# Uterine Artery Notching - my experience



## Marleysgirl

Just wanted to include my "gestational complication" in case anybody else is experiencing the same ... (I'm 40, first pregnancy)

My 12 & 20 week u/sound scans showed a healthy baby, no problems. My blood tests showed a Downs score of 1 in 5, but we decided against an amnio.

I had an additional u/sound scan at 21 weeks as part of the SCOPE research project. This included dopplers, and it was found that I had "notching" on the uterine blood-flow, i.e. my blood-flow *to* the placenta. Obviously this would affect the quality of the placenta and, as a result, baby's growth.

I was switched from Community Midwife care to a new Placenta Clinic set up here in Manchester, where I could have regular monitoring of this situation. I underwent dopper u/sounds every 4 weeks to start, and this would increase as the pregnancy progressed. Baby would most likely be induced slightly premature. 

However, at 28 weeks the doppler showed that the resistance to the blood-flow had increased to the point of some reversal of flow - not good, life-threatening for baby. I received steroid injections to help develop his lungs and was given a doppler u/sound every 2 days for a week. Things did improve slightly.

At 29+1, the doppler showed the reverse flow had started again, and we received the warning that baby should be brought out at that point or we risked losing him completely. I underwent an emergency c/section that night, and Andrew was born weighing just 1lb 6oz (having IUGR).

Andrew is in NICU, he's doing just fine and we hope he'll be home soon.

The consultant at the Placenta Clinic carried out my 6wk post-natal review, and has warned us that the uterine artery notching will probably recur with each pregnancy, though probably not so badly next time as my body will be more used to the situation.

If anybody else has developed this situation, I'd be happy to discuss our experiences further. 

What amazes me is that, were it not for me volunteering for the research project, it wouldn't have been picked up - our first clue would have been reduced movement at the point when my placenta eventually failed. We were soooooooooooooo lucky.


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## quail

really glad your little boy is doing well.xxx


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## franm101

I am sorry you have experienced this but very glad it was picked up when it was and that baby is doing well!! Hugs :)


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## suzib76

i had my 20 week scan at 21+3 and they picked up on notching so i am back up on thursday (29+3) for a rescan to see how things are

the thing i have been told most is about baby not growing properly - although according to midwife she is doing ok) - and to look out for pre eclampsia as i am more at risk
i was really worried when i first found out, but have managed to get through nearly 8 weeks now and had calmed down a lot but its fast approaching thursday so am slightly upping the worry again :(


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## Marleysgirl

Thanks for replying Suzi - in a way it's nice to hear from somebody else that's experienced this, as it doesn't seem that common!

I wish you all the best for your scan - and if you are at all worried, insist on regular doppler scans from this point onwards. 

Nobody ever said I was more at risk of pre-eclampsia! But Andrew did have IUGR, even now (at term) he's only 4lb 8oz. However, he was fine - absolutely perfect, just small - and he comes home on Thursday, just two days after his original due date!


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## suzib76

Marleysgirl said:


> Thanks for replying Suzi - in a way it's nice to hear from somebody else that's experienced this, as it doesn't seem that common!
> 
> I wish you all the best for your scan - and if you are at all worried, insist on regular doppler scans from this point onwards.
> 
> Nobody ever said I was more at risk of pre-eclampsia! But Andrew did have IUGR, even now (at term) he's only 4lb 8oz. However, he was fine - absolutely perfect, just small - and he comes home on Thursday, just two days after his original due date!

wow thats brilliant and fab to know he is doing so well :) will post an update after i have been, i was led to believe when they told me about the notching that it was common, but now i have realis its not a much as they tried to mak out


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## suzib76

ooops didnt realise i hadnt posted - preg brain lol

all was well at the scan, and the notcking is no longer present, but i have to go back at 34 weeks for another

bbay is measuring 2 weeks bigger so they are keeping an eye on that


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## Marleysgirl

Woooohoooo that the notching has gone!


