IVF Pregnancy Information

1. elizabeth
   
   

   Gretch,
   Your in the home stretch now! Bed rest is tough. I spent 8 weeks in the hospital wile pregnant with my, now, 16 month old son. It was tough, but now such a SMALL blip on my radar.

   bolajing,
   I don't remember what week I was diagnosed with VP. I do know it was at my very first scan at the peri's office. One of the first "growth scan's." Maybe when they are looking for Downs markers. I can't exactly remember, but it was early. I had to wait a long time to get to 28 weeks (which was when I was admitted into the hospital.)

   Catherine

3. bolajing
   
   

   G-- i went to the dr on thursday and the dr said the cord is up high not by the cervix. so i guess that is good. i go to high risk on wed to check the vasa as well as the previa. I started p-17 shots saturday for preterm labor but they also think it will help calm the uterus and i wont get as many SCH. i already had 3 this preg. I aqm hoping for some good news. my due date is so far away. feb 24, 2010
   I was watching this thing on tv and this girl had VASA she was passing clots and they ended up taking the baby at 34 weeks. I am fine with a scenario like that. i go to a level 3 hospital with a great NICU. I am just afraid of delvering bedfore the 28 weeks mark. following your stories is making me feel better. bedrest i see now is not a option. my mom is borrowing a wheel chair from a friend so I can go the store once in a while to get out. I have a feeling in the next 3 weeks. i will be completely homebound.

   well ill keep u updated I ma gonna sk more about the cord and stuff on wed..

   baby girl 16w5d

4. sannino
   
   

   Had a sono, NST and ob check yesterday.... Babies passed NST with flying colors, looked fine and each weigh about 5 lbs - so that is good news. VCI still detected - but still not vasa previa. I will be 35 wks tomorrow.

   OB tells me I am 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced - so I'm giving it 2 more weeks at the most.

   Here is my question: OB told me yesterday I could deliver vaginally if I choose to. I don't think I am comfortable with that in case of any complications with the VCI - although I had an easy and fast delivery with DD. I spoke with peri who also said vaginal was an option - but understood my concerns and said she would probably recommend a c-section. Am I being overly cautious? Are there risks associated with VCI and vaginal delivery or I am just being silly? Any insight appreciated.

   Meanwhile - I am still on the couch and baby A is so low that the sonogram person asked me how I was even walking. It does feel like a watermelon is lodged in my pelvis... Having sporadic contractions and feel like delivery (one way or the other!) is not far off.

   bolajing - hope you are hanging in there - glad vasa previa is not a concern.

   elizabeth - I hope bed rest is but a fleeting memory in the near future.... not that I could do much physically even if I wanted to at this point!

   G

5. lykartem
   
   

   G - you could go to 41w being 50% and 1cm!!! Some people I know have walked around dilated for weeks and ended up being induced. Lots of people too have been to the ob in the morning being 0% 0cm and delivered that night. It's a mystery that drs haven't figured out yet!!!

   With twins though I would say anytime now as they consider them full term at 38w. I can't really give you an objective opinion about the vaginal v. c section as I am pro-c when there are complications and any risk to a baby. With twins, sometimes baby A is vaginal and the baby B ends up a c-section and that is not what you want to have happen.

   VCI is still a big issue. Those little vessels are spider webbed over the placenta and have no protection from the pressure of squeezing into the birth canal. They could easily tear and the baby would start to lose blood. The blood may not find a way out because the head is blocking the opening but they could tell something was wrong from the monitor - heart rate would drop. In such a case they would deliver you asap if you were able to push right away or they would wisk you away for an emergency c-section perhaps under general anesthesia depending on the status of your epidural if you have one of those.

   If it were me, I would opt for the scheduled c-section in a controlled environment with a spinal. I've done the un-scheduled one with my first DS and it was pretty rough. The 2nd one with the twins was scheduled and was much more calm and I had a spinal instead of the epidural.

6. sannino
   
   

   Definitely leaning toward c-section. I do have one scheduled for 10/8 - though my ob told me he did not believe I would go that long... My guess is it will not be "planned" section.

   If I remember I was 1 cm with my daughter for less than 2 weeks - so that is what I am basing my guess on... Will keep you posted!

