Severe IUGR Baby 4 weeks behind at 21 weeks

• By havengirlsmama
• Reply 2182697
• May 13, 2011 at 2:29 am
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I am so sorry. I just wanted to say that I delivered my twins at 28 weeks because of a chronic placental abruption that started at 20 weeks. One of my daughters began measuring small around 24 weeks or so and only weighed 695 grams at birth, the size of a 26 weeker I was told.

Last summer I asked my OB to test me for a clotting disorder, and I did test positive. My OB said that testing positive for a clotting disorder is still somewhat controversial in the medical community because some women who test positive go on to have healthy pregnancies and some don't. I haven't pursued this further or done anything else about it because I'm not planning on having anymore children.

I'm sorry I don't have anything to add about your baby's condition. I hope someone else will chime on here soon who has experience with an early case of IUGR.

• By aplus67
• Reply 2182764
• May 13, 2011 at 5:48 am
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I found myself in the same place as you without the placenta previa issue. My daughter was already measuring 1-2 weeks behind at our 16 week ultrasound. I had a heavy bleed around 10 weeks or so and thought I was having a miscarriage at that time. They monitored me closely after the 16 week ultrasound and each week she falling further behind. We did an amnio and found there were no chromosomal issues. They put me on bedrest at 24 weeks and then I developed HELLP sydrome a week later and she was born at 25 weeks weighing 440 grams (15.5 oz) and 11 1/4 inches. I was told this is the size of a 21 weeker. The OB who delivered her noticed there were blood clots in the placenta and it was in very bad shape - he was surprised she was still alive. This is what caused the IUGR. I tested positive for a clotting disorder - Factor V Leiden and MTHFR, both single gene mutations. I have never had a clotting event other than when I was pregnant. My daughter just turned 7 years old in November and is doing well. She will always suffer the effects of her extremely early birth, but she made it and is the light of my life.

I don't know much about reversed flow or your specific condition, but my situation is the same in terms of early onset IUGR (had already started at 16 weeks). I am so sorry that you are having to go through this and hope that somehow you can hold on and your baby will grow big enough to have a fighting chance on the outside. I will keep you in my prayers.

• By z1z2 (Inactive)
• Reply 2182812
• May 13, 2011 at 7:08 am
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I am sorry that you find yourself in this position. There is, unfortunately, no denying that reversed flow is serious, especially at this stage. While my own daughter was delivered the day reverse flow was seen, a few others here have gotten a little farther. Try to rest, eat lots of protein, try baby aspirin.

• By Badia
• Reply 2182859
• May 13, 2011 at 7:39 am
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Hi, I have an IUGR baby she was born at 32 weels 1.5 kg. she is now 4.5 year old. i did not have placenta previa with her although i did with my first baby. Its better to rest and as mentioned before some studies show that aspirin helps but you should consult you dr. your child will need NICU for some time. I hope all goes well and never hesitate to ask for help.

Badia

• By NaomiSadie916
• Reply 2183042
• May 13, 2011 at 9:05 am
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I am so sorry, I am praying for a couiple more weeks for your sweeet baby boy. Please keep us updated. How has your blood pressure been?

• By Scampismum (Inactive)
• Reply 2183071
• May 13, 2011 at 9:16 am
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I'm so sorry that this is happening to you.

I had spotting around 15 weeks and again a couple of weeks later, but nothing major. Around this time, I took a blood test which showed that the baby was at high risk of Down's Syndrome because I had low levels of PAPP-A (pregnancy-associated plasma protein A) in my blood. All other anomaly tests showed no risk of Down's, however, and we were told that low PAPP-A can come about with a poorly functioning placenta too, so I was monitored very closely after that with regular ultrasounds to watch for IUGR. My son's abdomen was already small at 18 weeks, his head circumference and thigh length were normal. The blood flow was reduced, but OK. This was the story moreorless throughout the pregnancy. We ended up getting to 36 weeks, 4lb, without absent or reverse flow. So, early onset IUGR doesn't have to mean very early baby, but as z1z2 said and as I know you know, reverse flow is serious.

Take good care of yourself - eat and drink well and rest as much as possible, lying on your left side to try to boost blood flow to the baby. This is going to sound ridiculous and nigh on impossible, but try to keep your thoughts positive and enjoy every moment with your baby regardless of what's happening. You can't influence anything by being fearful. Positive energy may have a positive effect on the outcome and if it doesn't, you can look back and know that you did all you could to protect and enjoy your baby. I thought at first that I shouldn't form a bond in case something happened, but now I understand that forming a bond helps whatever the outcome.

Sending positive thoughts that you both can hold on a little longer.

Best wishes

• By mama_burton1
• Reply 2184072
• May 13, 2011 at 4:07 pm
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i had a severe iugr baby that always measured 8 weeks behind they told us that his chances of being born alive were very slim and also asked if we wanted to be induced or wiat it out. we deceided to wait it out and hope for the best. when i was 30 weeks our boy weighed about 500g and were told he would have to make it to 600g for any chance so when i was 35 weeks he made it to 601g and was delivered c-section. Our Logan survived but spent 7 months in nicu and had many complications but now we have him home. he is still exremely tiny, 20 months but size of 4 month but is doing well and making more progress everyday. Don't give up yet, just rest and keep good thoughts.