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## Chester

Hi all, just wanted to share my experience of this complication too.

I am originally from the UK, but had my first baby while living in NZ, so the maternity care here is a bit different from the NHS.

So I was 28 and had no trouble conceiving and turned up for my first 13 week scan thinking everything would be fine, and it was, apart from they thought baby had a single umbilical artery in the cord, which was enough to prompt an extra detailed anatomy scan at 20wks. NT measurement was fine. I felt great throughout pregnancy, no morning sickness etc.

At 20 weeks scan was told that cord was ok afterall, but that I had "bilateral notched uterine artery dopplers". My LMC was an independent midwife and told me that she would need to refer me to the obs at the local hospital.

So I went to the appointment, was examined by a lovely obs who told me they would see me every month, but not to worry. He didn't even mention pre-eclampsia/hypertension, so I did (ain't google a wonderful thing.) He told me that basically, they still don't know what causes pre eclampsia, and that during his career they had had all sorts of screening policies which had later been dumped for lack of effectiveness.

I saw the midwife, obs, every month and had an ultrasound every month to track baby's growth. My blood pressure remained at 80/50 (i.e. very low) At 36 weeks I was signed off by the obs back to full midwife care as I had no signs of pre eclampsia, or high blood pressure, on the last visit the obs said "if the baby was born now he'd be happy as larry".

One morning at 38 weeks I woke up to a puffy face, hands I could barely clench into a fist, and ENORMOUS feet. Strangely one foot was much larger than the other. I called midwife who told me to come and see her an hour later. My blood pressure was 140/100. I had to do 24hour urine tests for protein and attend hospital for CTG monitoring every 48 hours. I did not meet the official criteria for pre eclampsia but was told they thought it was just around the corner. I would not be allowed to go overdue. I went in to labour naturally five days early.

I didn't have a bad birth, had to have an epidural to lower my bp. DD was born a tiny 6lbs, smaller than you'd expect for my family. She was in prem sized clothes. I was told she wasn't an IUGR baby but she did have problems like low blood sugar, trouble feeding and trouble keeping herself warm, so I think maybe she did have mild IUGR. She spent a couple of nights in an incubator and had a couple of tube feeds. Interestingly the midwife said my placenta was very gritty and that means it has started to deteriorate, so my baby needed to be born.

...........but now she's absolutely fine. 11 months old and a terror! Has gradually caught upto the 40th centile for size. So I've written a novel but it has a happy ending.


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## AshTen

With Nothching there is resistance also in this case. 

My wife ent through the 24th week scan and found this to be one of the resons to be unhappy with a low level of amniotic fluid. Our visit to the gayne is tommrow but we are getting mixed signals on what is to be done. Some (inlcuding our ultrasonologist) recommends she should be walking more so that the blood flow and resitance is reducded (mainly beacouse this is only 20 weeks) and most of the websites surfred tell that she should be on bed rest (but those are for 30 weeks and above). Hopefully the Gynae witll tell us more tommrow. 

But i belive the issue is clear here....1) there is less of amniotic fluid and 2) there is notching and ressitance in the Bilateral Utrine.
For 1 we probably would be prescribed ARG 9 a powder to be had thrice a day..(she will confime tommrow) and for 2) i am not sure...how impactful is this at this stage (20weeks) and what are we expceting now...

It would also helpo if someone knows about sites where there are doctors who respond to these queries.... your words and experinces surely help...

Cheers.!!


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## weeH

Hi there, if any one can help put my mind at rest as "googling" is a dangerous thing to do!
I had my 20+4day scan last friday and the scan went well and the consultant seemed not worried at all, so i never asked any questions. Now i wish i had after a weekend on Google this has me worried and my midwife (rural and district nurse) had never heard of the term and did not know what it was. Next week i will contact the consultant but if anyone has any advise or good questions to ask, that would be great.
I have Uterine Artery Notching - i do not know the scale but he just said he hoped it would clear up but he wishes to see me in 8wks - which now seems like a lifetime away. He did outline that pre-eclampsia can be an issue and they will keep an eye on me for that.
I am also concerned with my birth weight i am 21 +4 days and have only gained 8lb - again is this normal, i think it could be low but,,,,, i do not know, not weighed since 12.5wks and not again until 28wks.

