Hi! Hey, its great that you've been diagnosed with velamentous cord insertion. It wasn't that long ago that this was very seldom diagnosed, especially in Australia. VCI is not automatically vasa previa though. However, you really need to be scanned with transvaginal color doppler ultrasound to rule out vasa previa. Vasa previa is a condition where those velamentous vessels cross the cervix. In this case the baby cannot be born without breaking them and bleeding to death during or even before birth. While the placenta can remodel and "move", the vessels themselves do not have the ability to do this. VCI by itself is not automaticaly a dangerous condition, but vasa previa is! If you do have vessels crossing the cervix you will need to be hospitalized during the last trimester (usually this is done around 30-32 weeks) and be delivered via C-section at about 35-36 weeks. With this management nearly 100% of vp babies survive. Without it, almost 95% of them die. So, you see, this diagnosis is a very good thing. But be sure that they do that transvaginal scan. The transvaginal part is important because at your stage of pregnancy they cannot get a good enough view of the cervix without it to rule out vp. The hospitalization is important if you have vp too, because if those vessels rupture your baby will have to be delivered immediately and given blood transfusions. Babies that rupture at home do not survive. Mine is one that didn't. But I was not blessed with the gift of diagnosis.
I too was planning to have a natural birth - at home even. I didn't even go into labor. I don't advocate hospital births for anyone except those that want them or need them. Vasa previa cases must be delivered by C-section though. These babies just don't survive otherwise. There are a handful of cases that have, but not many!
As disheartening as it is to have this sort of complication, vasa previa is one condition you definitely want to know about. Knowledge is power though and the more you know about vp, the better. I work with the International Vasa Previa Foundation and have seen some 2000 cases come across my desk in the last 5 years. You've been handed a gift. The most precious one you will ever receive. I've included links to more information below. There are lots of stories of vasa previa babies on the IVPF website (below) and also, lots of people who've experienced vasa previa or are currently expecting vp babies in the email group listed below. All the best to you! Feel free to contact me if you want.
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