Tuesday, February 15, 2011

I've Got 99 Problems... and My Placenta is One!


Because being pregnant isn't hard enough or complicated enough on it's own, I was informed at my last Perinatologist appointment that my placenta may be covering my cervix. Yes, that's right... I might just have placenta previa. And I was told this during my bi-weekly appointment to monitor my Protein S/Factor V Thrombosis condition (that's what caused the mini-strokes last times around). Becasue really - I don't have enough going on to worry about?

Reading this, you are probably thinking that I'm a hot mess. And in many areas of my life, I really am : ) But not usually when it comes to my health! I've always been super healthy (minus my constant weight battle) with no issues to speak of until I became pregnant. Now it's like a new condition pops up every week. Since I got the news about my less-than-perfect placenta, I've pretty much blocked it out of my consciousness. I'm thinking I can will it away if I just don't think about it. Of course I know it's not that simple, but there is actually a really good chance the sucker will move on it's own and all will be well in my womb again. According to the #1 medical resource - Google, of course - it moves to a better position (basically, anywhere but over the cervix) in the majority of people. So that is what I'm praying for. I have an ultrasound on Thursday morning, and I'm hoping the placenta moved so far away from my cervix that it is like it was never even there.

When they first told me about the position of the placenta, I thought - Who cares? I'm having another C-section anyway! (Placenta Previa would make a vaginal birth near impossible). But it's not as simple as that. I guess having Placenta Previa can cause excessive pre-term bleeding, enough to put both mother and baby at risk. And combined with my twice-daily Heparin (blood thinner) injections, that could mean a lot of blood exiting my body very quickly. I got a paper cut the other day and it bled as though I had cut my finger off. Heparin is no joke. But, like I said before, I'm really trying not to think about it because I'm confident it will resolve on it's own.

Anyway... another day, another bump in the road. But I'm feeling good that this one is just a little pothole, rather than a full on red light. I'll keep you posted!