Thank you!!! Going to sign up for the vasa previa group on FB

I had a 33 weeker at Sibley and had a wonderful experience in the Special Care Nursery and the doctors there.

From my experiences, having one of the top NICU teams standing in the delivery room with you when you know there is a problem is incredibly comforting.

OP, I lost my first baby full term to VP 6 years ago. Mine was also an IVF baby. I understand it is much more common with IVF. I was with the GW midwives, seemed low risk (under 35, healthy etc) and it was not picked up on my 20 week scan. I’m so pleased it’s been spotted and I highly recommend the GW MFM OBs if you decide to deliver there (and their NICU). I have gone on to have three more healthy babies since, all with the GW MFMs. Good luck and God bless you and your baby.

Baby was in the NICU for about 20 days - feeder and grower (no major respiratory issues; but lots of apnea episodes with feeding). We got very lucky because I didn't even get the steroid shots (I was due to get them the day after I had the bleed). Baby was also a pretty good size (5 lbs), considering the very premature delivery.

The hardest part for me was already being on bed rest for two weeks, and then a three week NICU stay on top of that. So we were in the hospital for roughly 1.5 months total.

I was diagnosed with complete previa (before it transitioned into vasa), so I was already on pelvic rest and no strenuous workouts beginning at 16 weeks (sigh...). You can always preemptively start pelvic rest if you are nervous/anxious.

I think some posters mentioned above, but I'd recommend joining the FB vasa previa group. It helped me maintain my sanity to acknowledge that I wasn't the only pregnant person going through this.

To the PP, thanks so much!!! Did your baby stay in the NICU for very long? My MFM said I would be admitted at 32 weeks, scheduled c section at 35. I am relieved to hear it went well for you!!

Did the MFM also put you on pelvic rest? So far, no restrictions for me (I am 18 weeks and change), which surprised me, but she said my cervix is still long and closed and so it’s okay for now but will re-evaluate in a few weeks...

I had vasa previa last year and delivered at Sibley. I found all of the MFMs and antepartum care at Sibley to be phenomenal. Additionally, the NICU nurses and doctors (who are doctors at both GW and Sibley) are incredible. Sibley would absolutely not accept you as a patient unless you had a c-section scheduled for 32 weeks+ and they are prepared to care for babies at that stage. I was admitted at 32 weeks and ended up delivering (emergency c-section) at 33+6 due to a bleed. They were well equipped to deal with the emergency situation and also informed me of the possibility of going into labor early when I was admitted. The Sibley MFMs have a lot of experience with vasa previa and 100% follow the protcol for the condition that is put out by the International Vasa Previa Foundation (admission around 32 weeks and delivery by 35 weeks). Let me know if you have any other questions - I know that vasa is a very, very nerve-racking diagnosis.

* if anyone

Wondering how OP’s delivery turned out and I’d anyone has recent experiences with vasa previa/scheduled C section at Sibley? I learned that I have vasa previa today. Am using the Sibley MFM and am inclined to stay with Sibley because I really like the MFM care and don’t want to switch OBs either....

I delivered at 32 weeks at Sibley. My son was in the NICU there for about 6 weeks. It was fine. I didn't know any better, and had no idea I was going to have to deliver early. I found the care in the NICU to be wonderful. The only obnoxious thing is that Sibley was not very close to my home and the back and forth got tiresome. I wish I'd delivered closer to my house since we spent so much time there. Consider that in your decision making!

For MFMs, I recommend Dr Gallagher at GW (however, he sees patients in Bethesda only, which is a bit of a pain for us downtowners). I alternate between him and my regular OB, Dr Lesko. GW is bureaucratically a pain, but the Drs and nurses are wonderful.

Talk to your current OB and ask them to lay out the plan for you. tell them you know Sibley cannot handle 32 week premies--what happens if you deliver early? How is Sibley prepared to deal with a catastrophic bleeding event since it is not a trauma center? Ask how many cases of Vasa Previa your OB has seen, how many has the entire practice has seen, how often they see it, and how often Sibley has cases of it. Make them spell it out, and don't accept vague answers. And if you get answers that you aren't comfortable with them, say so.

I know Sibley's NICU (Special Care Nursery) can handle 34 weekers, but I personally don't know if I would be all that comfortable delivering by planned C at 35 weeks at Sibley. And I saw that as someone who generally doesn't buy into the notion that every baby needs to be born at a place with a top-level NICU (I had a birth center birth!). You're not low risk. You're insanely high risk.

Anonymous wrote:OP here again- thanks all for your advice! I am a patient at Bloom OB and they did not refer me to another OB who delivers at a higher NICU (after the vasa previa was identified). I have only seen one MFM specialist at my echocardiogram at Sibley, but I believe she was actually from Childrens. Next steps sound like investigating transferring to an OB who delivers at GW or Georgetown (as those are both closest to me) (depending on how relevant the Level 1 Trauma Center could be for this issue). Thanks again for all of the comprehensive and thoughtful responses!

One of the Bloom OBs did her residency at GW fairly recently. Maybe it's worth asking her which OB/MFM she would recommend to you at GW since she would have worked closely with them?

Anonymous wrote:OP here again- thanks all for your advice! I am a patient at Bloom OB and they did not refer me to another OB who delivers at a higher NICU (after the vasa previa was identified). I have only seen one MFM specialist at my echocardiogram at Sibley, but I believe she was actually from Childrens. Next steps sound like investigating transferring to an OB who delivers at GW or Georgetown (as those are both closest to me) (depending on how relevant the Level 1 Trauma Center could be for this issue). Thanks again for all of the comprehensive and thoughtful responses!

I believe that Georgetown is generally a bit less chaotic than GW, if they are both convenient. However, I don't know about how the level of care would differ for the adult patient so that's a good question. At 24 weeks I saw an MFM at Sibley who had trained at Georgetown. She told me, if something happens in the next few days or weeks, don't come back here ... go to Georgetown. Something did happen and we took her advice. They were literally live saving there.