Placenta Previa? Here’s My Personal Placenta Previa Experience

If you’re reading this, you’ve probably been diagnosed with placenta previa, have had placenta previa in the past or you know someone with placenta previa. Let me just say, you’re not alone in this and everything will turn out ok if you follow your doctor’s directions. Lastly, please know, the roller coaster of emotions you’re experiencing are all, also very valid!

Below is a general description of what placenta previa is, along with my personal experience. I’ve had placenta previa with two out of my three pregnancies.

Placenta previa is a problem during pregnancy when the placenta completely or partially covers the opening of the uterus (cervix). The placenta is an organ that develops in the uterus during pregnancy. In most pregnancies, the placenta attaches at the top or on the side of the uterus. In placenta previa, the placenta attaches low in the uterus.

My Pregnancies:

• Pregnancy #1– During my first pregnancy, i was only 17 years old! Yes i was a teen mother and I will blog about that soon! Back to placenta previa; I was diagnosed during my 20 week sonogram. There are different types of placenta previa, which I will go over in detail, below. I was personally diagnosed with complete placenta previa. I never had any pain, no bleeding, or any other symptoms. My doctor recommended I avoid strenuous activities like running, lifting and exercising, bed rest at home, no sexual intercourse, tampons or douching and i also had more frequent prenatal appointments and ultrasounds. By my 7th month of pregnancy, my placenta previa had resolved! Yaaaay!

• Pregnancy #2– During my second pregnancy, at 20 years old, 2.5 years after having my first baby, I had no complications!

• Pregnancy #3- Now my third pregnancy was a completely different story! After my second pregnancy, I waited 11 years to have another baby! I still cannot believe I was brave enough to start over (again , that’s a blog for another day!) Before getting pregnant, I had a LEEP procedure in which a large part of my cervical tissue was removed. My OBGYN mentioned i may have trouble getting pregnant, if i was even able to get pregnant at all after LEEP procedure. To my surprise, a few months after my procedure, i found out i was pregnant! Yaaaay! I was oh so happy for my little miracle baby. A few weeks later, the nightmare began! I clearly remember my family and I were having dinner at a local restaurant when i felt fluid trickling down. At the time i was about 9 weeks along. During that moment i thought it was amniotic fluid. When i went to check in the restroom, it was actually blood. I initially thought i was miscarrying… I immediately panicked and called my OBGYN. I went in the following day for an ultrasound and my doctor confirmed i had partial placenta previa. I had no pain, only bleeding. The bleeding would go away and come back after a few days. I had never experienced bleeding during any of my pregnancies. My doctor gave me the same restrictions as my previous doctor with pregnancy number one. During a scan at around 32 weeks pregnant, we discovered that my placenta previa had resolved on its own! Thank God!

The most common symptoms of placenta previa are:

• Bright red bleeding from your vagina. The bleeding often starts near the second half of pregnancy. It can also start, stop, then start again a few days later.
• Mild cramping or contractions in your abdomen, belly or back.
• The amount of vaginal bleeding can vary and is often not accompanied by any pain.

There are different forms of placenta previa:

• Marginal: The placenta is next to the cervix but does not cover the opening.
• Partial: The placenta covers part of the cervical opening.
• Complete: The placenta covers all of the cervical opening.

Placenta previa occurs in 1 out of 200 pregnancies. It is more common in women who have:

• An abnormally shaped uterus
• Had many pregnancies in the past
• Had multiple pregnancies, such as twins or triplets
• Scarring on the lining of the uterus due to a history of surgery, C-section, abortion or uterine fibroid removal
• In vitro fertilization
• A history of placenta previa in a previous pregnancy
• Age older than 35
• Women who smoke or use cocaine may also have an increased risk

I am by no means a professional doctor, I wrote this article to give other women hope and pass on all that I learned from my experience. Please always consult with your doctor with any health concerns. Also, please feel free to share your experience or any questions in the comments section below! Much love and best wishes.

Yours Truly

-Simply Cindy

More info/ Credit: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24211-placenta-previa