In addition I also have a low placenta - again it was not explained how low and again he hoped it would raise itself.
As i have had previous laser surgery on my cervix and intensive bowel surgery for Crohns Disease i know i may be a candidate for a C-section but this funnily enough i think is the least of my worries!

Staying positive due to the fantastic posts on this web site and not working myself back up into a tissy.
But if anyone has some great advice, be great to hear.x


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## Marleysgirl

Hi there WeeH, 

I have no advice other than to say "Google is not your friend" :rofl: What you have to remember is that, like holiday reviews, the bad stories tend to end up on the internet whereas the good stories don't because those people are getting on with life as normal.

One of the other posters above reported that she had notching that then disappeared at a later scan, so the advice to go away for 8 weeks is quite usual. I received more scans and more monitoring because I had a combination of notching, high DS score (1 in 5) and an obviously IUGR baby. 

AshTen,

I would agree that the advice is conflicting as regards to exercise vs. bed-rest. When mine was diagnosed, the Consultant said that neither would make much difference as the situation had already arisen, his only constructive suggestion was not to stress about it. 

I am interested in that your wife might be prescribed something (ARG9?), and would like to hear more about that if you don't mind re-posting.



We are now thinking about trying for no.2, and I have an appointment back with the same Consultant at the Placenta Clinic to discuss whether there is anything I can do or take to try and prevent the situation recurring.


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## fluffyblue

Ive got a UAD scan next wednesday and am a bit edgy - hands up I have googled but only seen positive stories of how it has prevented a lot of losses of babies. 

I have growth scans at 24/28/32 and 36 weeks also. 

do u think im covered??


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## Marleysgirl

Fluffy, I think you're well covered with those!

How come they have arranged so many scans? Do they know that you have placenta problems from your other angels, or is it simply because you've been so horrendously unlucky in the past? (if you'll pardon the crass phrasing)

I would expect to have that kind of schedule of scans but that's because of my past problems.


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## fluffyblue

I dont know and to be honest they havent really given me a reason.

My previous losses were all early (before 10 weeks) 3 were MMC one chemical and one hetrotopic (womb and ectopic loss). 3 losses were due to my APS - blood clotting.

The only thing I can think of is I am under Professor Siobhan Quenby (miscarriage expert)and she is very thorough. This was a Clomid baby and i believe, although never published, that there are some links between slow growth and clomid babies. She put this in my care plan at 6 weeks. 

I have asked and just been told "be grateful" so I just am !!

Ive carried two children to birth no problems whatsoever so I am unaware of any underlying problems apart from my current blood clotting disorder.

I suppose alot of it is just precaution. I know I am lucky but sometimes its uneccessary worry!

What happens at the scan do they rescan you after a period to compare scans or can they tell from just the one scan if there are any complications ?


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## Marleysgirl

They can pretty much tell from one scan. They'll take loads of measurements of the baby's size and your uterus size, and compare those against known averages. And the UAD to show the bloodflow, this will obviously show the current flow and they'll see instantly whether there is a problem. Get them to explain the UAD pictograph to you, it's actually quite interesting in a nerdy way!

I love that they haven't given you a reason. I was referred to our Placenta Clinic but nobody ever told me why, I found out when talking to the midwife six months after A's birth that it was because I declined the amnio after the blood test for DS - they wanted to scan me more often to check for soft markers. It was at the first of these extra clinic scans that they found the problems with the bloodflow, so I'm grateful for their concern. It still scares me that it might never have been picked up, I could have had a stress-free pregnancy but have lost Andrew in the womb.


