June 5, 2008

Ultraound results : 16 weeks

Tuesday I had an ultrasound to check on the position of the placenta. It had been over the cervix for the first 10 weeks of this pregnancy. (picture to the left is not me, in case you were wondering)

I was 16 weeks Monday, June 2nd, so seeing the baby was awesome! So completely formed and kicking and touching his/her hands to the face, even watched the mouth open and close. Amazing! Baby looks great. We did not want to know the gender and we did not find out. He/she is a feisty little person... I already knew that, as I have been feeling the baby moving for over 2 weeks already. =)

What we did find out was the placenta is now completely over the cervix. This is a complete or total placenta previa. Not only that, but the WHOLE placenta is in the "lower segment" and the cord attaches right over the cervix (which my doctor called a "centroid" previa, but I haven't been able to find anything specific to that on the web). This makes that whole
are very vascular - which means lots of veins attaching in the "worst" place they could attach. (See the graphic below - I believe the type of complete/total previa I have is like the middle one shown)

Monitoring the baby and plaenta via ultrasounds and OB appts. will be done frequently. I see my OB in 3 weeks and have another ultrasound in 5 weeks.

There is a lot of information about placenta previa's diagnosed this earl
y in pregnancy moving up and away from the cervix before delivery. However, those are mostly from marginal or low-lying previa's or complete's where the cord attaches higher than right over the top of the cervix. I am not trying to be "doom and gloom" here, just looking at the facts. However, my God is a BIG God and I know He can and will do what ever He pleases with this placenta. We are praying it will move, but also to joyfully deal with it not moving and the complications that may arise, and not worrying in the meantime.

Note how in the graphic to the left that in this illustration of a total/complete previa, the cord is inserting into the placenta fairly high up and that a good portion of the placenta is above the lower segment. So it seems there are more than one type of complete/total previa.

The probability of bleeding problems later on with this type of previa is quite high. Because of this my OB said he will probably be putting me on bed rest at 28 weeks (that is in 11.5 weeks) and if I have a bleed I will probably be put in the hospital for the part or the rest of the pregnancy.

If I can make it further without needing an emergency c-section, they will schedule a c-section for 38 weeks, two weeks before the due date, because the risk of a bad bleed gets higher and higher, especially as contractions get stronger.

Because of this type of placenta previa, with the whole placenta being in the lower segment, my OB says the incision for the c-section will be done higher than the usual "low transverse" incision. (remember the whole lower area is full of placenta, no safe place to make an incision) There is also a much greater possibility of uncontrollable bleeding after they remove the placenta because that lower part of the uterus does not contract much at all, leading to uncontrollable hemorrhaging. Because of that, there is a higher "chance" of needing a hysterectomy to stop the bleeding. Though, my OB said he would do all he could for me, to avoid a hysterectomy (and went on to say, "so if we can get you through this delivery without a hysterectomy, hopefully NEXT TIME the placenta will implant higher up." Next time. Gotta love an a Christian OB who totally supports us in having a large family and even more children!).

It is a lot to process all in one day, isn't it? I do not want to borrow trouble or think the worse or worry about this situation, but leave it all in God's hands. There is also the part where I need to be doing what I can, especially after 28 weeks, to keep this baby safe and hopefully and prayfully, avoid any bleeds or complications.

I would greatly appreciate your prayers for me, baby, hubby and the whole family as we walk through this. None of us knows what tomorrow will bring. We can only pray and cling to our Savior for wisdom, direction and comfort for each day.

I have to add that there is MUCH I am thankful for right now. Thankful that we have a living, healthy baby (many of my friends have had miscarriages this year and I have greatly grieved with them over their losses ~ I am undeserving to be blessed again with another child and do not take fertility or that pregnancy equals a baby for granted). Thankful that we got an early diagnosis so that we can be preparing now for me to go on bed rest at 28 weeks. Thankful for friends and a great church family for their support and encouragement and offers of practical help once I am on bed rest. Thankful that my youngest is old enough that I don't have to carry her, since I am not supposed to be lifting heavy things. Thankful for a great, Christian OB who supports the Quiverfull mindset and is not using scare tactics and/or chastising us for having another baby or saying I have to have a tubal after this one. Thankful that God is always on His throne, always in control and always there to comfort us.

11 comments:

Meg said...

Love ya! You know we are praying.

Meg

Martha said...

I will be praying for you. It is a comfort to know God has everything in control. Praying you will know unquestionably His peace that passes all understanding.

Blessings,
~Martie

Meredith said...

You're in my prayers!

I also had my 20 week ultrasound this week and found I have a complete placental previa.

My doctor didn't seem worried, he said almost all cases migrate up by 28 weeks, but it's been in my mind, too.

