QuestionI had an abnormal Ultrasound where they found my placenta is covering my birthcanal and or it may be a partial planenta. The doctor has already ordered another ultrasound in two weeks. In the meantime should I be concerned of anything in the near and far future trhroughout my pregnancy? My due date is June 11, 2005 and this will be my fourth C-Section. I also have a vertical split from having an exploritory surgery to remove my appendix years ago.
I would appreciate any info. you can give me.
Thanks,
Maria Mcdonald
AnswerIf you are now around 23 weeks pregnant, and a sonogram showed evidence of a placenta previa, you have to be aware of any vaginal bleeding. Often, the placenta grows away from covering the cervical os and, when they repeat the sonogram in a few weeks, there will no longer be any placenta previa. However, if the placenta continues to cover the cervical os, you will definitely have to have a repeat cesarean section. There is a risk of bleeding before going into labor, and, if you do bleed heavily, you may have to be delivered earlier than your due date. If you already had three cesarean sections, I would suspect that you are going to have another one in any event. There is also a risk of "placenta acreta" where the placenta is difficult to remove from the uterus. That, sometimes,requires the performance of a hysterectomy at the time of the cesarean section. Discuss all of this with your obstetrician. Good Luck.
