Experience with complete placenta previa/accreta?

[Kerileanne99]

So after multiple miscarriages and 5 years since out dad's birth, we are utterly thrilled to be expecting a baby boy due in April. We learned a couple of months ago that the placenta completely covered the cervix, but the high-risk OB we see did not seem too worried as it was very early.

 

Fast forward, now we are at 27 weeks and discovered that the placenta has not budged. Total placenta previa, and more than likely placenta accreta. Google was not my friend in this case.

The doctors have discussed possibilities and we are preparing for the fact that we may be welcoming this baby well before he was expected! And all the things that go with that. Scary, as we have no family around to help or backup to help with my dd5!

 

I guess I am hoping to here some BTDT stories. Nothing may come of it, right? For once, being in the wheelchair may be a bonus as I am already on pelvic rest:) it COULD work out that everything is fine and baby simply makes an appearance at a scheduled csection at 36 weeks!

Any words of wisdom?

[Starr]

:grouphug:  :grouphug:  :grouphug: Follow doctors orders and mark off the days. Wishing you well!

[nd293]

I'm sorry to hear this. You must be feeling pretty stressed right now.

 

I had complete placenta previa with ds - on a separate continent from our families and with inconsistent medical care. What I mean by 'inconsistent' is 'strongly culturally biased', I suppose - my feeling was that the advice one got was driven by the specific doctor's medical background. And my Iraqi doctor wasn't big on bed rest for placenta previa...

 

Anyhow, I can Google as well as anyone, so I was aware that bed rest was pretty much universally advised, but I followed my doctor's (lack of) advice because bed rest was just unimaginable under the circumstances, with no support and another child to care for.

 

I started to bleed at 36 weeks, and ds was delivered by emergency C-section as soon as we could make our way to the hospital (no ambulances) and they could round up staff (small private hospital without 24hr specialists). That day I had just had final confirmation that the placenta previa was complete, I'd been asked to arrange my own blood donors and I had walked more than was wise. I really believe that it was the emotional and physical stress of the day that set things off and I would strongly recommend focusing on your emotional health as much as your physical.

 

Ds spent 5 days in hospital. He had some early breathing difficulties and jaundice. I had two units of blood, but made a very quick recovery from the C-section, and was more or less back to normal life within 10 days. I felt weirdly euphoric for a long time - the bullet dodged, I guess. Obviously my case didn't include accreta, but it also shows that things can go reasonably smoothly even with difficult diagnoses. I really hope your case turns put to be without further complications and that all goes well.

 

There was another expat woman who went through the same thing as me at around the same time. She also wasn't advised to go on bed rest, and had an early bleed, but still made it to very near the end of her pregnancy on complete bed rest in hospital. Not much fun for her, but still a good outcome for the baby.

 

Good luck!

[Veritaserum]

I had previa with my last baby but it moved enough by 36 weeks that I was able to wait for labor and have a vaginal birth. The plan if it didn't move was a scheduled c-section at 36 weeks. I'm sorry you're going through this! It was super stressful. (I had periodic episodes of bleeding accompanied by pre-term labor.) I hope you can hang on until 36 weeks!