Just found out I need a scheduled c/s

Hi everyone

I had an u/s today at almost 34 weeks to check on the placenta as it was low and it hasn't moved, so looks like I'm going to have a scheduled c/s instead of a vaginal birth as I'd hoped.

I'm disappointed and kind of nervous that people will think in the future that I 'opted out' by having a c/s. I know it sounds stupid, but I just kind of expected that I'd be one of the majority of people for whom it doesn't turn into placenta prevea. I've had such a perfect pregnancy and the baby is in the best position and everything!

Is there anyone else who has been through this and has something positive to say about being in this situation?

While my c-section wasn't planned it was for a different reason than yours ~ just quickly my waters broke at 31wks & bubs was born at 32wks when he stopped moving.

Initially I was upset coz it wasn't how I wanted to birth my baby. But in the end I came to the realisation that it didn't matter how my baby was born coz I had carried him & helped him grow & be healthy, & while I didn't have the birth I planned, I did end up with a healthy, albeit small, baby & that is all that is important in my eyes.

As for people thinking that you have opted out of a natural birth, I think no matter what the reason there will always be people who will think like that. In your case you have a very serious medical condition that would greatly hamper, & in fact most likely even prevent you from having a vaginal birth. And as we all know anything can happen & often does during pg, even a trouble free pg can have its own troubles towards the end.

Maybe read lots on c-sections & hopefully lots of people will respond to you & you will get some great information to help you enjoy this experience.

If you prefer a vaginal birth, I would be asking for another scan in a few weeks time. In the last trimester, the lower part of your uterus does lots of growing compared to other times so it's the time the placenta usually moves away.

I agree with Kelly. Get a scan at 38 weeks. There is still a chance that your placenta will move.

Thanks for your feedback.

Alan and Kelly - thought I'd provide some extra details and you might have more info to arm me with when I see the ob tomorrow.

Placenta is posterior and 2.3 cm away from the cervix. U/s showed cervix was a good length, etc. Baby is on my right side, head down and facing towards my spine/slightly to the left. She is measuring an average size if anything slightly smaller at this point. I haven't had any bleeding or any of the other things you're warned about with a low lying placenta. The ob told me he would like the placenta to be 4-5 cm away from the cervix for a vaginal delivery - but I'm assuming that's near the end? The placenta was 0.5 cm away from the cervix at 20 wks.

Any further thoughts? Have you known of people with this kind of thing for whom it has moved far enough out of the way? I did read that posterior was less likely to move than anterior placenta.

Thanks for your help!

Jennifer, AFAIK one of the most important factors in a safe delivery with a low lying placenta is that the babies head is below the lower edge of the placenta. If it isn't a haemorrage is much more likely.

Hi Jennifer

Yes there is still a chance that the placenta can move further away from your cervix. I suggest you get another scan at about 38 weks

Thanks Alan and Chloe for your feedback. My ob shed a little more light on the situation today.

I feel a lot better about the whole thing after talking to him. My ob agrees that we give it as long as possible to do another scan to check. I've booked one in at just past 37 weeks.

He says it's entirely likely it will still move as that section of the uterus is still growing the most (which we all know). Plus, even if it's marginal, he's more interested if they can pinpoint how close the vasa something-or-other is to the edge (it's a major blood vessel in the placenta I think?), because if that's out of the way there should only be minor blood vessels near the edge of the placenta and the risk of bleeding is reduced. He's all for me having the best chance of a normal delivery and I asked if it was marginal would we be able to discuss alternatives to a c/s like having an epidural earlier on so that if I did suddenly start bleeding there'd be no hold-up to a c/s and he said it might be an option, depending on what the scan showed. If the vasa thingumy is too close he won't chance it, but he thinks we might still be okay at this stage.

I was feeling much better by this stage and I asked him of all of the women he'd seen with low-lying placentas how many hadn't moved and he says so far I'm the first in eight years to go this far. As if that's a contest I want to win!