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## fluffyblue

Well had my scan good news no notching but my indices for both uterine artery dopplers are raised but apparently because there is no notching this rules probs out, he said that my arteries are working harder than normal to get nutrients and blood flow through. To be honest I dont get it lol !


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## Marleysgirl

Yayyy, that's good news Fluffy :happydance:


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## Marleysgirl

Been to see the Foetal Health consultant today (pre-conception discussion). He has suggested that I start taking baby-dose Aspirin now, and continue it through any potential pregnancy. They've taken some blood from me that they are going to scan for clotting disorders and, if they find something, then I could be prescribed daily injections of Heparin during the pregnancy.


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## fluffyblue

Im on the same thing and apparently because i have been takin aspirin since 4 weeks it puts me in a better situation.

I have been told to keep my stress levels down too, so although i have no notching it can affect my arteries !!


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## 24/7

Thank you so much for starting this thread, although I am still so very worried about our little beanie, it has helped slightly. I am starting 85mg of asprin daily as of tomorrow and have four weekly scans already booked and a cardiac scan for baby at Kings. 

I hope we can make it to a good about of weeks to give the baby a fighting chance xxxx


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## chloelyra

the doctor who did the scan seemed concern, but my OB is not?? I have HBP and am on Aldormet for the past few months, on aspirin since 17 weeks. I am about 20 weeks 3 days pregnant, the fetus measured 19 wks - 6days but weighs 11 oz. The fetus has been very active these past few days, not sure he is trying to tell me he is alright or something is wrong. :shrug:

My OB was going to see me in 4 weeks but moved up to 2 weeks after seeing fear on my face. When asked what i can do, she said try taking the aspirin and watched my weight (gained a bit more than i should). She said I will need to do a blood test in 32 weeks to see if the protein S has gone from bad to worst.

Any chance of the notches going away in my case? I doubt it since the doctor said it is 'severe' :sad1::sad1:
What is the risk of losing this baby? I am very concerned. :help::help::help:


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## 24/7

From the research I have done, they can clear, so that is a possibility for you. All I am doing is taking the aspirin and keeping everything crossed for our little boy. I am sceduled for regular growth scans and doppler scans to check the blood flow, and my cosultant has already said as soon as their are any issues afer 24 weeks he will deliver the baby, and that after 27 weeks, 9/10 babies survive, so thats our goal right now.

Stay positive, for you and the baby. xxx


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## chloelyra

thanks for the comforting words. Yes, I do have the same goal as you, 28 weeks. My OB is talking about 32 weeks blood test - she was very calm, either she has seen it all and thought the chance is good or she didn't wants to scare me. I am on cardiprin once daily in addition to my blood pressure medicine.

Let's try our best to relax and keep our fingers crossed. Please keep us posted on your progress.

xxx


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## Marleysgirl

chloelyra said:


> The fetus has been very active these past few days, not sure he is trying to tell me he is alright or something is wrong. :shrug:
> 
> <snip>
> 
> Any chance of the notches going away in my case? I doubt it since the doctor said it is 'severe' :sad1::sad1:
> What is the risk of losing this baby? I am very concerned. :help::help::help:

Mine was severe, and Andrew survived :flower:

My best piece of advice is to trust your instinct, your body and your baby. Andrew didn't feel particularly active but that was because he was so small so difficult to feel!! However, I knew that something was "wrong" on the last day, I hadn't felt him move at all since the middle of the night before. I tried the cold drink technique (drink cold water, baby moves as if uncomfortable) and still no movement. I called Triage & then my Consultant, and my Consultant agreed to scan me in his lunch-hour. That's when they decided things had deteriorated to the extent that baby had to be delivered.


