Bodhi chose his own birthday ;)

I discovered I was pregnant with our third child pretty early on, it was a bit of a surprise ( massive, huge shock)
Our second child, who took almost 5 years to conceive, was only 4 months old. Once I had my head around being pregnant again, I began to get excited about being able to try for a vba2c.
Everything went along as normal, I had minimal morning sickness and most of the time, forgot I was even pregnant!
Then I had my 20 wk morphology scan.
The ultrasound tech said the placenta was anterior... It was over my old scar...it was also very low...you will need to speak to your doctor...
First appointment at the hospital, I am greeted by a reg. Who is taking over for the consultant that I was supposed to be seeing (was told she is very pro vbac)
First thing she says is that a vbac won't be happening...I was on the defensive straight away but then she told me the results of the scan.
The placenta had positioned itself just over the OS, it was also over my cs scar, they were worried that I could have something called Accreta...the signs were there...more scans would be needed...possibly an MRI
My heart dropped...I had previously never heard about it, had only recently found out about it during my research into vbac.
It's when the placenta embeds itself abnormally into the uterine wall, meaning once the baby is born it won't come out on its own, usually leading to massive bleeding and many other horrible things that I didn't even want to think about right then.
I gulped my fear down and asked questions, yes, I knew what it was, so what now?
Ob looked uncomfortable and said bub would probably be delivered at around 34-35 wks. I'd probably need a hysterectomy, there was a possibility I could die.would probably end up in ICU needing huge amounts of blood transfusions..bub could die, would definitely need nicu...
I held it together until I got in the car, then I lost it, sobbing uncontrollably all the way home.
I rang my mum, she calmed me down, said she would do anything I needed no matter what happened.
I got online, I did some research and scared myself stupid reading about increta ( where it extends beyond the uterine lining) and percteta ( the worst one, where it invades organs, usually the bladder or bowel)
Placenta previa in itself can be scary enough...but with this on top...I was a mess.
I read that the first bleed usually occurs around 24-26wks.. Funnily enough, DF and I DTD easter Friday, I woke up easter Saturday and went to make coffee, I felt dripping down my leg, went to the toilet and omg, blood...bang on 24wks...here I was bleeding my heart was racing, I rang the hospital, they said put a pad on and come on down.
They admitted me and said I'd be there 24-48 hrs for observation.. I discharged myself after a few hours,it was obvious that I wasn't bleeding anymore. It was easter Sunday the next day, I was not going to be in hospital for it, I wanted to be with my boys.
Next ob appointment, I saw a mw who said I was to be on complete pelvic rest, no sex, no lifting, no breastfeeding, I said I wasn't going to stop feeding my baby, I'd take that risk.
She told me that if it was up to her I'd be in hospital on bed rest until bub was born, but seeing as this hospital doesn't do that, I should go home, pack my bags and have an emergency plan in place for when ( not if) I started to hemorrhage.. If I didn't bleed then I would most likely be admitted to hospital at 36 wks (when most hemorrhages tend to occur) with the plan of delivering baby at 37 or 38wks...depending on MRI results..
My next scan was booked for 28wks, my MRI was booked for 33wks.
When I went home that day I found support groups on fb for placenta previa and accreta, there were even state groups of survivors and websites and the "hope for accreta" foundation.
Those women were my guiding lights during the whole awful experience, those who were going through it with me and those who been there and come out the other side.
Scan at 28wks showed placenta was definitely covering the OS, it wasn't moving anywhere, accreta confirmed, possibility of increta...
Saw another ob, who knew absolutely nothing about accreta, told me that it'd be a routine cs and nothing to worry about...that scared me even more...this one was another reg. She had no clue, I was still yet to meet the elusive vbac friendly ob whose care I was under.
I had since found out that she was highly recommended among the accreta survivors, she had been their surgeon or had been involved and was regarded as one of the best dealing with this condition.
At home I was still a mess, I would cry myself to sleep most nights. I started planning my funeral, I was convinced I was going to die.
I had spoken to a few people about being my emergency contacts, I had bags packed ready to go for me and each of the kids. I had notes written about their care...
I was so scared. I was utterly terrified. I was also really angry, angry at the obs who pushed and bullied me to have a cs the first time, never telling me about this risk, nor the second time that upped that risk, nor the d&cs after each miscarriage that also increased my risk...

The MRI at 33 wks showed definitely accreta, no bladder invasion, I finally saw a consultant (but not the one) who talked me through the placement of the placenta, how this affected the surgery, etc.. Bub was sitting transverse, they were hoping this would change but he was rapidly running out of room, the placentas position could be stopping him from being able to go head down.. They would try not to cut through placenta, but come in from the top, incision would be from breast bone to belly button, curving out in a funky c shape to avoid the placenta, 4 units of blood had been ordered, a cell saver to recycle my own blood back to me would be there, risk of hysterectomy was only at 2% but they really wouldn't know what they were dealing with until they got in there...
I had also been told I now had gestational diabetes, woohooo, more complications, to be honest, this was the least of my worries and was easily diet controlled.
Admission was booked for 36 weeks, only two weeks away, pre admission clinic booked to attend the next day and surgery all booked in for 37+1 (1st July)

