On the week 26 of pregnancy, my wife was hospitalized due to vaginal haemorrhage. Few weeks before then, our obstetrician told us that she has a condition called placenta previa (PP) after reviewing the ultrasound report. In ideal pregnancy, the placenta is inserted into upper uterine segment, giving a safe space for child birthing. In PP condition however, the placenta overlies the lower segment which causes pregnancy a risky business.
“Don’t worry too much, the placenta might shift upward in the 3rd trimester” said our obstetrician. Our hope turned into a nightmare on 26/11/13 when my wife noticed several large drops of blood clot in toilet. We rushed to hospital immediately and I took a week off from work. Thanks goodness the foetus’s heartbeat was strong and steady. After several injections later, she was advised to quit working and there’s a chance she would need to deliver the baby prematurely via caesarean delivery should the bleeding continues.
Instead of moving up, the placenta shifted down completely blocking the cervix.
I have accepted the fact that pregnancy is extremely risky. We can do everything right but things can still go a wrong way. The risk factors for PP have been identified as followed:
-Having previous caesarean delivery
-Smoking and drinking during pregnancy
-Women who are under 20 and over 35
My wife has none of them. She takes multivitamin regularly as specified by GP, doesn’t do strenuous work (she works in office) and as far as I can see, she lives a fairly healthy life style. On the other hand, I know a lady who did physical work for living (lifting chicken tubs, slicing hams, serving customers on her feet) and still managed to go through pregnancy without a slightest complication.
Following my wife hospitalization, seeing a healthy baby often makes me smile. I silently congratulate their parents and wish them all the best with parenthood. I never ever take a smooth pregnancy journey as granted anymore. Every passing day without bleeding is a good day. I hope it’s not much to ask to have my daughter delivered safely and healthy at full term pregnancy.
Hendra Makgawinata
Sydney, 01/12/2013