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## 24/7

Well we are still moving along nicely, now at 18+4, and our little boy is nice and active - I have two scans coming up, 20th December with a fetal cardiologist, and another scan on 22nd December, then an appointment with Consultant on 23rd, and we continuing to stay positive and enjoy our pregnancy. xxx


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## mmmsrb

thankyou so much for posting this ! it made me feel a lot better . 
my situation is almost the same , i had that blood test and my results came back 1 in 16 chance of my little girl having down syndrome because of high hcg levels . i'm 21 years old and was giving the same chances as a 47 year old woman ? but i also opted out of the amneo . everything showed up perfect on the high resolution ultrasound besides abnormal blood flow in my left uterine artery . i was told it could regulate but found out today that it hasn't . the baby is growing perfectly though , i'm 27 weeks and i have to get another ultrasound at 28 weeks and then every two weeks after that


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## Marleysgirl

Hi there, didn't want you to think your post hadn't been seen :)

If your baby is still growing okay then that's really good :hugs:


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## Felicity96

Hey can you pm i have Uterine Artery Notching in my left and right artery and im only 15 i have not been told much of the risks xxxxxxxx


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## PoodleMommy

I realize this thread is old, but it's been both extraordinarily helpful (and has me scared to death at the same time!).

I'm at high risk of pre-eclampsia so I've had ultrasounds at 16 weeks, 21 weeks, and 25 weeks so far (I will be 27 weeks on Thursday). 

I had to ask them to do a doppler flow of my uterine arteries... my perinatologist/MFM seems to be more concerned about possible heart problems, which my baby does not have... and sure enough, I have severe bilateral uterine arteries.

I don't know that they were looking at reversal of blood flow, but I will ask them to look for that when I have another growth ultrasound next week at 28 weeks... what specifically should I ask for?

Thankfully, as of 25 weeks, there was no sign of IUGR and baby weighed 1 pound 13 ounces, so I'm praying that if he does have to be delivered early, he'll have good chances. 

I've read that uterine notching CAN resolve, but if it hasn't by 24 weeks, then it will NOT resolve. So, I guess this problem will not get better, but only possibly worse?? Should I be asking for growth ultrasounds more frequently than every 3-4 weeks at this point??

We've been trying for so many years for this baby, and have had six miscarriages, AND I'm about to turn 41... I would be beyond devastated if something were to happen to him because the perinatologist wasn't monitoring him closely enough... :(


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## Marleysgirl

Hi Poodle :hugs:

I had to google "perinatologist" as it's a term I'd never come across, I just had a "consultant" :D I'm guessing that you are not in the UK - if you are, it must be a very posh hospital :D

I seem to remember I was switched to fortnightly scans around 27 weeks. I would suggest to you that you go to the 28wk scan as scheduled but ask them to repeat the dopplers to compare to the last visit - to be honest, I'd be surprised if they didn't do this as a matter of course. If the notching is still present, tell them of your concerns regarding long periods between scans and ask if you can have more frequent appointments. It could be that the notching isn't too severe, but they should explain this to you.

As for something happening to your baby, as I've told others before on this thread, *trust your instincts*. You should be feeling your baby move, so keep daily notes on when/where, so that you have a comparison. Ask your perinatologist (love that word now!) what you should do if you have reduced movement, do they want you to contact them or do they want you to report to maternity triage for a heartbeat check? And have your hospital bag packed now, rather than thinking that you don't need to bother until 36weeks onwards.

I'm not trying to be alarmist, just trying to make sure that you are prepared. And then hopefully you won't need any of these preparations, you'll carry to term and wonder what all the fuss was about :D

PS. I was 40 when I had Andrew!

PPS. Something someone else mentioned, can't remember if it was on this thread or not, but it struck me as obvious afterwards ... This other person was told to make sure that they stayed really hydrated during their pregnancy, as liquid intake can affect bloodflow. I tried to give blood once about ten years ago, and my blood was really slow coming out, like treacle! I don't ever feel thirsty, so I don't drink much (certainly not the 2 litres/day that's recommended). And this could have contributed to the arterial flow problems. I've never had a conversation with a medical professional about this, but it's worth considering. Whilst you drink a cool glass of water :D


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## PoodleMommy

Thank you so much for the tips and encouragement! (and yes, sorry, I'm in the U.S... I should've looked up what they're called in the U.K. before posting! :haha:) I will definitely make sure they repeat the doppler when I go back next week. I also want to ask them to look for reversed blood flow... do you happen to know if that happens in the uterine arteries or the umbilical cord (or both)?

