Posterior Placenta Previa

Hi All,


This is my 2nd pregnancy (first one mis-carried at 6 wks) and at 20 weeks (last week) I have been informed that the tail end of my placenta is completely over my cervix with the rest (majority)of the placenta being posterior (back of uterus). The area around the cervix is also noted to be highly vascular.


It would be great to hear from others that have been in the same situation that I am in above and their story/outcome (especially with the 'posterior placenta' factor, as I hear makes it less likely for the placenta to move up). I am staying very positive that the placenta could still migrate up the uterus (after all, it is still early-ish days right?) but there seems to be mixed reviews about this happening, even my OBGYN has told me that is very unlikely...


I am aware of all the 'bleeding and risks' associated with placenta previa and honestly never even considered PP would be something I would be facing..especially with the stats being only 1 in 200.


I am booked in at Matilda for my delivery, however will also be booked in at QM (just as a precaution). I was hoping for a natural delivery, but also very realistic about variable changes. The thought of a C-section isnt what bothers me so much...its all this talk of haemorrhage and premature birth that has me completely terrified.


Any feedback would be wonderful.


Thanks everyone.

If a small edge of placenta is covering your cervix, it is possible for it to move up, but there are risks as the hopsital will have explained. They will keep more of a check on you to see what the placenta is doing, and there is always a chance it won't move and you may need a caesarian, especially if it still covers the cx later in pregnancy., but they will know and book a routine C-section which is far less scary than an emergency one. I am a retired obstetric nurse.

My daughter had a routineC- section for exactly the same reason, and gave birth to a beautiful little girl Sophia, healthy, full term, she just had to take things easier in pregnancy, no lifting at all, not even her other 2yr old, but could still give her cuddles while sitting down, and have plenty of rest etc.

Her first child Harriet, was born after an emergency C-section, after prolonged labour and babies foetal distress, and that was exhausting and scary for my daughter and the baby Harriet, so if a c-section is planned for you don't be scared.

Try not to worry too much, at least you are in a civilized place where it has been diagnosed and you know about it, not like the times before scans etc, or in the back end of a third world country.

My OBGYN is Dr Lucy Lord. At around 20+ weeks, I was told my placenta is lying low but was too early and should shift up later. I was not concerned and continued to believe that I will have a vaginal birth. Thereafter, at each ultrasound, I was told the same thing. No warning and no other advice on any precaution. I went about daily life as normal - yoga, long morning walks, travelling as usual on long and short haul flights etc etc. Even at 33 weeks, Dr Lucy Lord gave me a letter certifying that I am fit to go on the plane which I did for a short holiday around the region. Then finally, the scare came around a week later when I went for my U/S. Lucy Lord confirmed that it is Placenta Previa Type 3 and I had to have a C-section. I was shocked and my husband consulted his cousin, a top OBGYN in the UK who advised that with this condition, I should be on bedrest since week 20!!! So everyone started panicking and insisting I be put on bedrest immediately even though I felt fine. We even confronted Lucy Lord why she only told us about this condition a month before I was due and she assured me that there was nothing to worry especially since I did not bleed at all for the last 35 weeks, I will not be bleeding at such a late stage. Plus, she knew I was terrified of surgery and did not want a C-section in the first place so she decided not to alarm me too early in my pregnancy. And to put our minds at ease, she suggested engaging a 2nd doctor to help her with the delivery in case I bleed profusely. Anyways, to cut the long story short, I had my baby via C-section at week 38 with both Lucy Lord and Mike Rogers at the Matilda. They prepared everything in advance in case I needed blood transfusion but in the end everything went well and I did not need any transfusion although I lost 1.2 litres of blood in the first 18 seconds but both doctors were quick to clamp the bleed. On the 2nd day after my C-section, I was up and about and walking. Lucy Lord teased that I could be her walking advertisement for Placenta Previa Type 3. So yes, it was scary when you first hear about such a condition and you start imagining all sorts of things including bleeding to death. On hindsight, I appreciated the fact that Lucy Lord did not tell me early on to avoid frightening me which she thought was not necessary. Today, my son is 6.5 months and is a chubby, happy little bundle of joy. I feel really blessed that God has helped me on this journey - from IUI to IVF since I was age 40, got pregnant at age 41 and had delivered a healthy baby boy (my first) at age 42! I still pinch myself sometimes when I'm nursing my son to see if this is all real.