7. lykartem
   
   

   Any updates? Thinking of you.......

8. sannino
   
   

   Still here... Just back from sono/NST where both babies looked fine and peri said if I were to give birth now all should be okay.

   Contracting sporadically and still hoping for 2 healthy boys before 10/8.

   Thanks for checking in!

9. bilm
   
   

   Thats fab, some great news at last.

   Not long now!

   Diane

10. evi_is
    
    

    Great news!!! Less than 2 weeks to go!

    Hi Diane.

    Marie

11. lykartem
    
    

    You still at home? Hanging in there? When do you go back?

12. sannino
    
    

    Still home, on modified bed rest - mom came into town this wknd to help out (thank goodness!). Go back tomorrow for NST and sono and OB on Wednesday. Still hoping to deliver sooner rather than later - I am miserable - but glad babies seem healthy. Thanks so much for all the support... Will post tomorrow.

13. rewebis
    
    

    Hi,
    Hoping I can barge in here with a question or two. I just got back from my 20 week anatomy scan. I'm having twins and the babies are right on target. However, the doctor came in after the vaginal u/s to say that baby A has vasa previa. She wanted me back in 4 weeks and will "monitor me closely." I got the impression that she had not dealt with vasa previa too much because she couldn't answer many questions. She said things could "correct themselves" but she had never heard of anyone doing bedrest.

    I live in the NY area and am inclined to look into moving to or getting a second opinion from a high risk doctor who has experience with VP. Are there doctors who know a lot about it? i was not anticipating this at all and want to get a handle on what's happening and shift obs and hospitals since I have the ability to go to a level IV NICU easily.

    Any advice/ideas would be greatly appreciated....

    Thanks

    -e

14. sannino
    
    

    I would most definitely seek a 2nd opinion from a high risk doctor. Vasa previa needs to be definitively diagnosed and monitored closely. You could risk the life of baby A if you are not diagnosed properly. You need to get a sonogram using color doppler to find the exact location of the cord...If you do have vasa previa and your water broke or you went into labor there is a chance that the cord could break and the baby could bleed out faster than you could get to the hospital.

    Please look back through this thread and read the advice given and seek out the International Vasa Previa group for more info....

    Keep us posted!! Find another doc ASAP.

    G

15. lykartem
    
    

    Oh rewebis, please run to another doctor ASAP. Not handled properly vasa previa has a nearly 100% fatality rate.

    I had twins 2 yrs ago and baby A had it. YOU WILL NEED A C-SECTION NO LATER THAN 35 WEEKS AND YOU NEED TO BE IN THE HOSPITAL AT 30 WEEKS.

16. rewebis
    
    

    Thanks for the responses. I ended up talking to my own OB yesterday (she's not the Doctor who reviewed the ultrasound initially). She seemed skeptical about the diagosnis at all and said she wants it redone in a month. Also, that "maybe it'll move." She also talked about getting a second opinion done later.

    She did however say, that if it is VP she wants me in the hospital. In the meantime, don't exert myself, no sex...

    So, it sounds like she's giving the right answers for now but I worry about how much I will trust a second ultrasound from the same hospital that shows different results.

    I am trying to get a second opinion on my own and am realizing that it may not be that easy since they seem to not want to take on a patient who is beyond a certain number of weeks. I am at 20 right now

    Anyone had any experience with this?

17. lykartem
    
    

    e - you can get a 2nd opinion consult with a high risk ob/peri and still see your regular ob. Did they use a color doppler u/s machine on you? Must use a color one to be able to see the blood flow crossing the cervical os. Not a high chance of the placenta moving far enough away at this point. Possible but not likely.

    Your dr has probably never heard of bedrest because most cases are not diagnosed prior to delivery. Most are diagnosed after the baby is born and has died. Then they say it was VP and possibly even velementous cord insertion (VCI). VCI in conjunction with VP is very common.

    The nurses on the L&D floor had never had a person in there diagnosed ahead of time. They had only heard of VP after a stillbirth. I held a seminar for the nurses and showed them diagrams, etc.