Funny you mentioned going ahead and packing my hospital bag already just in case... I actually decided to do that just this morning and have started it already! and, GREAT tip about drinking enough water/fluids... I am very bad about that and know I need to drink the recommended amount... I never thought about it in relation to blood flow!

I wish I could trust my instincts, but they seem to be leading me all over the place with this pregnancy. At 10 weeks, I was 100% sure my baby was dead and told my husband my instincts are never wrong. Well, thankfully, in that case they were... baby was doing perfectly fine at that point. Nowadays, my instincts have me panicking that my baby is dying of any of 1,000 dreadful things (some related to my very real risk of pre-eclampsia, some completely unrelated). I fear if I trusted my instincts, I'd be at the hospital almost daily.... :( goodness, I hate being such a worrier!!


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## Marleysgirl

PoodleMommy said:


> Thank you so much for the tips and encouragement! (and yes, sorry, I'm in the U.S... I should've looked up what they're called in the U.K. before posting! :haha:) I will definitely make sure they repeat the doppler when I go back next week. I also want to ask them to look for reversed blood flow... do you happen to know if that happens in the uterine arteries or the umbilical cord (or both)?

I wouldn't tell them to look for reversed bloodflow - they'll probably think you're telling them how to do their job ;) Ask them (particularly if it's different staff) to carry out a doppler, tell them that the doppler last time showed bilateral notching and that you'd like them to check whether the situation has improved (less notch), stayed steady, or deteriorated. Reversal would be the result of really bad deterioration, they'd certainly let you know if that was the situation.



PoodleMommy said:


> I wish I could trust my instincts, but they seem to be leading me all over the place with this pregnancy.

That's why keeping a notebook is a really good idea. Carry it around with you while you get on with normal life, but stop to note down kicks etc - times when you can feel movement, whether you were still/active at the time, whether you'd just eaten or drunk (especially any cold drinks). You will build up a picture of baby's active times, which will help you to recognise when he is not active at an expected time; it'll also help you to learn what baby responds to in terms of your behaviour & drink, so you can sometimes 'force' them to move by having a really cold drink (which could be reassuring if you think he's been a little quiet).


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## Marleysgirl

Just doing a little check back on people who have posted in this thread:

mmmsrb - posted concerned in September - appears to have given birth around 36wks :D

24/7 - carried all the way to 41 wks :D


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## 24/7

I did indeed go at the way to 41 weeks in the end, and my apparently teeny tiny baby was actually 7lbs8oz. :D

Marleysgirl has said all the right things, so I'll just send some :hugs: xx


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## turkeysmom

I am so happy to have found this forum. I am a mom to happy & healthy 3 year old son. 

The year before my son was born I was pregnant with a baby girl. She died in utero at 22 weeks due to severe IUGRand lack of and lack of brain function from placenta failure . During my pregnancy with my son I wa smonitored closely. At 26 weeks I had unilateral notching and at 38 weeks I was induced because of high blood pressure and he was born at a healthy 7lbs 2oz. I am now pregnant again with another baby girl. I am 20.5 and my ultrasound at 19.5 weeks showed that I have bad bilateral notching. I have to go back in mid march for another scan at 24weeks to see if the notching has gotten better. My perinatologist has told that if things haven't improved that I could be at very risk for PE, preterm labour and IUGR. I am so scared right now. I've been searching on goolge and what little information is out there isn't good. 

Has anyone here had bilateral notching and went on to have a healthy baby without any complications?


