

camcbeth

I hope others on this thread are soon finding out they are cleared of placenta previa. I'm excited because it is no longer complete pp as of my 28 week appointment. It is low lying and I have a follow up u/s to do. I'm so relieved. 

kvruns

I just have the low lying diagnosis and a follow up u/s on the 29th. I have a feeling it has moved because I hadn't really felt much movement until about week 21-22 but now I feel it a lot so I hope that means that its moved (or maybe I am confusing what my Dr said, but I thought she said I would likely not feel movement as much because of placenta placement)

serenaxo84

@kvruns it really depends on the placement of the placenta. With DS1 I had a low lying placenta that graduated to a full anterior placenta- which means the placenta is on the front of your belly- which means you might not feel as much movement. This time around I have both an anterior placenta and posterior placenta (complete placenta previa). With this pregnancy the placenta is anterior up to my c section scar and the rest is posterior (on the back of my uterus)- so I am able to feel a lot more movement.

If you are a FTM not feeling much  movement until 21-22 weeks is totally normal and might have nothing to do with where your placenta is located.

kvruns

serenaxo84 said:

@kvruns it really depends on the placement of the placenta. With DS1 I had a low lying placenta that graduated to a full anterior placenta- which means the placenta is on the front of your belly- which means you might not feel as much movement. This time around I have both an anterior placenta and posterior placenta (complete placenta previa). With this pregnancy the placenta is anterior up to my c section scar and the rest is posterior (on the back of my uterus)- so I am able to feel a lot more movement.

If you are a FTM not feeling much  movement until 21-22 weeks is totally normal and might have nothing to do with where your placenta is located.

Thanks for the info! I remember she said the placenta was on the front which would muffle movement. I assumed that was the same thing as the low lying placenta, or at least that the two went hand in hand, but sounds like it isn't, so apparently I have both of those going on.

serenaxo84

@kvruns having an anterior placenta- on the front- won't affect your pregnancy at all! The most it will do is limit the amount of movement you feel! I felt plenty of movement with DS1 it just wasn't until I was further along.

You could also have a low lying placenta- but the good thing is a low lying placenta is most likely to move and sometimes you can still deliver vaginally with a low lying placenta! Good luck at your appointment!

yosemite2018

I was cleared at my anatomy scan. I hope it resolves for the rest of you ladies! (If I'm remembering correctly, it only needs to be 3cm to clear you from Previa... But I am not sure if that related to the amount of weeks I was)

ChristyMommie

***Update*** I had an ultrasound on Friday and my placenta was 2.3cm away from the cervix! So I'm cleared to have a regular delivery