We had our anatomy scan/ultrasound this morning and so much of it was wonderful. Little M has all the right body parts in the right places and is measuring right at average for her gestational age (20 weeks 6 days!) and has a strong heart beat. She is SO freaking active in there. Amazing that I can't feel her more. When I do feel her moving she must really be freaking out. Very, very cute.
And Dh went with me, asked questions, laughed at little M moving all around, and had that wonderful "my little daughter!" expression that just about brought tears to my eyes. There were definitely hollywood moments in there that I will cherish forever.
The big important thing is that everything the doctors can't do anything about seems good with the baby. She is as healthy as they can determine right now. THAT IS A VERY VERY WONDERFUL THING.
But as you know, for us IF women it is really really hard relax into all of this when you know how fragile it all is.
Turns out that my placenta is over the cervix right now -- placenta previa. I go back at 28 weeks to see if it's moved as my uterus grows more.
About 10% of women who are diagnosed with this at my stage end up with it being a problem.
The problem is that you are at increased risk of all kinds of things you don't want:
- premature labor
- losing the baby because of placental abruption
- and of course, C-section at 37 weeks (if you make it that long) because they won't let you go to full term b/c you might bleed to death if your cervix starts to dilate.
- severe bleeding (and need of blood transfusion)
And God only knows what else.
To me, 10% is a big number. It's big enough that I may likely be in it.
So from now on, I am back to being fragile. I will not make awkward movements of my torso. I will not lift anything heavy. I will not do anything that might result in losing this baby.
I will not let myself freak out. Or at least I will try not to.
Sorry to hear about the placenta previa.. It's funny how numbers can play tricks with us. Like, how hearing that you have a 10% chance of something feels overwhelming and awful, but we ignore that we have a 90% chance of not having something.
ReplyDeleteTry to hold on to the 90% chance that this will turn out fine and the placenta will have been relocated.
Thinking of you and the your bean.
I know very little about placenta previa, but have read many blogs of women who have had it only to have it resolve itself before going into labor. So I hope you are one of them and not the 10% who have issues.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on such a wonderful appointment, otherwise....sounds like little M is doing fab!
xoxoxox
Yeah, I would be freaking the hell out too Even though rationally, your chances of this being a problem are low, and even if it does become a problem, it isn't necessarily a big problem. A c-section at 37 weeks may not be ideal, but it would be ok... but I would obviously bet on you being in the 90% of women who don't wind up with any issues!
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you got to have those moments with your husband and M (and am dying to know what M stands for).
Great news about the anatomy scan! That's the important part.
ReplyDeleteDeep breaths. Even if (big IF here) you're in that 10%, most of that 10% also make it through just fine. I'm not one to talk, being prone to freak-outs as I am, but try to focus on the baby right now ... she's doing great. And SO ARE YOU.
My neighbor had that and her placenta moved so there's still hope! And the others are right - you have a 90% chance of NOT having an issue. You don't have to pretend like you're not scared but just remember you have good numbers on your side.
ReplyDeleteYou're going to be just fine!
That is no fun. Sorry to hear about that. The good thing is you KNOW and you can keep an eye on it. Any bleeding straight away to hospital. I have had 2 friends with this and both did require c-section. One did start bleeding on her own and so it was an emergency. BUT both were fine with fine babies. So good luck, try not to freak out too much.
ReplyDeleteOf course you are back to being fragile, after all you have been through. But I second what Kitty said - try and focus on the 90% if you can.
ReplyDeleteGentle hugs from London.
It's ok to be fragile. You're stronger than you think and that little baby is very very strong too.
ReplyDeleteIf you can survive working in academia, you can survive anything. YOu are in my thoughts.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the anatomy scan, that's good news. I would freak out too. Having already been on the wrong side of really long odds, 10% sounds enormous to me too. Go ahead and be fragile, just try to not make yourself sick worrying. I hope it resolves itself and that's the last thing you have to worry about.
ReplyDeleteI know it doesn't help, but I have known three women in real life with pp at your stage. Two "grew out of it" and one had the c-section delivery of a (huge) healthy baby. Do the things you need to, try not to worry. I'm hoping for the 90%, that sounds like such a better number.
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