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## turkeysmom

I should also add that I've been taking low dose asprin since 5 weeks at my Doctor's request and have been drinking lots of water. At 20.5 weeks I'm still not feeling that much movement. Also, at my 19.5 week ultrasound the baby was measuring perfectly and is a good size.


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## 24/7

I had bilateral notching and although I had high bP at the end I didnt have PE and had a healthy little boy at 41 weeks! cx


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## turkeysmom

24/7 that is fantastic! hearing stories like yours gives me hope that bilateral notching isn't all doom & gloom.


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## 24/7

Lots of hugs! I was so so worried!
Drink lots, take the aspirin and stay as relaxed as possible. :hugs: xx


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## turkeysmom

24/7 said:


> Lots of hugs! I was so so worried!
> Drink lots, take the aspirin and stay as relaxed as possible. :hugs: xx

That sounds like pretty good advice to me. Reading what you went through makes me feel SO much better. Did you take it easy and go on modified bedrest or did you choose to keep active?


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## 24/7

I left work at 31 weeks and just relaxed at home although I still went out, I just tried to take it easy. xx


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## sweety2513

Hi Ladies, 

So happy to find this thread. I just got back from my mid-pregnancy ultra sound (I am 19 weeks, 6 days) and baby looked good. All organs were good and she was in 50th percentile for size which I was told is average. However, when they did the blood flow thing they saw some "notches" that is all he would tell me really. Told me that it could clear up and to come back in 6 weeks to check it and to monitor growth and if it was not better I would go on asprin. This is not my regular Dr. so he was not very involved with my pregnancy and offered very little information. How worried should I be? Does 6 weeks seem to long? Is there a chance this will resolve itself? I am a nervous wreck now, anything you can offer would be appreciated! I placed a call to my regular Dr but she has not seen ultrasound results yet. 

Thanks!


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## turkeysmom

HI Sweety, I know first hand how stressful this can be. I am also stressed out right now over notching issues. I have bilateral notching in placenta. From what my specialist has told me notching basically means that the blood vessels in the placenta aren't dialating properly and that in some cases it cause blow flow restriction to the baby and pre eclampsia. 

The good news is that my specialist also told me that in 50% of cases notching resolves itself or least gets a bit better by 24 weeks. If it's not better by 24 weeks though than it probably won't get better. Notching affects everyone differently though. I had it when I was pregnant with my son and went until 38weeks before my blood pressure spiked and had ot be induced. 

Your little baby is going to be perfectly healthy he/she just might be born a little early or a wee bit small. 

HUGS


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## sweety2513

Thanks for your feedback. It is good to know that it can correct itself. Hopefully we are both fine at 24 weeks. I have had enough stress with this pregnancy.


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## turkeysmom

sweety2513 said:


> Thanks for your feedback. It is good to know that it can correct itself. Hopefully we are both fine at 24 weeks. I have had enough stress with this pregnancy.

I know what you mean about having had enough with the stress. It's frustrating because I really thought that this pregnancy was going to be stress free for me. 

Have you started taking the baby asprin yet? from what I've been told the earlier you start the better.


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## sweety2513

No I haven't. The Doctor that did the scan told me to come back around 25 weeks and if it was still there I would start the aspirin then. I have a call into my regular OB to get her opinion.


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## turkeysmom

I just got back from seeing my perinatologist and am happy to report that now I only I have unilateral notching. It's only on one side now instead of both. My Dr said he is pretty confident that I will go full term or close to it. :happydance:


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## sweety2513

YAY! That is great news. So happy to hear that :thumbup:. Maybe there is hope for me too.


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## turkeysmom

sweety2513 said:


> YAY! That is great news. So happy to hear that :thumbup:. Maybe there is hope for me too.

Fingers crossed that you have even better luck than me and all your notching goes away !!!

I'm not not sure if it helped but I took the advice that someone mentioned earlier in this thread and started drinking lots of water as well as taking a pre natal DHA supplement which is supposed to help thin the blood naturally and is good for the baby. 

when is your next ultrasound?


