Lawyer’s Placenta Previa

For four years, my cousin Nancy was a successful lawyer. She loved her job and was keen to advance until she had to pick between being a mother and working. Nancy had always wanted to have a large family, so when the opportunity arose, she jumped at it. Nancy was recently diagnosed with an uncommon issue during her third pregnancy, for which she came to see me. Previa symptoms appear in one out of every three hundred women during the third trimester. Nancy appeared to be psychologically tense and concerned about her pregnant kid. I urged her family to continue to provide emotional and mental support. Knowing the many challenges that come with the condition, I took it upon myself to support Nancy and care for her whenever I could. We would spend time at her home having quality time just like we did when I was younger only that this time I did most of the caring and giving advice.

In addition, I answered many of her questions regarding Caesarian section and blood transfusion depending on the Rhesus factor. Where both mother and child are negative for rhesus and the father is positive, a transfusion is mandatory along with immune globulin injections. If all three are negative then such is not necessary. The mother must, however, undergo careful observation by her obstetrician. Apparently, discovering Placenta Previa in a patient leads them to the point of health risks. Despite that sad fact, Placenta Previa is manageable. That information proved useful to Nancy and gave her and the family hope of going through the pregnancy safely.

To suffer Placenta previa implies that one cannot have as many children as they may want and could be an indicator or cause of other issues such as placenta accreta which in many cases leads to hysterectomy. When a woman discovers that she is expectant, she hopes and expects that her baby will be delivered in the full term and with the least possible complications. Nancy prayed and hoped for the same. She was ready to commit to every recommendation relevant to her condition. The number one priority for pregnant mothers is to deliver a healthy baby. Nancy was impressive in the manner she cooperated with doctors. With my help, she keenly observed and reported the slightest changes during the pregnancy. She had at first reported a few contractions and stated that she assumed them to be normal from the baby’s movement. The doctor took fundal measurements and found her uterus to be slightly larger than normal at 34 on the 30th week. During the previous visit at 28 weeks, she had registered a fundal height of 30. The doctor recommended that Nancy should have bed rest for the remainder of the pregnancy. I went on to discourage her from travelling and having intercourse knowing that these factors would increase the risk of complications. Her obstetrician further informed her that the caesarian section procedure had to take place sooner rather than later as any natural trigger to a vaginal birth would only cause bleeding as the cervix thinned out. He added that even after delivery, administration of Pitocin is usually more complicated for patients of Placenta Previa. Had Nancy’s condition been marginal or partial, then it would have been possible to deliver her baby through a vaginal birth. Marginal and partial Previa, unlike complete Previa, do not cover the entire cervix. Instead, low hanging placenta only borders the cervix in marginal Previa while it includes a part of the cervix in partial Previa.

To assist Nancy, I regularly went to her home with some of my friends from the nursing school who gave her more advice. She enjoyed the company and we would all help her understand the complications she was experiencing. Nancy had never been an introvert and did not like to be idle. Being on bed rest proved more challenging for her. She needed to engage in activities while still in her bed. It is for this reason that I brought the book club to her bedroom which mainly discussed nursing literature. She would ask a lot of questions concerning her condition and would satisfactorily receive responses from the professions that were all around her. One evening, she asked what had caused the Previa and I explained that age was a factor that increased the risk in her case. She was 31 when she had her first child and at 41 she was rather late for childbearing which brought about complications. She joked about her agility and agelessness since she maintained her size since she was twenty years. This age factor increased her susceptibility to placenta Previa as did previous uterine surgeries. Of her two children, one was delivered by caesarian section. In the following days, Nancy’s doctor injected her with steroids to help with the baby’s development. He also assured her that all would be well and that she should not worry about her unborn child’s development. Nancy benefited from her habits as a very disciplined lady. She found it rather easy to comply with the doctor’s recommendations and my instructions.

At 33 weeks, Nancy delivered a healthy baby boy. She did not have to undergo immune globulin injection even though she lost a lot of blood and was prescribed further bed rest after delivery. The entire process was quite difficult in all aspects. Her husband needed a lot of help as did her children. A temporary support group which I put in place went to her home daily to look after the children. Additionally, the presence of her friends and family made the experience easier. The whole family needed emotional and psychological support as well as physical help with the daily routine. Furthermore, having a premature child means waiting longer for its full development and may be financially straining to any couple. Indeed, Placenta Previa brings about pressure to family and pregnancy. The interesting thing, however, is the much joy in Nancy’s life after delivery of their son. It was as though no complications had occurred and having knowledgeable doctors and proper treatment went a long way to aid the process. We held a pompous party to celebrate the successful delivery of baby Liam.

While the cause of placenta Previa is not yet known, physicians and scientists have encouraged women to maintain consistency with their obstetricians and attain sufficient information for procedures such as uterine surgeries. Where these procedures can be avoided, it would be advisable to do so and instead utilise other means of treatment. Besides, there exist other ways for those seeking to have children at later ages that allow them to pursue dreams and careers with the assurance of having families. I was rather encouraged as a nurse to have successfully guided a friend through placenta previa treatment. It is for this kind of fulfilment that I took up this profession.