We were 16 weeks pregnant (Dec 17) and on an airplane headed for Ohio which was supposed to then take us to Tennessee to visit family for Christmas. It was on this flight that everything started for us. I began bleeding heavily towards the end of our flight and upon alerting a stewardess, emergency crews were dispatched immediately. We were rushed to a hospital as soon as the plane landed. We thought we were having a miscarriage and we’re prepared for the worst.

   What we expected and what we were told were two totally different things, however. We found out that we weren’t having a miscarriage, but were instead experiencing bleeding from a condition called Placenta Previa , which is where the placenta is lying beneath the baby and over the cervix instead of attaching up higher. We were told that our baby was just fine, but that I would have to go on partial bed rest starting immediately. This meant that I couldn’t even lift our 9-month old daughter. We were also told that I would probably experience more bleeding episodes as my pregnancy continued, and that I would most likely be hospitalized sometime early on in my third trimester and maybe even deliver early if the placenta didn’t migrate up on its own.

   On January 16th (20 weeks) I received an ultrasound with radiology (not a Perinatologist) that showed a healthy boy and a partial previa. This was great news because my placenta was migrating which increased my chances of having a normal delivery. My doctor told me that I had an 80% chance and that every day with no bleeding meant that my placenta was probably still on the move.

   On February 20th (25 weeks) I started bleeding again, which was extremely disappointing. I received another ultrasound through radiology. The radiology technician told me my baby looked healthy and that my placenta had migrated up, but that it looked like there were still just a few vessels stretching across the cervix. She went to show the radiologist the results and then came back to tell me that he recommended I come back in soon. There was no sense of urgency and nobody mentioned that I might have Vasa Previa, which to us, looking back, seems to be exactly what the technician and radiologist were seeing. I was sent home from the hospital a few hours later.

   On March 19th (29 weeks) I started bleeding again only this time there were irregular contractions with it. It was my third trimester and I was admitted to the hospital. I stayed for 2 weeks. I asked for an ultrasound, but was not granted one even though the radiologist recommended I come back soon after my appointment a month before. I was told that one would be done at 32 weeks as a standard check. After no more bleeding and being in the hospital for 2 weeks I begged to be sent home. Three days later, on April 6th (31 ½ weeks), I woke up to cramping and bleeding. I was rushed right back to the hospital and strapped to the monitors. I was having regular contractions and my baby’s heart rate kept dipping. Luckily, I had a sonogram appointment set up with a Perinatologist who traveled from UVRMC once a week to give sonograms to patients at the hospital (if I had gone to radiology instead who knows what would’ve happened).

   The Perinatologist concluded that my placenta had migrated up and out of the way. I was elated, thinking I could have a normal delivery in a few months. He told me not to get excited yet because the bleeding was still coming from somewhere and I was already dilated to 2 cm. He then did a transvaginal ultrasound to get a closer look. I remember how all of a sudden he became very interested in one area. After looking a bit he excused himself and came back with 2 more doctors. This is when they all 3 explained to me that I had a condition called Vasa Previa and that they would have to deliver my baby that day as soon as my husband could get there.

   Our little boy was delivered 1 hour later at 4 lbs 1 oz and 8 ½ weeks early via c-section. He spent seven weeks in the NICU struggling with problems due to prematurity, but today he is home, healthy and growing thanks to a doctor who had the insight and experience to take a little extra time to probe and figure out what was really wrong with me. We were very fortunate. So many things could’ve gone wrong, but we had the right doctor, at the right time, on the right day, and we will forever be grateful for how events fell into place that day.

   Every woman should ask her OBGYN at her first appointment if he/she is willing to check for extra things like Vasa Previa, if not...find somebody who will. It could make all the difference.