In my first pregnancy, and during the ultrasound at 20 weeks, the doctor diagnosed me with placenta previa. I suppose that like the vast majority of new mothers, I was unaware of the term: it is an abnormal implantation of the placenta over the internal cervical os , in the lower part of the uterus (when it is normal for it to do so towards one of the walls of the uterus). uterus). At that moment I learned that I had a high probability of needing a cesarean section and that I would have to take things very calmly, since this situation could bring complications for both the baby and myself.
What is the placenta and why can it be implanted badly?
The placenta is the only temporary organ that forms during pregnancy and occurs at the same time as the embryo implantation in the uterine wall. Its main function is to transmit nutrients, oxygen and hormones to the baby , although it also takes care of its waste, which the mother will subsequently eliminate through her urine.
To this day, the exact cause of this phenomenon remains unknown , so it is not possible to prevent it. Nor is it possible to find information if it is attributed to genetic factors … in my case I investigated until I reached my grandmothers and no woman in my family has suffered from this complication.
What is it like to have a pregnancy with a placenta previa?
When the doctor diagnosed me with a placenta previa (which was also a total occlusive), he was blunt in his indications: I could lead a relatively normal life, but with a lot of rest, no running, jumping or having sex . Considering how hard it took me to get pregnant the first time, my life was reduced to teleworking, resting, and taking very short walks close to home.
As the belly grew and my baby began to move, things got a little more complicated despite barely leaving the house: in the twenty-eighth week I began to feel contractions and one day I had a small hemorrhage that took me to be five days entered without being able to move . During the first day I could not eat anything in case I had to have an emergency cesarean section (fortunately not), and after that time I was able to return home with the indication to do relative rest.
At that time I was already teleworking, so I was able to continue doing it but taking breaks throughout the day because the pressure in the lower abdomen did not allow me to sit for more than half an hour , not even on the sofa. Cooked and tidied up the house a bit, but the constant pressure made me feel the need to lie down and rest. Some days I actually couldn’t get out of bed due to Braxton-Hicks contractions, so there were days when I would self-impose complete rest as a precaution. The truth is that taking into account the amount of things that accumulate when you work at that rate, plus the preparations you must make before the arrival of a baby, make that situation a bit frustrating.
When a bleed causes an emergency cesarean section
After discharge, I had some minor bleeding that did not require hospitalization. They had already warned me at the hospital that if this happened, he was small and would stand up, resting at home was enough. However, during the early morning of week 35, I had a very large bleeding that would not stop . I cannot deny that the moment was quite impressive and that I was quite scared until I got to the hospital and they told me that my baby was fine. While there I had a second hemorrhage, also quite large, and the doctors decided that they would wait a bit to decide what to do next. An hour or so later, the bleeding stopped and I went into the operating room for a cesarean section. The doctor considered the best time to do it because practicing it at the same time of continuous bleeding can put the mother’s life at risk.
Half an hour later my baby was born , very low in weight but in perfect condition. I spent about five hours in resuscitation and then I went to the ward where I was finally able to be with her and her father.
When asked about my first pregnancy, I always say that I did not enjoy it. For me it was a time of continuous anxiety because it was an unknown world that I faced after years of waiting, so I felt enormous pressure not to do anything that could put my little girl’s life at risk . My advice to someone who has been diagnosed with placenta previa is to be patient, listen to your body every day, see it as an opportunity to rest, to put ideas in order, to think about future projects and to take care of yourself And don’t worry, doctors are prepared to deal with these situations. It is true … surely this is not the dream pregnancy, but the result is even more wonderful than you expect.
In Babies and More | Five big worries of pregnant women in the third trimester: do you feel identified?