    Two years ago we could not find a single medical journal article that said how to manage VP in a twin pregnancy. Since a majority of twins come before 37w anyway you have to be prepared and in the hospital around 30w to have emergency c-section in case you go into labor or your water breaks. I made a deal with all of the nurses that I would not push the call button for stupid stuff like ice. If I pushed the button it meant prep the OR and come & get me.

18. rewebis
    
    

    thanks 64. Would the peri then be someone affilitated with the same hospital as my OB? Sounds like I should ask my regular OB for that refferal?

    I think I feel safe waiting for 4 weeks because I am not at the point of viability yet anyway. But I'm getting confused and feel a little frustrated because I have no idea how to navigate the system. I guess I just need to be pushing to make sure I get all the right answers. Maybe I am naive to think that because I am in NYC I should be able to find someone who has some experience with this. From what you are saying it sounds like it so rarely diagnosed ahead of time that there are few people who actually have "managed" a VP pregnancy. I know that when I called other doctors today I had to spell "vasa" for the woman who answered the phone because she thought I was referring to "placenta."

    I did have a color doppler but I am so overwhelmed by looking at the ultrasounds I have no idea what it showed. My husand told me he "followed it." I am going to make sure he comes with me to the any other appointments!

    Thanks for your input.

19. lykartem
    
    

    e - these people are the experts on VP and will help you navigate the system.
    vasaprevia.org Check out their forums - mid way down the home page.

    You can see any peri you want w/o regard to the ob's hospital. It is likely that the peri will do his/her own u/s right there in the office to see for him/herself if you have VP or not. He can make recommendations to your ob and instruct on how to manage your case.

    4 more weeks should be no problem. By 4 weeks after that though you will need to have a clear plan of action with hospital bedrest at 28-30w - even if your cervix looks awesome. You cannot bedrest at home even if you live next door to the hospital. Baby A can bleed out in the time it takes to get to the hospital. They have a small volume to begin with so it can be gone completely in less than 2 minutes. While I was in the hospital I was not even allowed to leave the L&D floor in case something happened. 4 weeks inside was brutal. I did get to go with a nurse on a smoke break once but that was it.

20. rewebis
    
    

    Hi 64, Thanks for your help.

    I think I must be saying something wrong when I call these high-risk (which I think is the same as a peri?) doctors. No one will even see me because they say it's too late in my pregnancy. Or do I just have to keep calling different people? I was trying to work with highly recommended people and now I worry that I'll just be calling off a list of doctors.

    I've been posting on the vasaprevia.org site as well and everyone keeps telling me, yes, to go get a second opinion at a peri. If someone would see me I would gladly go!

    I thought maybe there was a list of doctors who had experience with VP but I guess there isn't because it's so uncommon.

    Feel like I am in the twilight zone and totally confused and upset at this point.

21. lykartem
    
    

    Please post on the VP org site and tell them that you need a peri in NYC who will just do a consult/2nd opinion. There are drs on the board of that org so maybe one of them is in NYC and will see you. DO NOT GIVE UP.

22. rewebis
    
    

    Thanks. I just heard back from them and talked to someone there.

    Also got an appointment with a peri for next week.

    I'm sure I'm driving you crazy. Thanks for listening!

23. bilm
    
    

    Hi Gretch

    Just wanted to wish you all the best for the 8th, if something hasn't happened before then!

    Diane x

    Hi Marie !

24. sannino
    
    

    Boys arrived last Wednesday, 9/30...

    Graham Benson was 5lbs 7oz and 18"

    Holden Pierce was 5lbs 14oz and 18.5"

    Graham spent some time in the NICU with breathing issues -but is home and doing well.

    Holden has been losing weight a little too rapidly and being watched by pediatrician daily.

    Overall - we are all doing well.

    Tired!!

25. bilm
    
    

    Hi sannino

    Thats great news, congratulations.

    I hope that Holden gains weight soon.

    Yes I remember that tired feeling only too well!!

    Diane x

26. lykartem
    
    

    Congratulations!!! Those are great weights. So glad the boys are home with you. Mine were 35w1d & weighed 5.11 & 5.9 and spent 12 & 10 days in the NICU.

    You had a c-section, right? Did the drs have anything to say about the placenta? VP? VCI?

    So glad you are on the other side of this. Whew!

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