• By martak04
• Reply 2187270
• May 15, 2011 at 5:54 am
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thanx for your support and kindness, i will never ever in this lifetime or the next give up on my baby. if all i can do for him is let him go peacefully inside me then thats what ill do. i have another scan on friday to see where we are at and will keep u posted.

• By Anais
• Reply 2187442
• May 15, 2011 at 8:54 am
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Thinking of you and all you are going though. I respect yor decision to wait and see what nature brings,technology although it saves many many babies lives can never immitate the womb and sometimes at this stage when the baby is so so young and tiny I have to agree to give it some time. I had an IUGR baby boy and didn't realize I had the choice to wait longer before delivery,now I know. Love to you. xo

• By MommySunshine
• Reply 2187824
• May 15, 2011 at 12:14 pm
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Im sorry to hear your having such a rough time hun. My son was severe IUGR, he was diagnosed at 23 weeks. The doctor told us there was very little chance our little guy would make it, I spent alot of time in the hospital and on bedrest. I was prepped for a c-section at 25 weeks when my little guys heart rate kept taking dangerous dips, but it turns out he was squeezing his cord and causing all that commotion. In the end we made it all the way to 32 weeks, my little guy was born with a placenta that was more then half dead and a cord that was not working properly, the doctors told us he should not have survived but my little man had other plans.
theres always hope hun.

• By Maayanandmeital
• Reply 2187992
• May 15, 2011 at 1:36 pm
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My twins were delivered @ 26 wks, one weigh 600 grams and the other 700 grams. Thank G'd they are both home now. I had also have placenta previa. Your baby hearth and brain and functioning, right? That is what I understood. That is an awsome thing, just make sure they do not stress. When I arrived to the hospital they tried to hold them until they start stressing out, that was the time they said they had to take them out. Good luck to you and I would consult more than one doctor if I were you. The blood coagulation problem now a days is treated with an injection.

• By My3littlemonkeys
• Reply 2188145
• May 15, 2011 at 3:13 pm
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I am so sorry for what you are going through! Even though I've been there recently, there are still no words for what I know you are feeling, thinking, and going through! I had a severe IUGR baby born at 27 weeks that weighed 420 grams (14.8 ounces) and although we've been on the road from hell she is doing well today; although, she still has issues like pulmonary hypertension, bpd, and has been in the NICU 118 days and counting, she's getting there! Believe in miracles!! Positive thoughts, prayers, and many hugs from me to you!!

• By Cassie-mommy
• Reply 2188185
• May 15, 2011 at 3:39 pm
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I'm so sorry hun I know how tough this is. I just gave birth to my IUGR baby 7 weeks ago. Going in every week praying something has changed when it only gets worse made me feel like I was going to go crazy. From my understanding, the smallest baby to ever survive was 8 oz and I know reversed blood flow is a bad sign. I think you might want to deliver in the next few days if you are prepared for the struggles that come with a micropreemie. Most of that size have extreme brain bleeds which can lead to mental, emotional, and behavioral difficulties as well as requiring surgeries and facing the possibility of impaired motor skills. If you are willing to deal with all the issues, then deliver soon, maybe admit yourself to the hospital for 24 hour monitoring so you can keep the baby in as long as physically possible. I know that once blood flow reverses, the brain starts becoming damaged due to lack of oxygen. I'm very very sorry, it is something no one should ever have to go through! Just remember, it is NOT your fault and whatever you choose to do, it will be the right decision for your family! One friend told me that some angels are just meant to stay in heaven. I clung to that saying my whole pregnancy. I don't want you to feel there is nothing left to do, you can try everything you can! I know you will do what is right for you little one because you are his mother and you will fight for what is best, whether that is delivery or to let him go back to heaven on his own time.

• By ratartart
• Reply 2188186
• May 15, 2011 at 3:39 pm
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Pls read my history on inspire. We have similar stories it seems. Good luck and I will be praying for u.

• By Cassie-mommy
• Reply 2188192 · In reply to 2188185 by Cassie-mommy
• May 15, 2011 at 3:41 pm
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I forgot to add my IUGR started at 11 weeks, we delivered at 28 weeks to a 1 lb 3 oz baby. She stopped growing at 22 weeks although the brain continued to thrive throughout the pregnancy. We did not plan to deliver, we were told she would pass away by the next week. She kicked my water and it broke, along with a lot of blood. Chronic Placental Abruption was the culprit.

• By mamalynn
• Reply 2188920
• May 15, 2011 at 9:55 pm
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I am so sorry you have to go through this. I am praying and hoping for a good outcome for you.

