Two days ago, I had a 2nd bleeding episode. And again, I'm talking about bright red blood and the amount that you would find during your "friend's" monthly visit. I didn't have any other symptoms just the bleeding. So, I went to the ER yet again.
Before I continue, let me back up a little....One week prior I had an appt. with my new Dr. She delivered my son and I was thrilled to find out that she rejoined the hospital after a long leave of absence. Just that one appt. with her made me feel a thousand times better about everything. She's awesome. She did a quick ultrasound in her clinic to check things out and informed me within 2 seconds that I have a low lying placenta and that is the cause for bleeding. Hello, previous hospital...Hello, previous doctors...Why, did you all not tell me this. It's not the best news, but it's not the worst. And it at least calms a nervous Mama down. Answers people. That's all we patients are asking for.
Because of this low lying placenta of mine and my previous preterm experience my Dr. has me taking progesterone suppositories twice a day. Studies have shown that progesterone can help prevent preterm birth. My Dr. also suggested that I not work and was willing to write me a sick leave. But after some discussion we agreed on light work duty for now instead. And btw, my school actually worked with me on this and reduced my classes (which is a good thing, because had they not I would've taken my Dr. up on her full sick leave idea). She also told me that I need plenty of rest and no stress. She will see me next month and also had me schedule an official ultrasound right before my next appt. with her.
Fast forward to my 2nd bleeding episode two days ago...At the ER (and btw, the hospital I transferred to has it's own maternity ER with an OB/GYN always on duty and nurses who are experienced in this field), I was asked some questions and looked at. The Dr. did not want to do any internal exams of any kind as it could disrupt things. By this point the bleeding had slowed down to only light spotting. She checked the baby's heartbeat which was good. And sent me to have an ultrasound. The good news is that the ultrasound showed that baby is good. He/she's moving, and has a good heartbeat. My cervix is also good. The bad news is that they saw a small detachment of the placenta and some blood, which is why I'm experiencing the bleeding. They told me that while this is not normal, it does sometimes happen. I was then sent back to the ER Dr. who wrote me a sick leave for the next day. She told me to rest and take it easy until the bleeding stops. She informed me that I need to be careful as I have two problems right now; a low placenta and a small detachment. She also reminded me that I should not forget that my son was preterm which in itself puts me at a higher risk. What fun (I'm being totally sarcastic of course).
When I came home, I of course had to do a little placenta research. First of all, if you don't know what a placenta is, I'll tell you. It's an organ that will start to develop and grow once the egg is implanted. It is very important as it supplies nutrients and oxygen to your baby. Here's a picture:
When a woman is diagnosed with a low lying placenta earlier in pregnancy, such as myself, it's not immediate cause for concern. That's because as the uterus grows, the placenta can grow with and move up. But if it does not, than a woman may be diagnosed with placenta previa. This is when the placenta is so low that it touches or fully covers the cervix (the opening where baby will come through). My Dr. has not used this term for me yet, so I'm hopeful that there's a chance it can shift up before delivery. If a woman has placenta previa, she will be monitored closely and most often the baby will need to be delivered via C-section (because the opening will be blocked and baby will not have a place to come out).
I am a bit concerned about this small detachment business though. That's because if the placenta detaches from the uterus, serious problems can occur. Babies have died from this (because their nutrients have been cut off). And the mother can experience serious bleeding. However, in these causes, the problem was undetected and therefore proper care and action was not able to be taken. In my case, we can see through ultrasound that there's a small detachment so we can closely monitor it (I should maybe be thankful for the bleeding as it was a sign that something's going on). In some cases, it may resolve itself. If not, I would end up on bedrest, as we try to prolong the pregnancy as long as possible. And for my family members who read this, do not worry, as my problem has not reached this point and there's a chance it never will. I just like to be aware and prepare myself, just in case. After getting worried myself (darn internet that has way too much info), I found this question and answer that helped ease my concerns a bit.
So, after all this crazy fun bag full of news, and a lot of built up worry, I had my big cry yesterday. Yep, I just let it all out, in the shower. My tears may have been more than the water coming from the showerhead. But let me tell you that a good cry does a lot of good. I felt much, MUCH better afterwards. I just have to except that my body is not good at being pregnant and that I will have to deal with these weird things. Hey, it could be A LOT worse. The good news is that so far the bleeding has stopped. And I will be seeing my Dr in 2-3 weeks. I already have my next ultrasound scheduled too. I'm going to a good hospital and feel that I'm in good hands.
But honestly, I have this gut feeling that this baby may come early too. I hope I'm wrong. But I won't be surprised. So, I'm going to get cracking on this baby list of things that I need and be ready. I also plan to pack a hospital bag for myself from now. With these kinds of complications you never know when a trip to the ER can result in an overnight observation stay. And let's face it, hospital gowns are pretty ugly. I want some cute PJ's at least. ;)
And finally, let me just say that I never thought I'd talk this much about placentas. Just sayin...
image via wikipedia
