placenta previa

Is there any Mum there who have placenta previa before? It's really scared me everytime I've been talking to my Doctor. I'm due to have a Ceasarian on 10 July.

My sister-in-law had a total (or complete) placenta previa for her second pregnancy. She had to spend the last couple of months in the hospital on complete bed rest. She also underwent a caesarean section and had to have a blood transfusion. The result was a beautiful baby boy who was 100% healthy, although a bit underweight at birth (he was delivered four weeks’ early), and now is about to start school.


It didn't cause any problems and her third pregnancy was quite normal. She even had a vaginal delivery of a much longed for daughter.


I don’t want to play down the risks as there are some. My sister-in-law was in a mild state of panic for the final weeks of her pregnancy. But your doctor is monitoring the situation and will want to make sure you and your little one are well. I would just suggest you get your bag packed and do anything which you have left to the last minute. This way you will feel more prepared, relaxed and ready for hospital, even if you have to go in a little earlier.


PP occurs in about one in 200 births so I’m sure there will be others here who have personally had a PP pregnancy. In the meantime, rest well, get your bag packed and wonder why Toyota named an MPV after your condition.

Hi Lady J


I'm at 30weeks and confirmed to have PP too. My private dr even told me he can't handle my case so that I should go to a public hospital because of the high risk involve with PP. The dr reckons that if they can't remove your placenta or heavy bleeding occurs (after removing it) during the c-section then there's a chance the uterus needs to be remove too! G! I'm scared too!


BTW are you using a private dr? which one?

Lady J, I had placenta previa too with my first pregnancy. I was told that bleeding was likely (may not occur) but likely. I was so frightened throughout my pregnancy and ended up bleeding at Week 31. I had an emergency c-section at 33 weeks. I kept bleeding on and off for 2 weeks so the hospital kept me there for the duration of my pregnancy.


Like AKKY, my dr also said that a private hospital is not equipped to deliver premature babies. If I bleed before 36 weeks, I had to go to a public hospital. I did.


Yes, there is a risk that your uterus needs to be removed if something goes wrong and they prepare packs of blood for placenta previa patients. But things CAN go smoothly. I bled less than a normal delivery and my uterus is intact :-) and my baby born at 33 weeks breathed on her own.


But if you bleed and are kept in the hospital, they will take your blood every 3 days to match it so that if you ever need a transfusion, they have it ready for you. They keep the blood for 3 days and then if you don't need it, they give it to someone else and reserve new packs for you. I had my blood drawn every 3 days. A horrible experience but necessary.


Placenta previa is serious but with proper care, we all do okay.....


10 July is not far off so I guess you should be around the last few weeks of pregnancy. You'll do fine. They say that baby born at 37 weeks are considered full term. You'll be okay :-)

Hi guys,thank you very much for your response. It makes me feel much better. I will be 37 wks on 10 July so I think I can consider myself very lucky that I haven't had any bleeding or pain. I will definitely follow your advise to pack my bag just in case something happen!

MayC, how long did you stay in the hospital after birth? and how do you feel after the operation? how many days before you will be able to walk?

Lady J, I stayed a total of 7 days at the hospital after the birth. I kept getting a mild fever during that time (breast engorgement?) and anyway, they said I could only leave if the fever subsided. Thankfully it did.

The operation took less than an hour. I was under GA / general anaesthesia because of the bleeding risks involved with a previa (in case we needed transfusion). Basically, I was knocked out completely when I breathed in a very cold gas. Because I was giving birth prematurely, I said to myself that no matter how painful it would be afterwards, I would bear it and I wouldn't complain so as long as my baby was fine and healthy.


