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Marginal Placenta Previa at 30 weeks, any suggestions?

8.2K views 5 replies 5 participants last post by  MeepyCat  
#1 ·
I was told that I had a marginal previa at my 20 week u/s and that my placenta was around 1cm from the os and it needs to be at least 2cm away for a vaginal delivery. I went back at 26 weeks and it had barely moved, at 30 weeks it was 1.2cm away.

I have had no bleeding at all and the m/w group I am seeing says there really is nothing I can do (they are hospital m/w and are more medically minded). I am going to acupuncture weekly and started drinking RRL tea 2x a day (not sure if that actually will do anything, but it can't hurt overall).

Is there anything I can do/take to help it move?
What are the odds that it will move? I am beginning to have serious anxiety because I really don't want a c-section.

I am 32 weeks right now and go back for another u/s in 2 weeks - any advice for this nervous mama would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
 
#2 ·
It's the growth of the uterus which makes it move, so there isn't much that you can do to make that happen, besides making sure that you have enough calories to ensure normal baby growth. I will say something reassuring, though -- you can expect a lot more movement between 30 and 40 weeks than you did between 20 and 30 weeks.
 
#3 ·
I know I had it at 20 weeks. They didn't do another u/s on me until I was like 36 or 37 weeks, I think. They did for my age for NST testing, and it had moved by then. So my OB didn't even really show concern. I wouldn't worry until like 35 weeks or after. Like pp said, you will have more growth later, they did u/s every week after I hit 36 weeks and the baby and I grew a lot in those few weeks.

I have it again, I am only 13 weeks, and the new high risk doctor I went to see for the NT u/s made a big deal about it and I just told him it happened with my first and I was not worried yet.
 
#4 ·
I had this with my last pregnancy. They discovered it at my 20wk u/s and had me go back in at 28 weeks, which I've since decided was extremely unnecessary, in retrospect, because like others said, your uterus grows, yes, but not as much as it does in the last quarter of your pregnancy. It hadn't moved enough at 28 weeks, so they had me go back in at 34 weeks, and lo and behold, it had moved enough.

I'd ask to push back your next u/s to as late as possible in your pregnancy and if they're being picky about it and still say it's too close, go in every week until you deliver to see if it's far away enough. I'm not big on frequent u/s in pregnancy, but if it'll help you avoid a cesarean? Yeah! But do try and push that next u/s back as far as you can. Definitely have another one, but the later in your pg the better.
 
#5 ·
Thanks for the feedback everyone - I have a m/w appoint on Thursday and I am going to talk about pushing the next u/s back to at least 36 weeks. I know they will let me go as late as possible before scheduling a c-section, but the u/s tech and the stupid doctor at the hospital told me that it "gets so hard to measure further along so the 34 week will probably be your last u/s." I'm NOT letting someone cut me open to make their job easier though and I will definitely insist on getting an u/s up until the last possible second.
 
#6 ·
I'd recommend *against* the red raspberry leaf tea for you, actually.

RRL tea can stimulate uterine contractions. The last thing you want with a previa of any kind is uterine contractions. Contractions lead to cervical dilation which can lead to irritation of the placenta which can lead to bleeding which, if it happens now, is your ticket to an emergency c-section and some time in the NICU.

My advice to anyone with any kind of previa is that the longer you stay pregnant, the more likely the problem is to go away. Until you know the previa is clear, you want to avoid anything that might irritate the uterus or the cervix. Stay hydrated, make sure you're peeing enough (full bladders also stimulate contractions, so do UTIs), and insist on rechecking those ultrasounds with the fancy machines in MFM, not the beat up ones on the L&D unit.