The doctor called this morning with results from the ultrasound. Well, the assistant called to relay her notes. She said. "Everything is measuring fine. Your placenta is a little low and the doctor has put in an order for another ultrasound in 10-weeks, she wants to watch it to see if it moves up. Until then, don't lift anything heavy, don't have intercourse and don't do anything that puts pressure on your pelvis." I heard: "Hey dumbass. Why have you been lifting weights and taking Barre class? You're pregnant and you are blowing it! Sure, she's fine. But, how is she going to get out if your placenta is blocking the exit?" I asked her to define "heavy" and to be clear what activities were off limits including: Barre, Pilates, yoga, orgasms . . . she didn't know so called me back. When she called back, I was told that "heavy" is 15 pounds, that yoga and orgasms were fine (partial win?) and that Pilates and Barre were out. Now, I doubt her and the information she provided. I've been teaching yoga for nearly 10 years and have been taking it for 20. Trust me, the movements in yoga are not too different from Barre or Pilates. Down the rabbit hole we go. I scour the internet and there is no shortage of conflicting information. What is a low-lying placenta? According to multiple sources, it simply means the placenta is near or overlapping the cervix. This is a problem because it blocks the baby's exit route and may lead to early bleeding. If it is low-lying at week 20, it is called "placenta previa." However, in 9 out of 10 cases, the placenta moves up in time to deliver the baby vaginally. What are the risks? From what i can find, if the placenta does not move up, a C-section is required. In rare cases (with a lot of bleeding) there are blood transfusions and even hysterectomies! What about exercise? This one is all over the place. Some say to "do nothing" while others encourage Pilates, yoga, swimming and walking. Now I am just confused. However, for some reason, this seems like my fault. Of the 3 likely causes (prior C-section, over 35, smoker) I only qualify for one -- and it's out of my control. I decide to talk to some friends. Here is what I learned: "You shouldn't even worry about where the placenta is until you are in your third trimester. Wait a month and then see where it sits." "I was diagnosed with this too. I was told there was nothing I could do and should just be ready for a C-section." "I had a low-lying placenta. I kept doing OTF and scaled back on hot yoga. It self-corrected by the last trimester." I call the doctor back. I don't want to do anything that is going to harm Baby T. I also don't want to take precautions based on misinformation.
I feel better and am proud of myself for digging in to this. My number one priority is to have a healthy baby. Sure, I prefer a natural birth. But, if a C-section is in my cards, I will do it with grace.
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I am:A creative thinker/problem solver/hustler. . . future mother. Archives
December 2021
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