How did I feel after the operation? I remember getting up, registering that I was in a quiet room (probably a recovery room) and feeling only a slight pain. They covered me in foil. I went to feel my tummy because I wasn't sure if they had the baby out because it really wasn't the pain I was expecting. I'm the kind of person that would be rolling on the floor in sweat with my monthly period pains so I was expecting something similar or ten times worse. When I saw the nurse, I asked immediately about my baby and she said my baby was very healthy, breathed on her own and scored 10/10 on the apgar score (they rank the baby's health based on movements, cry, breathing etc - I knew that by heart from all I read about premature babies prior to my admission to hospital). The nurse then asked me if I needed painkillers. Having gone through horrible pains monthly for my periods, I really didn't feel I needed them. I did get one the first time because I wasn't sure if I didn't feel the pain because the meds from the GA was still working, and after the shot, I felt virtually painless. The nurse kept coming back after 6 hours asking me if I needed painkillers. I told her the pain was only slight and less than my period pains so she said I could go without.

They left me in the recovery room for almost a day because they couldn't find me a place in the ward. That was paradise because I had peace and quiet. My hubby was allowed in so he brought me photos of my little baby that he had taken. So it was good, I got to see her (in photos) an hour after I woke up and when hubby returned.


In regards to walking, unfortunately, they make you get up and walk the very next day. I gave all sorts of excuses why I couldn't walk (eg. I'm weak etc) but the nurse wouldn't have it. She waited patiently until I got up. She helped me up. But those hospital beds, I tell you..... can't they have it any lower? The hardest bit is trying to stand from a sleeping position. After my first "getting up", I was expected to go to the loo by myself so they ignored my pleas for a bed pan. Mind you, no one else made the same fuss I did about getting up. Initially, yes, they were scared but after a few times, the majority did it quite well. In fact, I was so desperate to go the the loo, that the lady in the bed next to mine helped me up and she just had her c-section three days earlier.


I expressed breastmilk immediately after her birth. Initially, I didn't have much at all... but I kept going and eventually was able to give her 60ml. The nurses were kind enough to show me how to use their pumping machine (you have to ask for it, though so they know you are keen on breastfeeding). You could also request that your baby be put in a bassinet next to you in the maternity ward. They let you do this if your baby is healthy. Mine was supposed to be beside me after the 2nd day but then she stopped putting on weight and they couldn't let her come to me (well, the baby loses water or something like that in the first few days).


Anyway, I only went to the nursery on the third day. I sat on a wheelchair because I was complaining that it was too far to walk. By the 5th day, the nurse said, "You better walk coz everyone else is walking. It'll be good for your recovery". Took me ages but I got there. I wasn't any slower than the ladies who delivered vaginally.


I must admit that I cried a lot after my baby's birth. It was just that all throughout my pregnancy I was worried about my previa and was trying to be strong. After I gave birth, I just had to let it all out.


Yes, I agree that you should pack your bags. I wasn't prepared to be staying in hospital until the birth at 31 weeks so my hubby packed my bag. Of course, he brought all the wrong stuff and even decided for me what he thought was necessary or unnecessary like my baby book. He said I could read after I got out. Men..... ;-)


If you're 37 weeks on the 10th of July, you are now 35 weeks. Your baby is 2 weeks older than mine when my baby was born. My baby's doing okay so you'll be fine too ;-)


Another lady with our condition was in hospital since 28 weeks. And she delivered at 36 weeks. She couldn't wait to have her baby out because she spent months in hospital and they were drawing blood every 3 days. Her baby needed help breathing initially but was okay afterwards.


There were three previa patients that I got to know while I was in hospital. We are all okay. One delivered at 37 weeks (a few days before her operation), one at 36 weeks and I delivered at 33 weeks.


My advice to you would be to rest as much as you can - ie. put your feet up. I bled quite early on because I had spent the whole day walking with my parents who were visiting from Sydney. My dr didn't say to stop all activities but just to be on the safe side.....


Hope this helps somehow....