The pre admission clinic was a joke...the anesthesitist was great, explaining the spinal and arterial lines etc that they'd be using, I negotiated with him about staying awake versus having a general, I was happy to be put to sleep but I wanted to see my baby be born first, if major repairs were needed then sure, under I go...he said he'd put it to the multidisciplinary panel for approval.
Then the ob...still not THE ob, this time a very new one, only just out of school she had no idea about any of it and freely admitted that she couldn't answer any of my questions...
Waste of time really...was told that everything would be explained when I was admitted. Not helpful.
So day of admission... DF has taken leave from work, its a Tuesday, DF does his back in begs me to stay home one more day...I ring the hospital, they are cool with this.
Wednesday afternoon we head to hospital, I felt really weird knowing I was going and staying and that my boys would be going home without me...
Hospital is boring...especially when you're just sitting around waiting.
I was on hourly then 2 hrly obs, meaning the nurses came in and did bp, temp and Doppler, how very annoying! Lol, it made sleeping quite a novel past time.
I was jabbed every night with clexane, also received steroid shot twice for bubs lungs. They expected this to mess with my bsls, but they never rose higher than 9.
I also had blood drawn for matching every 2 days...fun.
DF had come in bringing our other two children with him every day, Arlo was still having a feed when he arrived there and before he left.
I asked one of the nurses on the ward for a pump so I could express some colostrum for belly bub, in case his bsls were low and I was in an induced coma or surgery or ICU whatever, the head nurse said no, I'd need to clear it with an ob first.
Ob I spoke too didn't have an issue with it :) but I was told in no uncertain terms to stop immediately if I started having tightenings of any kind.
I pumped 15mls the first time, the ladies in the milk room were amazed lol. I did another 15mls the next day.
On Saturday I finally met THE ob! She was amazing and apologized for it taking so long to meet. She explained their plan in great detail and answered all my questions, Jason turned up just then and was able to have a chat with her too, we both felt a lot better about everything after that.
Sunday came around and I had a few visitors, which was nice, once everyone left and I'd had dinner I spoke to DF on the phone for an hour or two ( as I did every night) I was very emotional, crying my eyes out and missing being at home with my family. I remember looking in the mirror that night, thinking I should take a belly pic before Wednesday but I didn't...I went to bed and actually slept, for the first time I wasn't woken up at all by the nurses!
I woke at 7am to my breakfast being delivered, I was starving, thinking, I need to test my bsls, I'll just go to the loo first...
I did my business and wiped doing the obligatory paper check..nothing...went to was my hands and then I felt it...gush...then again, another gush, then another, I sobbed and stared at myself in the mirror, absolutely terrified... I shoved a wad of paper down my pants and yep...blood, lots of it, now soaking through my undies and running down my legs...I hobbled out to my bed and sobbed again as I pressed the nurse call button, I grabbed my phone and messaged DF..the girl next to me ( my roomie) asked if I was OK..I shakily said I think I'm having a baby today...she pulled the curtain back and asked what was wrong, I just said bleeding..
She hit the alert alarm, then it was madness, 15 people suddenly in my room, shoved on my back with my pants around my ankles, hooked up to monitors, ultra sound, doppler..syringes taking g blood, oxygen mask on...someone was trying to ring Jason, I knew he would be doing the morning routine, getting our eldest ready for school, once everyone calmed down and disappeared, I kept ringing and messaging, Jason and my mum, i also got online to the support group, they put up a post and i had women the whole world over praying for me and bub :) finally mum rang back, she would leave work immediately and be on her way to take the boys, she would keep trying Jason too...
Meanwhile I had visits from obs, explaining that yes, baby would be delivered asap, they were getting the team together, The anesthesitist came next, while he was there he had a call from the ob saying I was now contracting, this was getting urgent, ( I knew this, I could feel it! Last thing I expected was to go into labour on my own!) Jason finally rang me back and I told him to hurry up as bub was going to be born asap, get here now!!
I was stripped off, put in a gown, prepped for surgery, mum turned up looking nervous but relieved when she saw I was OK, Jason was still no where to be seen..the docs wouldn't wait any longer, I was being wheeled out the ward when he came out of the lift with the kids, thank goodness, a nurse handed him his scrubs and told him to get changed, mum took the kids and said she'd see me in recovery, I cried, I kissed my boys , Jason was back and off we went..
I was allowed to stay awake, I was able to see my newest boy as soon as he was born, he was squealling, I was overjoyed :)
Jason went over to cut the cord and was told bub wouldn't need ICU, he was breathing fine by himself and was an awesome weight of 8pound and 2ounces, he would need to be taken to scn to have his bsls tested at one hour after birth.
I was stitched up and the ob came to speak to me, explaining that everything had gone remarkably well, bub had turned head down (possibly causing or because of the contractions) so they were able to do a lscs, cutting through the placenta, but I only lost an estimated 800mls, no transfusion expected but they would test my hemoglobin later to be sure.
My placenta came away relatively easy, accreta was only focal and about the size of a fifty cent piece leaving the same sized hole in my uterus which they were able to stitch up with no problem.
In recovery bub latched and fed, I was in total amazement that it was all over, I'd been told that having another baby would be risking my life and that of the baby, but I was alive, I kept my uterus, my baby was alive and completely healthy. I couldn't have asked for a better outcome :)