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## kayo

:hugs:


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## sweety2513

I have already been taking the DHA but I will increase the water even more. Thanks! My Doctor also said I could start baby asprin. My next ultrasound in April 2nd.


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## Starry Night

Hi!

I had uterine notching during my pregnancy last year on the right side (left side was normal). I also had a miscarried twin, a sch and a partial placenta abruption. Yeesh. I was able to carry my son full term though he ended up coming via a crash C-section. His heart rate would drop with every contraction and once it came time to push it dropped and stayed there. Thankfully, he was born completely healthy!

I was seeing a specialist at one of Canada's best children's hospitals (my bloods came back as high risk for spina bifida) and it was during that scan that the abruption and the notching were caught. I do recall being told that there was some reversal of the flow but he told me the risk of reduced fetal growth was slim. However, at the time he was measuring in the 97th percentile (my family has big babies) and he ended up being born in the 40th.

We moved in the middle of my pregnancy which did complicate my treatment so I got my last scan at 34 weeks at a different hospital in a different province. They couldn't find anything then and the DR said they wouldn't be able to see notching anyways. As DS was a good size they weren't worried. So I led a fairly normal life after that.

But yeah, there was a lot of distress during my labour. I have no idea if it was related to the notching at all. But with about 1/4 of the placenta already reduced to scar tissue (the abruption had healed but no longer functioned), the other uterine bleeding and the notching I'm sure the contractions restricted how well the placenta functioned at giving oxygen.


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## turkeysmom

sweety2513 said:


> I have already been taking the DHA but I will increase the water even more. Thanks! My Doctor also said I could start baby asprin. My next ultrasound in April 2nd.

How did your ultrasound go??


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## sweety2513

So far, so good. Thanks so much for asking :) They did not check to see if the notching was still there but they were able to tell that it is not effecting anything. The baby is right on track with her growth. I have another one in 3 weeks!


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## Libbysma

We are 22 weeks and have been told we have bilateral notches, I also have pre existing high bp, and been taking tablets to control this for years(I'm only 24) I have suffered from sickness throughout my pregnancy and spent 6 occasions in hospital with dehydration!!! I'm fine for a week or so then wake up one morning feeling sick, and can't eat or drink anything and end up back in hospital on a drip!! This is my first pregnancy... 
anyway so we have been told about these notches and the possibility of pre eclasmia and have been scheduled a scan to monitor baby growth at 25, 28, 32, 36 weeks and for bp and urine tested fortnightly then weekly after 30 weeks.. Unfortunately I'm allergic to asprin which stumped my dr. Does anyone know of anything else to take rather than asprin??? Please help....


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## katylamb55

Wow this is the first time ive been on this forum and i am so pleased ive found it! I have had a uterine doppler scan today at 22+5 weeks and been told i have mild uterine notching so am at risk of restricted growth and Pre eclampsia, my BP was a little bit up to but baby is growing fine at the mo so im trying not to worry too much and reading the experiences of such lovely ladies has really helped so even though this is an old thread I just wanted to thank everyone for sharing it really helps! :flower:


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## vixxen

Hi Katie i also have notched arteries and at the moment intermittedly absent edf.
It has been completely absent so had steroids at 24 weeks but still going :thumbup:
Try not to worry to much and :happydance: for pregnancy!:haha:


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## SisterRose

Bumping! It seems this thread us long gone but i had a consultant scan to check my placental function yesterday at 20+2 since i have had two previous babies with growth problems. The scan confirmed i have notching on both uterine arteries and i will be starting regular growth scans from 24weeks as well as carrying on with aspirin. Even though i have had growth problems in the past they have never had a look at the placenta so in a way i am relieved to know that there is a medical problem acknowledged, a lot of family thought babies were just genetically smaller and that i was paranoid about lack of movements so i obviously know my body well. Hoping that this baby continues to grow well, and i make it to at least 37 weeks but in very nervous!


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