Thanks for the graphic--very helpful.

Baleboosteh said...

Oh my, that is a lot to process, as you say. Praise God for a healthy, thriving baby and such a wonderful sounding OB (would he consider relocating to England?)!

You will be in my thoughts and prayers. Praying that you will recieve a miracle and that the placenta will shift and that in the meantime you will be given all the wisdom and practical support you need.
Bless you.

Jenni said...

I had placenta previa with my third and like you said, it was a low lying previa and it did move up by around the 34th week. We will pray for God's protection on both you and the baby.

Blessings!

Karrie said...

I found you blog from the Engstrom (Karen) blog. I just wanted to give you some hope. I had complete placenta previa with my second. It was dead center on my cervix. Thanks to the Lord, a miracle happened and it did move. Quite a bit actually. My perinatologist was extremely amazed! I delivered a healthy boy at 36 weeks. Prayer is amazing and God has great plans for you! Just keep praying and lay on your side to help that placenta move! Congratualtions on your pregnancy!

Homemanager said...

Congratulations, Jerri! I too found out that you were pregnant off of Karen's blog. :-)

After reading your post, I wanted to encourage you to look up "Vesa" previa. I delivered my 5 lb. 7 oz baby girl at 34 weeks.

I had 5 hours to process it all. It is alot to process through, but the one thing that I came away with was how utterly God is in control.

The Lord was extremely merciful to us and I know that He will be with you also during this pregnancy.

I will be praying for you Jerri and your little one! Again, Congratulations!

Mom of thirteen said...

Karrie,
That is good to hear. Can you tell me why your baby was then born so early, at 36 weeks and if that was a vag. birth or a c-section?

Homemanager,
Oh, I do know what a vesa previa is and know that is an even more dangerous presentation of a complete previa. I have done tons of research this year, starting with my youngest sister having her first baby and finding out she had a velamentous insertion of the cord, which was the "worst" her OB had ever seen. It was very long, like 8 inches or more, of unprotected cord veins. Thankfully, hers was not over the cervix/under the baby and the placenta was well out of the way. The doctor was very careful about not tugging on the cord at all because of it. Then, my research turned to VBA2C's, and vesa's come up there too, as in the more c-sections you have the higher the risk of having a previa (and the risk of that previa being an acreta or vesa) in subsequent pregnancies. So, it has come up a lot in my research lately!

Praise God your baby was born safely despite such a "risky" situation. Oh yes, our God is in control!

Thanks for all your prayers for me/us. We are hoping and praying it will miraculously move, but also ready and confident to go down this path if this is what the Lord choses for this pregnancy. Let it all bring glory to His name!

~jerri

Anonymous said...

You are in my prayers. I had a complete placenta previa with my 4th child. I am not sure of the exact "type" tho. The high risk specialist terrified me with her sudden talk of hemoraging/hysterectomy - just weeks before my birth! Thank goodeness my OB was a lot more tactful and encouraging.

I am a "cervix is shut tighter than Fort Knox until delivery on due date" kind of gal. So there wasn't much fear of bleeding early, etc. as far as I was concerned. I was rather anxious during my planned (1st C-section), but my uterus was saved and the bleeding was managed so that I didn't even have to have a transfusion. God is good - don't believe the worst case scenarios
8-)
Lisa

Anonymous said...

May God grant you a shifty placenta. :)

I also have had a complete placenta previa, with my fifth child. I experienced no bleeding during my preg., even tho that placenta remained over the cervix. I was admitted to hospital at 36 weeks as a precaution before my scheduled 37 week C-section. I was not on bedrest before that point, and even in hospital was permitted to be up and around.

As I was being prepped for the C-section in the OR, I started to feel very strange and said so. After a quick check of my BP, they realized that my placenta was separating right then and there. How providential that I was in the exact place I needed to be! Praise Him! I did lose enough blood to require three units the next day, but my precious Annalise and I were fine, and my uterus was saved.

17 months later, I gave birth to our first boy!! No placenta problems whatsoever. Praise Him!

Karrie said...

Sorry, I didn't get back to you sooner. After my placenta had moved...at 31 weeks I had some preterm labor. I thought it was just braxden hicks, but my routine check up showed that it was not, I was put on bedrest for 4 weeks and then at 35 weeks they let me up. I was doing very well till my very good friend passed away when I was 36 weeks. That night I was so stressed out and shaken that I went into labor and instead of trying to stop it, they just let it happen. I had a healthy baby boy at 36 weeks. He was 6 lbs. 13 oz. I deliveded vag. My third delivered at 36 weeks also due to preterm labor. My first was also early because of severe preclampsia. 32 weeks.

 
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