Real life: “My surprise fourth pregnancy at 42 and my diagnosis with placenta praevia”

“Our daughter will be delivered via C-section due to risk of bleeding”

By Carlyie, NSW

I’m currently seven months pregnant, due in March 2024. This is my fourth pregnancy. I sadly lost my first, and my gorgeous son Jayden turned 12 on Christmas Eve. Our second son Blake turned 10 five weeks before Christmas. 

All three pregnancies were from the Clomid fertility drug. It took us four years to have Jayden. 

Last July, at age 42 I was shocked to find out that after 9.5 years we were pregnant with another child, not using Clomid.

To top of the surprise, we found out it is a beautiful little girl – the first girl to be born to my husband’s side in over 42 years!

This pregnancy has been a rollercoaster, although I’ve loved carrying her – especially over the last four months.

At nearly 23 weeks my obstetrician at the Shoalhaven Antenatal Clinic thought I may have placenta praevia. A week and a half later I attended the South Coast Ultrasound for Women Clinic at 24 weeks to confirm I did have it.

Later that day I was heading back home and I got out of my car to grab some dinner at Bomaderry Woolworths. Upon exiting I felt a big gush noticed blood running down my leg.

I had light bleeds prior from 15 weeks – which I checked out – though nothing like this. I quickly rang Shoalhaven Hospital and drove straight there arriving at the maternity department 10 minutes later and was met by a doctor and midwife.

Later that night I was transported to The Royal Women’s in Randwick. I arrived early morning on the 17th November, my second son’s 10th birthday, the poor kid. They took amazing care of me and I was in there for five weeks, leaving on the 15th December.  

As of mid-January, I am currently at home on rest and I had another scan last Friday to be told there is no change in my placenta and it is covering my cervix.

After a visit to Shoalhaven Hospital on 15th January to see the hospital obstetrician and midwife, it’s been confirmed that our daughter will be delivered by caesarean section at Wollongong hospital, due to risk of bleeding. 

While in Royal Women’s I made friends with another mum, Erin, also from the Shoalhaven, who had her baby at 33 weeks. She is now home with a healthy little boy. To have someone that could relate and to get a friend out of my Royal Women’s journey is great.

Not to mention the support from my family and friends and the great work my husband and boys did while I was nearly thee hours away. Then there is the amazing team at the Royal from the doctors, midwives, food service team and cleaning team. 

What is placenta praevia?

Placenta praevia is a condition where the placenta is lying low and may cover all or part of the cervix, your baby’s exit from your vagina.

The placenta is attached to the lining of the lower part of your uterus (womb) during pregnancy and allows for oxygen and nutrients to pass from you to your baby.

By the third trimester, the placenta usually moves up as your womb grows. But, in about 1 in every 200 pregnancies the placenta stays in the lower part of the womb.

Placenta praevia is when your placenta stays low in your uterus. If you have placenta praevia you will usually have to have a caesarean section.

According to Health Direct, some people have a higher risk of developing placenta praevia. These include:

• being over 35 years old
• having had a caesarean section in the past
• smoking or taking drugs
• having twins
• getting pregnant using fertility treatments

Placenta praevia might also happen due to scar tissue in your womb.

Most women with placenta praevia don’t have any complications. But complications can be serious and dangerous to you and your baby.

Complications can include:

• severe blood loss
• blood transfusion
• emergency caesarean
• premature birth
• hysterectomy (removal of the uterus)