Hi MayC, please excuse my poor english. I going to have my operation on 14th July instead of today because they are fully booked. I did the MRI three weeks ago as the Doctor said just to confirm how bad the placenta attached to the cervix. Finally, they get the result after two weeks and they phone me unexpectedly two days ago to comeback to the hospital for another scan. I've been to the hospital this morning and the Doctor makes me cry and even my husband have tears in his eyes because she said that the MRI result said that the placenta is actually covering the hole and not just marginal or low lying placenta. She even told us that they have one patient last year who died with the same problem with me. She said she cannot promise that they can save my life but they will try their best to save my life. Sorry to tell you all this because I just need someone to talk to and to release how I feel at the moment. I feel absolutely useless watching my 4 year old son and thinking what on earth my boy will think if I couldnt make it. I cannot imagine living him and the new born to my husband and how they gonna live without a mother. God! know's why I have to hve this problem.

Anyway, thanks for sharing your experience I still believing that I can make it because of your story.

dear lady j,


i am so sorry to hear about your condition and reading your latest post had me in tears.


nothing i say here can make you feel better - i know that the only way you will feel better is that you and your newborn come out of this unfortunate situation safe and sound. and i really hope that happens! my thoughts are with you.


best wishes!

lady j> This is exactly what my sister-in-law had, as I mentioned in my first post. Sometime the egg fails to implant, sometime it implants too agressively and sometime it implants in the wrong place. It happens quite often and it was nothing you did to cause it. One of nature's "oops".


I realise by now you will have had your caesarian. When you are ready, please post again on this thread and let us know how you and your little one are doing - and how your 4 year-old son enjoys being a big brother.

Hello all of you that have corresponded on this thread,


I am Lady J's husband. We have a new baby daughter who is absolutely beautiful.


Lady J is at present in ICU of PYNEH hospital in Hong Kong. We nearly lost her today because of blood loss. The staff are incredible, and have saved her, our family and my light.


I cannot describe what a day this has been. Lady J will tell you about it herself and I may be able to fill in any gaps.


Lady J's case was about as bad as it gets, but we are all here and, please anybody going through it, keep strong.


Our four year old son is on my lap as I type this. God only knows that the most important things in life really are free.


Thank you all for your support and prayers. There is no such thing as an atheist in situations like these.


I will see her tomorrow morning but won't sleep much tonight.


Kind regards to you all, Lady J's husband.

Congratulations to you Lady J and your family. So glad you and baby are safe and well. I will be going for my c-section next week and looking forward to seeing my baby at last.


Take care and God be with you and your family always.

Lady J and hubby, I'm so sorry I missed your posts until today. I can understand only too well how you guys feel. I went through all those emotions myself.... the thought of losing my little girl and the thought that I may not make it. It was soooooo hard that after my c-section, I spent the next few days in tears... just thinking about how lucky we were..... even now, as I write this, I'm all teary-eyed. Because mine was born premature, I carried the guilt that if anything was wrong with her developmentally, it'd be all my fault. It wasn't until a month ago when she started trying out her speech that I felt I could let go. I spent the first 20 months of her life worrying about whether she would walk, talk, roll over etc.... despite being told by three pediatricians that she was okay, I was so scared.

Emotionally it is sooooooo tough on the mother...... so to Lady J's husband, please be there for her during this time. She'll need all the support you can give.

Hi guys! Its been more than a year since my last thread. How are you all?

Here I am now, well recovered and enjoying my precious time with my daughter Caitlyn. We both been through a lot, we both survived, and deep in our heart we both want to thank you all for all your support and prayer. Our experienced is so scary that I don't think you guys want to know the whole story. The most important is that we both survived.

Caitlyn has a bit late development compared to my eldest son but she's totally fine.

I am so lucky to have her!


thank you all very much,


Lady J

Lady J, thanks for the update and I'm really happy to hear that everything went well.


Don't worry about Caitlyn, she'll blossom in her own time. I used to compare my daughter with others too... just you wait until she's 2... she'll be able to tell you herself that she's okay.


I couldn't let go of the ordeal in the first 2 years of her life... but now, my baby has just turned 3 and I've almost forgotten. One thing that hasn't changed though.... I still thank God every single day for my miracle.

You're asolutely right! I always thanks God for giving me chance and I can't thank him enough for giving me my second life and to give me a daughter because I won't be able to have another one. They took my uterus out! and that's fine for me because it save my life.