Placenta accreta diagnosis at 20 weeks

[daniellems28]

At my follow up visit to the doctor after my 20 week ultrasound, they had trouble finding the heartbeat, so went for another quick u/s to find it. All was well, 152 pbm. But, then the doctor looked so perplexed staring at that machine and stated something to the fact that I had placenta accreta/increta, which is when the placenta attaches itself to the uterine wall, and to scar tissue from prior c-sections. I am pregnant with my third child in that many years, with two prior c-sections. The doctor said there was really nothing to worry about it and they were not going to check it again until 36 weeks. I am looking up some information off of the internet, and it seems like I should be worried about this! I am only 28 years old, and want one more child, and am scared to death about having to have a hysterectomy. There isn't too much information about rates of delivery without the need for a hysterectomy and I am really scared. My next appointment isn't until January 20th, please help! Thank you.

[coachjodi]

Hi! Strange that your doctor would say that there isn't anything to worry about. I would definitly have that conversation with him again, not because you or your baby are in danger right now but because if you do indeed have an accreta, you need to be prepared for it at birth. I'm surprised that he diagnosed you with accretta via ultrasound since it is extremely difficult to detect that way. Hopefully your doctor will do an MRI at around 32 weeks to detect the extent of the accreta. There are options and you should definitly discuss them prior to having your baby, especially if you plan on having another one. I would get the full scoop on what he is planning to do at the time of delivery.

Please keep in touch and let us know what the plan is!!!

Jodi

[daniellems28]

Jodi-I am totally new at this kind of thing here, and I have no idea what questions I should be asking, could be asking, what should/could be done..nothing. There is really not a lot of information on the internet about this condition and I am totally frustrated. My next appointment is on the 20th, do you have any questions that might be helpful for me to ask? Thanks!

[coachjodi]

I am by no means an expert, but here are some suggestions.....first, I would ask whether he is planning to do an MRI around week 32/33 to determine the extent of the accreta; second I would ask what his birth plan is. I am assuming you plan to have another C-Section....what is he going to do to prevent hemhorraging??? Will he consult with a specialist? Is it possible to have a specialist in the room???? Can family members donate blood before hand??? Will he have blood ready to go in case you need a transfusion???? I don't think they can leave the placenta in if you are having a C-section....how does he plan to remove it????

If you plan to have another, make sure that you have a sonahistogram before you start ttc again....chances are you have and will have even more scar tissue in your uterus. you will want to get that taken care of before becoming pregnant again in order avoid this again.

Hope this helps!!!!!!

Jodi

[daniellems28]

Thanks for the information...I will definitely ask these questions at my next appointment. I do plan on having at least one more child, and this one will be delivered by c-section. I will update you on what I find out here. I am just really afraid of having to have a hysterectomy or something bad happening to me or the baby while delivering. Why am I not being seen more often to check this condition? Should I be? I don't know.

[pmciufo]

The questions Jodi gave you to ask your dr are very important. Make sure that when you leave your drs office on the 20th that you feel that he has answered them all - either with a plan of action or a plan to see how everything progresses prior to your due date. It's important for your piece of mind that you feel that your dr is doing everything he can to make you feel comfortable with your birth plan.

I had a prior placenta accreta and with my 2nd preg my dr prescribed vit C and vit E as soon as I was pregnant. He indicated that it was kind of an old wives tale that both help for a healthy placenta. Ask your dr if it wouldn't hurt to start taking these now. It made me feel that I was doing everything possible. I still ended up with an accreta but it was very slight. He was able to remove the entire placenta successfully. In my first preg, my accreta was not diagnosed and they decided to leave the entire placenta in, followed by methatrexate and antibiotics.

Really there isn't much you can do with treating the accreta itself until after delivery but an MRI prior to your due date can inform your dr on how severe the accreta may be.

Let's us know how your appt goes!

[daniellems28]

Thank you so much for your added information. I really appreciate this support board and am glad that there is somewhere that I can go for support and answers. I will definitely be getting the information that I need at this appointment. I am counting down the days to when I will be able to know what's going on with my placenta accreta.

[Christy16]

Another quick piece of advice for your doctor's appointment.

Don't be afraid to run off what you are reading on the internet and show them to the doctor. It's a good way to assess your doctor's knowledge of the subject and to point him or her in new directions in terms of diagnosis and treatment. Also, it allows a professional a chance to respond to what you're learning. I ran off articles and highlighted parts I wanted feedback from my doctor about and was reassured by the answers he gave.

Good luck,
Christy

[daniellems28]

Thanks girls for all of your information, experiences, and advice. I am looking forward to my 1:00 appointment tomorrow, and hope that I will get some reassuring answers to this issue. I am only seeing the NP, so not sure if she will be able to answer them, but here's to hoping! I also have my 1 hour glucose test tomorrow too. Hope I pass this one, because that 3 hour test is boring, plus the diet stinks!

Thanks Again! Will update as to what I find out at my appointment tomorrow night or Friday morning.

[Christy16]

So how did it go?