• By martak04
• Reply 2189282
• May 16, 2011 at 3:32 am
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thankyou for your replys, i have asked them about deliervery so that he may do better outside but our problem is that he hasnt grown since the 16 week mark and being only just 7oz he is too small for tubes. we were hoping we could get a little growth progression every week to at least try and get him to 500 grams but unfortunately everything is slowing up. i do have high blood pressure that is being managed now but unfortunately i wasnt being treated for it until i was 16 weeks when the bleed happened as i had no prior history and my blood pressure with son was fine.

we are praying for a miracle, but with the reverse blood flow now, its just not looking good, i did get an opinion from 2 other doctors and they said the same, i asked about protein and lovenox and every other thing i have seen in my endless hours of google, we are trying the blood thinning injections but they havnt worked and my other dr's are worried they might cause more bleeding as i dont present with any known clotting issue. very heartbreaking for us and im also scared now that i may loose my uterus all together as they said my placenta may be imbedded in the uterine wall and cause hemorrhage. so now we are praying aswell that i dont loose my uterus as i would love for my little man to come back to me one day and give my son his brother he so dearly wished for. we love our baby so much.

your stories are so inspiring to me and i have mentioned them to dr's explaining your stories to which the dr's replied that its just bad luck in our case with just a few too many factors going against us, that the bleed occured and the IUGR is so early with no growth at all, and the placenta is just in a terrible spot to begin with, if it had been just that little bit later or we were seeing small improvements we may have more chance.

thankyou again and take care, will keep you updated.

• By honeykovu
• Reply 2189494
• May 16, 2011 at 8:01 am
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I am sorry. My dd's twin suffered iugr. He stopped growing at 15 weeks and died 6 weeks later at 21 weeks. At 18 weeks when the iugr was discovered at my anatomy scan my peri was convinced he had a lethal chromosome problem. I refused the amino because I know he didn't and I was right. He was 100% normal but his placenta was all infarcted producing placental insufficiency that lead to his death. I developed pre-eclampsia a month later and my babies were born a month after that.
I did have a SCH at 8 weeks but it was resolved by 10 weeks. I do know that his placenta likely was having issues at 11 weeks - he was measuring normal but my bloodwork at the NT scan was very bad. My doctor believed one or both babies had ds, which I too knew it couldn't be true because their nt measurements were very good and I am not of AMA so the only thing that raised my risk was the bloodwork and now looking back it all makes sense.
I am right now convinced I have a clotting disorder [my first pregnancy was a missed m/c after a good heartbeat and the baby was a chromosomally normal female] and will insist on being checked before we cycle again. All they do is a blood test [however they need a lot of blood - 14 tubes].

Anyways I am sorry you are in this position and I know my story didn't have a happy ending, but you are further than I was and it seems like your baby has asymmetry iugr which is better - our son was symmetric which is very bad.
As long as your baby is alive you need to fight for him. I couldn't give up on our baby if with the doctors telling me their was no hope and how I was putting dd in danger of severe prematurity to try and save her non-viaible brother [yes they actually did try to guilt trip me like this], I still wouldn't give up on him while his heart was still beating. It wasn't easy because my dh and all his family was against me trying to save him too and wanted me to only concentrate on dd. It was the hardest 3 weeks of my pregnancy.

• By martak04
• Reply 2200197
• May 20, 2011 at 2:22 am
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Hi everyone,

today confirmed for us what i knew in my heart anyway. that our Precious Boy is now with God. he passed away around 2 days ago.

up until today i have been researching possibilities for him and copied articles of miracle babies born at just 300 grams, ready to show doctors incase we could save him, part of me was hoping we could make it ofcorse, but he is just 2 small, only still around 230 grams.
i could not bare to look at the screen today i would rather remember the scan from last week where i saw him wave at mummy and daddy.
they noticed a significant clott behind the placenta and also, as predicted from when i was only 6 weeks pregnant (becasue he implanted right near my c section scar) it is still grade 4 central placental previa and there is some concern of a possible accreta.
i was given the choice of a traverse c section because of the previa, however this carries a risk of hysterectomy and hemmorhage,its also a big operation and unless necessary i would rather not go through that. they will not induce me because i could hemmorhage quite badly so the other option is to wait to go into labor naturally which may take 2 weeks. i have already started almost full lactation...thats a bit upseting for me...and my 2 year old i think...anyone have any tips for stopping this?
i have started bleeding but not heavily and they said that this is a normal thing with placenta previa and if it gets heavy i have to go in, they are very worried about my health from a few blood results and i have to go into hospital tomorrow for another blood test if this one is bad i have to stay in. they also said i will need a blood transfusion regardless because of very low iron levels. there are 3 very respected high risk doctors dealing with the plan at the moment, one would just like to do the operation and sort it out asap before i get worse the other's realise how dearly we would want another baby one day so we are trying to save the uterus....im really not sure i could cope with a hysterectomy aswell so im glad they are trying their best, im hoping they are just preparing me for the worst.
does anyone have any experience with placenta previa grade 4?

Our precious boy put up such a fight, im so very proud of him, i pray that he was not in any pain at all and is happy where he is. i also pray that his delivery goes smoothly and we have that chance for him to come back to Mummy, Daddy and Big Brother soon. RIP sweet angel. we love and admire you always.xx

id like to thank you all for your prayers and wish u all well.
x

• By z1z2 (Inactive)
• Reply 2200400 · In reply to 2200197 by martak04
• May 20, 2011 at 7:35 am
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I m sorry for the loss of your little boy.