Placenta Previa

That's what I have. After a series of anxiety-inducing events throughout what seems my entire pregnancy so far (and even pre-pregnancy), I found out yesterday that I have complete placenta previa. I've had cramping and spotting several times over the last few months which was thought to be from some earlier discovered subchorionic hematomas, but after it happening again this week my doctor sent me for another ultrasound yesterday which revealed the previa.

Ugh. Again, this pregnancy has been a surprisingly rough road for me. So where do we go from here? I'm not absolutely certain. I'll probably know more once I hear back from my doctor on Friday. Thankfully, even though they were about to send me away from the imaging center without any information, I asked to speak to the radiologist who explained to me what was going on. He was encouraging and explained - as I've now read more about - that this generally poses no risk to the baby and that most women are able to carry to full term. What it most likely means for me is that I'll have to be monitored closely, especially in my last weeks of pregnancy, and then will most likely end up having a c-section. Obviously, the baby can't be delivered through the placenta and in fact, once I go into labor, it will be extremely important that I get to the hospital quickly in order to prevent any hemorrhaging.

I want to talk to my doctor about the exact placement of the placenta over my cervix. I found some interesting data that said about 90% of women found with previa early in their second trimester end up delivering normally because the placenta tends to move up as the uterus grows. This is more common in women with partial previa though... so we'll just wait and see. In the mean time, I have these very disconcerting symptoms but am extremely grateful to see that the baby is still doing well and is healthy. As difficult as it is to take it easy with three little ones, that is pretty much what's in order for me over the next 6 months or so. No more Jazzercise (which I've only tried once and it sort of started all of this off this week), sweet 30 lb Xochi will be moved to her toddler bed so I don't have to lift her as much, lots of sitting around on the couch cuddling, reading, knitting, etc. It's only temporary. I am thankful for my friends who have reminded me of this and so I keep repeating it to myself. Just for a season...

I also wanted you all to know that if you don't see me around this space much, this is probably why. All of this has been very emotional for me and when I feel overwhelmed and emotional I tend to pull in. And for now, "in" feels like the best place to be. Pulling my children, my husband and the Lord a little closer and resting in the peace that they bring. Steele and Adia have been especially sweet blessings - there have been more than several occasions when I've been on the couch or my bed (or the kitchen floor) crying and discouraged and they have literally wiped my tears, patted my arm or my head, kissed me and told me they love me. My prayer is that even through the tears, that they would see God's faithfulness and perfect plan for our family.

Admittedly, this little baby has brought so much adventure into our lives already... I'm a little nervous to see what will happen when he/she actually arrives! (we tried to see gender yesterday but it's still a little early... I'll let you know though!)