Placenta previa - on bedrest & depressed

Specialties Ob/Gyn

Published

Hello to all. Since I work in a CTS unit, and have no OB experience other than my clinical rotation back in school, I'd like to ask you seasoned OB nurses about something that's a major concern in my life right now. I'm 22 wks pregnant with our forth child, and they found a complete placenta previa a couple of weeks ago by US. On Thursday night I started bleeding, went to the hospital, & now - well, I don't have to tell you I'm sure, but bedrest is the doc's order. Having become a total hypocondriac since beginning nursing, I am worried about all the possibilities. From your experiences in OB, have the outcomes for patients with placenta previa been ok? I mean, do you generally see things go well and mom and baby go home healthy, or do you see more negative outcomes?

Thanks for reading.

Specializes in cardiac, diabetes, OB/GYN.

{{{}}} I too had a complete previa...I pretty much willed the darn thing to move, but alas, it would not. Bedrest ( or couch arrest, as I called it), occurred while my husband was out to sea and during the heat of the summer. It pretty much drove me nuts BUT I tried to keep myself busy with reading and the like. Course, there is only so much one can do with that. I also had friends that came over to check on me and hang out...And, I fashioned a portable toilet downstairs as mine was upstairs. Sounds gross but you know how often a pregnant person has to void. Unlike you, I didn't have any bleeding and ended up with an emergency c/s due to PIH, toxemia. Still, while watching the whole Princess Di thing unfold forever over CNN, I became quite proficient in current events, and everytime I was sure I was going to go nuts, would envision that beautiful baby that I would eventually be holding. Think of how often you can be on the boards talking to us! One friend organized more friends all over the place to put together quilt squares that they sent and we put together so I would have a memory of that time ( not that I could ever forget)..Maybe your friends and family (maybe us??) could somehow arrange to send you lots of cards and letters or fun things to keep you occupied. My nurse practitioner gave me a book all about the difficulty of bedrest. Wish I could recall the title, but there is a lot out there..One thing I recall is that if you are the one used to doing things, and if you are in any way connected to nursing, you probably are, the role changes in the family can be difficult for everyone. Take care and hang in there. The outcomes are pretty good. Not everyone has multiple episodes of bleeding either....

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Originally posted by renerian

I Had a 1.5 year old to watch. No help. WE watched tons of movies and cartoons every day

renerian

My two year old watched so much TV while I was on "sofa rest" ! Oh man! The guilt!:o

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Specializes in Anesthesia.

Here I am, day 5 of bed rest, or couch arrest as mother/baby RN put it. I'm not too wacko yet, so that's good. I will keep you all updated. It's helpful to know that I have a bunch of nurses I can talk to if I need to, you know what I mean? I go back to the doctor on Thursday, and I have so many questions for him (I made a page-long list).

Thanks again to all of you.

Lou

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Specializes in MS Home Health.

Hang in there Lou.

renerian

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No medical advice here, but you will be in my thoughts and prayers. I am currently 25 weeks and spent the last 5 weeks on "couch rest" due to early contractions. Thankfully, people (OBNURSEHEATHER) took me to my MD appts and visited me. I have never watched so much TV and so many movies!! It's pretty sad when you are excited about leaving the house just to go see the MD!! Feel free to email or PM me anytime.........I can sympathize.

Take care of yourself and that baby!!!

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Specializes in Anesthesia.

Thanks so much, Shelly. I probably will send you some emails...and I know exactly what you mean about being excited just to go to the MD's office. I am so looking forward to my appointment on Thursday. How sad!

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It should be called "couch arrest". I had PIH at week 30 with my pregnancy, and spent the next six weeks in bed. My prayers and thoughts are with you, Louise.

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I had preterm labor and had to spend 8 weeks on bedrest. It sucked because we didn't have cable at the time (ordered on day 12 of bedrest), but I made it through. My job fired me (which they paid me unemployment for doing so illegally). We lived in a strange town and I was all alone. I made it though. Yeah, I probably talked to myself more than I should have and got addicted to the Princess Di stuff too (and cheesy talk shows). But, at least I didn't have to worry about other little ones like some of you have. That would be tough.

My thoughts are with you for an uneventful ending to your pregnancy!! :D

Kristy

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Specializes in cardiac, diabetes, OB/GYN.

I hate to admit this, but as a writer I have to say I wrote a nutty PIH poem, and a few indicating how I felt on bedrest. I wouldn't say any of those little works of art made it to any poet laureate place, but unknown to me at the time, all those things I wrote and sent on bedrest (including drawings, since I am also an artist), were sent to my friends and co workers who PUT THEM ON THEIR OWN LITTLE BULLETIN BOARD, to the great entertainment of everyone there, nurses and docs alike...7 years later I still get personal requests....Maybe I will share them with you if you are brave enough....Of course, one of them was aptly named, Couch Arrest.....Hang in there, or else I will be forced to provide such a collection for all you "bedrest babes." out there! :)

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Specializes in cardiac, diabetes, OB/GYN.

Any of you brave interested souls, feel free to PM me with your individual accounts of what is going on and I will be happy to write somethng for you. Anyone else, just let me know...I won't be hurt if no one wants me to author anything for them, but just want you to know I am here for that purpose if you like. I should mention that our lactation consultant asked me to switch the words in several Christmas carols to make them go along somehow with breast feeding, and then presented them to her group....I have a lot of fun with projects such as that.....Come on, be brave...

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Specializes in Anesthesia.

That's really neat, Mother/babyRN. I'll send you a PM sometime soon. My creative abilities aren't quite as widespread. Don't get me wrong - I can write a mean paper, but I'm afraid my poetic ability is limited to a dirty limerick or two. I'm doing a lot of scrapbooking stuff though that I just hadn't had the time to do before the whole couch arrest ordeal began, and I'm watching far too much tv. I also sent my husband to the bookstore to get me a couple new critical care nursing study guides . . thought I might use this time to try and start studying to take the exam for CCRN (which I'm not even eligible to take yet, but hey . . .what else have I got to do). Whatever I read, I'm vowing now to stay away from anymore OB books/articles/etc. I'm scaring the heck out of myself reading that stuff.

Lou

Day 6

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Specializes in Med-surg; OB/Well baby; pulmonology; RTS.

Lou,

I know how boring bedrest can be...I was on bedrest for 8 WEEKS early in my pregnancy with my son for a 12 cm ovarian cyst....Then at 30 weeks was back on bedrest for PIH:rolleyes: ...

Is there a hobby that interest you-crochet, cross stitching, etc? That would help take your mind off of things.....I read......I have my own mini-library:D from my bed-rest days....

I know what you mean by looking forward to going to the MD office-I was usually dressed and ready before hubby was out of the bed.....he he he:chuckle

PM me if there is anything I can do for you......

Ginger

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