Consultant appointment for placenta previa?

[george83]

I'm not sure if this is the right place for this thread but I just wondered if any of you ladies had a consultant appointment at 32 weeks for placenta previa? Apparently I was meant to have one but some how it got missed by everybody including my midwife - who told me placenta previa was nothing to worry about and to carry on as normal. I ended up bleeding heavily at 36 weeks and having an emergency c section and my little boy is now in scbu really struggling with his breathing I can't help but think this is all my fault as I didn't have my appointment and and now I'm desperate to find out what I would have been told at this appointment and whether I could have done anything to stop it happening. Looking back I carried on like I had a normal pregnancy as nobody told me any different thanks in advance

 

[Tigerlily01]

I had a complete previa for most of my pregnancy, so they did give me some restrictions (no sex, no lifting >20 lbs, no high impact exercise) and I had a planned c-section at 37+6. I was told if I bled (I never did), to go to the hospital immediately and I'd likely need a c-section right then if that happened.

If you only had a partial previa, they probably expected it to move (90% of them do) and be a non-issue, but at a later appointment they probably would have done an ultrasound to check where it was. If the placenta was still in the way, they would have scheduled a c-section for you sometime around 37-38 weeks depending on your provider and your particular pregnancy, symptoms, etc. When they deliver seems to vary a bit depending on your country and doctor (I'm in the US)...they don't like you to go into labor on your own with previa, so they try to schedule a c-section early enough to avoid that, but late enough that the baby is as developed as possible.

I wouldn't beat yourself up, you didn't know, and even if they had scheduled you, it's likely you would have had your bleeding episode before your scheduled c-section date anyway. It happens. On the one hand, they shouldn't have dropped the ball, and should have given you more information. On the other hand, most doctors wouldn't have scheduled you as early as 36 weeks anyway. I really hope your baby improves soon This is not your fault. At all. There is nothing that can be done to prevent or cure previa, it just happens.

 

[amelia26]

I have placenta previa but no n consultant appointment mentioned yet as it's early days. I have been told that if it didn't move that they would plan a section around 38-39 weeks.

I've had one bleed at 17 weeks which required a hospital stay. They said if it happened later in pregnancy they would have to consider emcs if it was too heavy.


In short, I don't think your outcome would have been any different. If you saw a consultant they would probably have just discussed their plan and booked the section but it would have been booked after 36 weeks anyway.

Sorry, it must have been scary and I hope your lo is back with you soon.

 

[george83]

Thanks ladies, I know they wouldn't have planned a c section for 36 weeks and they couldn't have predicted or stopped the bleeding but I'm just curious if they would have given me any specific advice or guidance which might have had a different effect

 

[amelia26]

Did you have any bleeding prior to that bleed?
I did see a consultant at the time placenta previa was diagnosed and I asked if I needed to do anything differently and she said no, As long as I don't have bleeding I can carry on as normal.

Only after I had a big bleed did they advise pelvic rest, no heavy lifting and taking it a bit easy.

It's normally growth of the uterus that causes the bleed anyway. Not anything you do or don't do. The bleed I had happened at night and I hadn't been doing anything active problems previously.

 

[george83]

Did you have any bleeding prior to that bleed?
I did see a consultant at the time placenta previa was diagnosed and I asked if I needed to do anything differently and she said no, As long as I don't have bleeding I can carry on as normal.

Only after I had a big bleed did they advise pelvic rest, no heavy lifting and taking it a bit easy.

It's normally growth of the uterus that causes the bleed anyway. Not anything you do or don't do. The bleed I had happened at night and I hadn't been doing anything active problems previously.

Thank you for your reply. I hadn't had any bleeding before hand, it just came on really suddenly that night. I'm glad that I didn't miss out on any important advice though that could have made a difference, thank you