Anterior Placenta

[*Infinity*]

I'm a fair way of labour yet (!) but at my 19 week scan today I was told that my placenta is localising anterior - front of my uterus, and well away from the birth canal which is good. No issue really - though one person has mentioned to me that placenta at the back of the uterus is better for birth?

So, a question: is an anterior placenta likely to have a negative impact on my baby's position as we get closer to birth? Any experiences would be great.

Thanks
Lolly x

[Nelle]

Not to my knowledge - my second had an anterior placenta and everything was fine - it's not uncommon. The only problem I know of is that it can move down to over your birth canal, but your scan showed that's not an issue for you!

So yeah - there might be rare complications that exist perhaps, but in my experience and all the others I've heard of, an anterior placenta hasn't posed any problems at all for a straightforward pregnancy and birth.

[Pandora]

I had one with DS and have it again with this pg.
I've never been told of any birth 'complications' just from it being at the front.
Apparently in general, babies can like to face towards the placenta, which for an anterior placenta would mean the baby is posterior, but again I never had that problem with my son.

[visitor1]

With DD2 i had an anterior placenta and it never had any affect come labour/birth time.

[mbear]

I there - i am 22 weeks and i have an anterior placenta too...ive only just started to feel kicks - something i had not experienced with my other 3 pregnancies as they were all posterior.
I have not heard or been alarmed that the placenta being in this possi causes any problems at birth. Although i have heard it is possible baby can face the placenta which means that the baby might be more inclined to be posterior possi (spine to spine)....but that works the other way too - my placenta was posterior for baby #1 and baby was born posterior...

Its only a problem (labour) if its low lying, across your cervix.....

[*Infinity*]

Yep - it was whether bubs is more likely to be posterior that i was curious about but so far looks like it can go either way based on other's experiences.
Thanks!

[Toomanytoomany]

Yep - it was whether bubs is more likely to be posterior that i was curious about but so far looks like it can go either way based on other's experiences.
Thanks!

I can't comment on how it is for other people, but my fifth baby was the only one I've had an anterior placenta for and she was stubbornly posterior until soon before she was born. She did rotate during labour however, and so I had no issues other than a bit of back labour before she did so.

[Toomanytoomany]

Oh, and having an anterior placenta can muffle kicks a bit more, make it a wee bit harder to get the baby's heartbeat over placenta "noise" and palpation of the various bits of baby can be a little more difficult. These are just irritations to the midwife trying to get things done, however

[Heaven]

I have an anterior placenta and baby is anterior and has been for weeks now

[OceanPrincess]

:yeahthat:

And my Obs has never had any issues with palpating, hearing bubs' heartbeat, or anything.

[Livinthedream]

Mine is anterior too and we often have a hard time getting bubs heart beat over the placenta, but my middy tells me that the placenta is beating at the same rate as bubs heart, so it makes monitoring heartbeat easier IYKWIM
FWIW, I can never tell the difference between bubs and the placenta anyway.......

[sunshine_sieben]

My placenta was anterior too with during my first pregnancy. Or should I say DD's placenta, as it was really hers, not mine.
Apparently, babies have a tendency to want to "look at their food source", so if your placenta is at the front, baby has a higher chance of being posterior.
Having said that, DD was LOL (Left occiput lateral, which means looking to the side) for most of my late pregnancy. I was a little worried about her turning posterior, so I did follow some OFP (Optimal fetal positioning) techniques in the last couple of weeks. She was born relatively easily and completely naturally in the water after only 4 hours of active labour.
This time placenta is posterior. Who knows, I might end up with a posterior bub this time around, just to be different.....

Saša

[*Infinity*]

Thanks again for all your experiences, very much appreciated.

[Alan]

An anterior placenta will not have any effect on the birth of the baby however as others have said you will normally not feel the baby moving until a little later than you would if you had a posterior placenta and there is a slight increase in the chance of your baby being posterior.

SHELLBELLS
The best way to tell the difference between hearing your baby’s heartbeat and the placenta is:-
Blood going through the placenta has a whoosh whoosh sound. The baby’s heartbeat sounds more like horses hoofs.

[Tobily]

Sometimes babes with an anterior placenta will lie posterior and can stay that way...but don't let anyone put the horrors into you about a posterior babe, even if they're lying that way at the start or during labour they usually rotate anterior...and if they dont that's often because they can fit just fine the way they are.

It's kind of like a corkscrew - the baby will just keep rotating until it can fit through your pelvis. For some babies that will mean rotating right around to an anterior position, others will have enough room and don't need to bother, or at least don't bother until the very end Do what you can OFP wise but if it doesn't happen trust that your baby knows what he's doing

ETA in saying all that, I mean in an active, unmedicated labour where you're free and able to move around as you need to. In situations where you've had an epidural or are stuck on the bed a posterior baby can be more difficult to birth.

[*Infinity*]

Thanks Alan & Tobily for your experience and advice.
Tobily - I'm going through the local midwifery group practice and I will be birthing in the hospital Birth Centre to facilitate a very active and drug free birth. I'm very happy to trust my little one's instincts (and my own body) to do what it naturally knows how to do.
Lolly x

[sunshine_sieben]

Lolly, it sounds like you are doing everything you can to have the best birth possible. I wish you all the best with it. I'm sure it will be an amazing experience. My DD was born in a birth centre aswell and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Saša

[Livinthedream]

Thanx Alan, I will try to see if i can tell the difference next time we listen.