tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1275883945051685104.post8486008576526478259..comments2011-04-16T14:02:12.491-07:00Comments on Ordinary Miracles: The Birth that Makes me Go Hmmm...The Family Qhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12810587375885653704noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1275883945051685104.post-31124461399347746512010-05-04T16:29:52.338-07:002010-05-04T16:29:52.338-07:00And had your VCI been discovered ahead of time? Mo...And had your VCI been discovered ahead of time? Most doctors do not treat it any differently. They would not have scheduled you for a c-section at 35 weeks- so no need to worry about that! They might have wanted to make sure it was not a vasa previa, but once that was ruled out, I believe that your birth would have had the same happy outcome.<br /><br />Sorry again for what must seem like a walking advertisement for the vasa previa foundation, but it's a cause that's close to my heart, as you can imagine. Had my doctor followed up on my low-lying placenta with a simple colour doppler ultrasound, I would not have woken up to my daughter's blood pouring out of me. He and many other doctors and care providers are still under the impression that vasa previa cannot be detected ahead of time-- and that is simply not true. It is an entirely preventable tragedy and it upsets megreatly every time I hear of another death due to it going undetected. <br /><br />Thanks for replying and I'm glad I didn't intrude too much. I hope my tone hasn't come across as holier than thou because that is not my intent at all. I am a very strong advocate for natural birth and parenting and agree that way too many c-sections are being performed.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1275883945051685104.post-51396028509543867542010-05-04T16:28:34.603-07:002010-05-04T16:28:34.603-07:00As far as I know, there are no outward symptoms of...As far as I know, there are no outward symptoms of VCI. There are risk factors for it, and those include previous uterine surgery, IVF, and low-lying placentas. I had a low-lying placenta. Most of the time, as I'm sure you know, low-lying placentas move out of the way of their own accord and are of no concern for a vaginal delivery. However, if it is discovered that one has a low-lying placenta, a simple colour doppler ultrasound will tell you whether or not you have vasa previa.<br /><br />VCIs are rare (1 in 100 births) but not as rare as vasa previa (1 in 3000). VCI isn't dangerous in itself but if the VCI is located over the cervical os, it is considered a type of vasa previa and it is very dangerous. Baby cannot be delivered vaginally if those exposed vessels are in the way. They are fragile and can easily rupture, causing immense blood loss (for the baby). <br /><br />You are right- most harmless VCIs are discovered after the fact, and those are the ones that weren't located between the baby and the cervix. It sounds like the woman from your playgroup (and you as well) had VCI and _not_ vasa previa. I don't know what the reasoning was for her c-section, but it was certainly melodramatic of her doctor to play the hero in that situation. <br /><br />Simple screening (ultrasound) for those who have risk factors for vasa previa will reveal who has it and who hasn't. If the ultrasound shows a VCI over the os or a bilobed placenta with unsupported vessels located over the os, then a vaginal delivery would be tragic. The vessels would rupture and the baby would lose all of his blood within a matter of minutes. This is all preventable provided our care providers are aware that vasa previa can be diagnosed before birth and therefore a planned c-section can happen. <br /><br />Again, I don't know for sure, but it sounds like your VCI wasn't a problem for a vaginal delivery due to its location. Had it been in the way, your baby would have suffered major blood loss. That didn't happen so I can only assume your umbilical cord was located in a safer position. There have been cases of babies who have died due to VCI (the vessels are easily compressed), but that is rare too, and I am not bringing it up to scare you. <br /><br />(part 2 below)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1275883945051685104.post-16734743859397345682010-05-04T11:13:57.976-07:002010-05-04T11:13:57.976-07:00Tiffany,
Thanks for *intruding* I welcome the chan...Tiffany,<br />Thanks for *intruding* I welcome the chance to have accurate information.:) I acknowledge that there are very serious risk factors associated with this condition. My point being i delivered safely..perhaps she could've as well..the point being NEITHER of us or our care providers knew we had VCI. She was not delivered early for VCI or vasa previa..after she was delivered they saw the VCI so for me i was making more the point of why tell her how her baby could've died..when it didn't and the doctor was inaccurate to state 'your baby WOULD'VE bled to death and died'...because mine didn't. So perhaps hers wouldn't have either since again vasa previa is *rare*. I am not advocating that everyone should recklessly have vaginal births where it could have bad outcomes. I am advocating for treating birth as normal until proven otherwise. So I am glad they are detecting it and babies are being saved. For my personal experience which had a great outcome,It's painful for me to think that if it had been detected and I'd been with an ob that they would've delivered my perfectly healthy baby by csection at 35 weeks..<br />I am curious what the symptoms are that indicate you might have a VCI? You mention it but don't elaborate.<br />Thank you for sharing! I welcome the opportunity to learn more about VCI for my own knowledge..The Family Qhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12810587375885653704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1275883945051685104.post-2084666829223787782010-05-04T06:31:49.743-07:002010-05-04T06:31:49.743-07:00Hello,
I was hoping to find your email somewhere ...Hello,<br /><br />I was hoping to find your email somewhere on your blog so I could write this to you privately instead but I can't seem to find it. I'm sorry if I've missed it- but I feel I have to comment and not click away. However you choose to view your birth and whether or not yours was riskier or more dangerous than others, and whether or not your midwives were instrumental in making it safe, as well as a happy memory for you is, of course, for you to decide. But your statement "Also I should note that velamentous insertion is not detected on ultrasound but only discovered after delivery of the placenta. So...in the event of vasa previa you wouldn't know it was a risk factor and it wouldnt matter much where you were (at home or hospital) chances are you wouldn't get to the baby in time to save it..a sad fact." is false. <br /><br />Vasa Previa can be detected and diagnosed before birth and, in doing so, can save the lives of perfectly healthy babies. From the International Vasa Previa Foundation is the following: "When vasa previa is detected prior to labor, the baby has a much greater chance of surviving. Survival rates can range from 50 -95%, but are coming up as vasa previa is being diagnosed more often.<br /><br />Vasa previa can be detected during pregnancy with use of transvaginal sonography, preferably in combination with color Doppler. Women with the above risk factors should have this test to rule out vasa previa.<br /><br />When vasa previa is diagnosed, elective delivery by cesarean before labor begins can save the baby's life. Ideally, it should be performed early enough to avoid an emergency, but late enough to avoid problems associated with prematurity. The IVPF recommends hospitalization in the 3rd trimester, delivery by 35 weeks, and immediate blood transfusion of the infant in the event of a rupture." <br /><br />Again, I'm sorry to have intruded on your blog. I have no idea whether or not the woman at your playgroup's c-section saved her baby's life, whether she had VCI or Vasa Previa, or both. Yes, Vasa Previa IS a very rare condition but it can be diagnosed ahead of time. When it isn't, a tragic outcome is almost always the result. I would direct you to the Personal Stories section on the vasa previa website for further proof. <br /><br />My own story is there, too (and has a happy ending): http://www.vasaprevia.org/stories/survivors/TiffanyMcCunn.html<br /><br />I too agree that birth is a natural process that has become over-medicalized. But I know the other side of it as well. I know that birth can sometimes (not often) go spectacularly wrong, that nature isn't perfect, and that doctors can and do save the lives of babies by performing necessary c-sections (not as often as many would have us believe, though). However, with vasa previa, there is no other alternative.<br /><br />All the best,<br />TiffanyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com