I lost my baby at 38 weeks because my placenta had harden. The doctor said it calcified and the cord was around her neck. Has anyone gone thru this or heard of this before? ↓
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Name: Eza | Date: Jun 23rd, 2005 9:11 PM
Im so sorry for your loss Ashley!! My son was stillborn at 20 weeks last month. I tried to find what I could online about the cause of your little girls death. This is what I found....Its when the placenta ages prematurely .....Calcification within the placenta is quite a common finding - many people consider it to be a normal part of the maturation and aging of this organ in response to the increasing stresses placed upon it by the rapidly growing baby. The pattern of calcification (precipitation of calcium hydroxyapatite) is similar to that seen in other aging tissues, and is probably a response to cell death and diminished blood circulation in localised regions of the placenta.
One significant risk factor for placental calcification has been identified - smoking. Extensive calcification occurs more often in smokers than in non-smokers. Klesges et al (1998) confirmed a pathologic relation between smoking and placental calcification and suggested that the dietary antioxidants vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene may help to reduce villus calcification in smokers.
I hope this helps you understand more about what happened with your little angel. ↑
Name: Ashley | Date: Jun 24th, 2005 3:02 PM
Thank you for the info. The aging part I had heard and I am not a smoker but I guess it still happens to non-smokers. I'll see the doctor for the first time on July the 6th. He had the placenta tested so we should know more. I hope all works out for you, good luck in the future and be strong. ↑
Name: Kishia | Date: Jun 25th, 2005 9:28 AM
I just wanted to say I am so sorry for the lost of your baby girl. ↑
I am soo soo sorry Ashley that you have to go through this, know that we are all here and can help you. Sorry for your loss. ↑
Name: Lisa | Date: Jun 30th, 2005 10:56 AM
I just wanted to say that I am sorry for the lost of your baby, I lost my twins at 32 weeks due to TTTS and wanted to let you know that you are not alone, Im so sorry that you have to go through this, its not easy, but it will get easier to cope, its been 5 months since we lost the boys and I am finally starting to feel like we might be able to start trying to have another child. Dont give up and stay strong. ↑
Name: Meaghan | Date: Jul 9th, 2008 4:57 PM
Ashley, I am so so sorry for your loss. I lost my baby on May 8th. He was supposed to born the following day by c-section. I went to the doctor b/c I hadn't felt him move all day but I thought I was totally overreacting. They couldn't find a heartbeat. I still can't believe it.... we actually went to a high risk ob doctor today to go over the placenta report findings. She said their was some calcification of the placenta, but everything I've read online says this typically does not lead to fetal death. What have you found? How did your doctor appointment go?
Again I am so sorry for your loss. It is just devastating. ↑
Name: Kendalyn | Date: Jul 9th, 2008 7:25 PM
Wow ladies - I don't know how you do it. To loose a baby that far into it is something I just can NOT imagine. I'm so sorry for your losses. I am curious about this placenta deal and what you guys find out. When I had my daughter the midwife made comment to my placenta looking extreamly "old" and very calcified. I didn't understand what she meant and didn't think much about it until my last two M/C. I am wondering if one thing has to do with another. I am not a smoker. Eza, you have a great answer but if you gals ever find anything out, I'm very curious to hear. ↑
Name: lisah4 | Date: Jul 11th, 2008 1:19 AM
Ashley, I am sorry about your loss too. And also for everyone else. I haven't ever heard of the calcification. Our third baby was stillborn on May 12, they aren't sure why. But they know that I had a partial placental abruption. I had no symptoms, no bleeding or anything, just didn't feel him move and went to the doctor. He passed away on Mothers Day, the 11th. We were 38 weeks too. My baby boy was 6lbs 8oz, and he was beautiful. His name is Tate Joshua. I was told we could try in 6 months aince I had a C-Section. I am really scared and hurt. We are depending on God to keep helping us. I hope you can find more answers Ashley, since I know how awful it feels to not understand why this has to happen. And to wonder if it can be stopped the next time. ↑
Name: mommyofgrace | Date: Aug 3rd, 2008 2:02 AM
First of all ladies, I am so sorry for your losses. I hope you are all feeling some kind of healing and peace as time goes on. I will try to give what answers I can on this. I am finishing up my bachelors degree in nursing and work a lot in labor and delivery. The placenta of a full term baby often has hard spots in it (they feel like little rocks) where it has begun to calcify. If for some reason the placenta completely calcifies before the baby is born, then it will cease to function properly and therefore the baby will not get the nutrients he/she needs causing fetal death. Sometimes they do not know why this happens earlier in some women than in others. On a more personal note, this happened to my mother when she was pregnant with my brother. At 39 weeks she delivered him stillborn and found out that her placenta had completely calcified and looked like one from a woman that was 42 weeks pregnant. She had all of her other children (me and my other two brothers) at 37 weeks just fine. Again, I am so sorry that this happened to you, but please know it wasn't your fault (since you said you were not a smoker). Neither was my mother. Sometimes these things just happen. I know that does not make it any easier but I just want you to know that this should not make you unable to have kids in the future when you are ready again. I hope this helps... my deepest sympathy for your loss. ↑
