Worrying for no real reason about the placenta... 29 weeks pregnant

[Tilly_S]

good morning
So far have reached 29+2 weeks of pregnancy and so far baby seems to be doing well... last scan was last week and baby measured on track if anything was a bit under 50th centil for weight .... anyways after a scan I am ecstatic and then I find a new worry (as we all do ...) and I'm worrying until the next scan ... so my baby has had a really quite week ... felt little jiggles and squirms but not his normal pattern of things ... this worried me greatly ... went to be monitored yest just to be safe and they said he's fine I'm just not feeling all his movements ... anyways iv talked to two diabetic woman who have had 2 still births On net mums... and it's just out the fear of god into my heart and thoughts ....
One lady said she had mostly high sugars in pregnancy but her doctors didn't seem bothered nor supportive and just upped her background insulin... they moved her induction date from 37 weeks to 39 weeks she had a scan at 36 and he was measuring very large but they still stuck to 39 weeks ... it's just so sad to hear and breaks my heart for her obviously... she hasn't had post mortem results back yet so won't know if it was the placenta failing or anything for a while yet...

Another lady had the perfect textbook diabetic pregnancy which great sugars but her daughter was born sleeping at 28 weeks last year Since talking to her iv donated to the just giving page I just cannot believe what a strong person she must be getting through this and helping others ...
she was told her daughter had passed due to placenta failure which they hadn't picked up on scans ... her last scan was at 24 weeks and she said she had been feeling a change in movements ... still movements but not as strong and not the same so she went to be monitored so be told she's fine ... her usual 4 weekly scan a few days later showed that her little girl had passed ....
iv just been reading that diabetics are on the top list of having placenta problems ... with good or bad control ... iv checked my last scan and there has been no report on the placenta function

I'm wondering if my docs would listen if I expressed my concerns and asked for 2 weekly scans and to be induced earlier than 39 weeks ?
I hope I can have this or iv got a hellish 10 weeks left I don't want to be dismissed

If these things can be missed who is to say they can't be missed again?
Am I crazy for worrying ?
My sugars are good control generally now I get a few higher ones a day but no more than 2 hours before taking action ...
do they check the placenta flow and function routinely on growth scans ?
Any advice apprecIted xxx

 

[azure]

Hi @Tilly_S

No, you're not being silly worrying. I worried about this too, and I suspect pretty much all ladies with diabetes worry too. I'd also add that stillbirth happens to women without diabetes too, so it's a general pregnancy worry.

I used to record my baby's movements. Not every single kick, but just notes so that I'mcould look,back over my records and see whether the actually was a decrease in movements. Once you've got the fear in your head, it's really hard not to,worry, and I found keeping records helped me be more objective, and also like I was doing something helpful.

You were quite right to get checked out, and never ever be afraid to phone up and get checked out again. That's what the teams are there for.

Do you know where your placenta is because that can affect how much movements are felt? Remember too that it will also depend whch way baby is facing.

I suggest you speak to,your consultant about your concerns. I think the frequency of scans varies. I had a growth scan every three weeks in the final weeks of pregnancy but other ladies had them every two weeks. The induction date is a balance between 'not letting things go on too long' and not delivering the baby too early which may cause other problems (babies of diabetic mums are sometimes behind in lung maturity).

What I will say is the fact that you're aware of how important monitoring baby's movements are (for every mum) suggests you'd be well-placed to spot any problem or changes.

Keep vigilant, use your intuition, but try to balance your justified concerns with keeping calm.

If you ever feel something isn't right, phone triage immediately. They have lots of calls from mums just like you and 99 times out of 100 everything is ok, but they'd still rather see you and check.

I know how stressful it is {{big hug}} xxx

 

[azure]

To answer your question about scans, my scans checked blood flow to the placenta and resistance of the blood vessels. It was a Doppler scan, I think they called it - an extra thing they did in the second half of pregnancy.

Placental function is harder to check. My consultant said there wasn't any way to spot this on a scan - which is why they recommend induction between 37 and 38'6 weeks (or earlier if concerns arise).

 

[Tilly_S]

Thankyou for the really helpful reply iv been using the kick count app which does ease my mind that's how I just knew something was diff this past week ( since after the monitoring he's been kicking away thankgod!) it's a bit confusing really all my scans have said anterior placenta ... then last week 28 week scan it said posterior ... the woman at triage said that may or just been their angle and it's not changed ... so it may still be anterior (iv got a 4d scan booked for Sunday so might have an ask then too) my baby is also breech right now but I wouldn't think that would aeffct things too much ...
I previously had a low lying placenta even at 24 weeks but at my 28 week was told it's all clear and it's not low they said they would do a internal Doppler ultrasound to look closely at the placenta at 28 weeks IF it was still low down other than that no plans for a scan to look at the placenta in detail which is what worries me ... do you think they would do this if I asked on the day of my scan at 32 weeks ? (3 weeks time) i have my next consultant next Thursday is it worth asking then pre scan? If so sorry to sound so simple what exactly would I need to ask for ? My doc is forgein so often gets confused at my concerns or requests ... so if I said can we check the placenta on the scan he would just say yes we will do (meaning ultrasound only) but yes wouldn't really know what to ask for ... ideally I would feel more comfortable having scans to check baby and placenta two weekly ( they are going to be monthly so 32,36 weeks ) this is defiantly going to cause me massive worries
I'm so glad I'm not just crazy and it is a common concern
I just feel like 39 weeks is too far for me too go and I just wouldn't feel comfortable with that now looking into complications that can arise with placenta not just baby... is it possible to request an earlier induction do you know ... I just feel like I would be dismissed ... personal question when did you ask for induction / when would you be asking for one ? Xxx

 

[azure]

An anterior placenta can make kicks harder to feel (because it's like a cushion between you and baby). I had an anterior placenta and definitely found that to be true. My baby was normally head down but he did turn breech one week and I noticed the difference in movements.

Just to give my experience and show that placenta and baby's position do make a difference. That's why it's important to learn your baby's patterns, as you're doing with 'count the kicks'

There's no foolproof way that someone can scan the placenta and give a definite All Clear for placental failure/insufficiency. I asked my consultant that because I wanted to go on as long as possible before induction. So that's why I got induced early as the vast majority of ladies here do.

The scan I had to check placental blood flow was called a Doppler (NB - different from the Doppler heartbeat monitors you can buy online for listening to your baby's heartbeat at home ) It checked blood flow to the placenta and also gave an idea of the health of the main placenta-serving blood vessels by checking their resistance. I got two 'scores' on my ultrasound print out.

Ask specifically about this scan. It was done at the same time as my normal growth scan.

Don't ever think you're worrying unnecessarily. You're being very wise monitoring kicks. Remember most times a check shows all is well, but you should always ask for medical input if you have any concerns whatsoever