Placenta

[rach2281]

Hi, I just found out that i have a low lying plancenta. Im wondering if anyone else has or had one and if and when it shifted??? My antenatal record says its anterior and clear by 1.3cm. Can someone please explain. I had no real explanation today.

I had a normal pregnancy with my first, so am pretty shocked and feeling like i may have caused it.

[Antheia]

I had a low lying placenta with #2. It was found at 19 weeks and it had moved well out of the way by 28 weeks.

Low lying placenta is quite common and most cases it does move out of the way. I can assure you that you did nothing to cause this. It's just something that can happen and as the uterus grows, it will move up.

In few cases though, it doesn't move up and if it touching the cervix, you will need a caesarian section. I was told by my midwife that if it isn't touching the cervix and is just low they would just monitor labour very very closely but still let you birth vaginally unless something happens in regards to it during the labour.

Anterior means your placenta is on the front wall of your uterus. Just means you would probably feel less kicks from baby than if it was posterior.

Clear by 1.3cm i assume means the placenta is 1.3cms away from your cervix. Which means it's not touching your cervix. So i would think it would move up.

Was this diagnosis from your 19-20 week scan?

[SamiH]

Hello

I would think that if it is 1.3cm - you would be referred back for another scan around 32 weeks. They just like to check it has grown up with the uterus and of course won't become an issue for birth.

I would ring and ask if you need to do anything else or how it will be monitored.

Good luck - I cant wait to be where you are now ticker-wise!

Sam

[rach2281]

Thanks for that. Yes it was from my 18-20 week scan, which may i add was 9 weeks ago- and only got informened about it today. Though what im unsure of is that at my 12 week scan the lady who done it said back then that the placenta was in the right spot. So does that mean it moved a good distance in those 8 weeks?? Im just so cranky with the hospital for not telling me. I have 2 antenatal appoinments ince that scan. Im having another scan on the 1st May, so all fingers crossed.

Antheia - With yours did you feel constanly crampy and feeling heavy down there??? I mentioned that to the midwive and thats when she decided to look up the 20 wk scan.

[Antheia]

I'm quite surprised that they didn't tell you as it should be monitored with a follow up scan in the third trimester.

Rach, the heavy feeling rings a bell. Although it was well over 18mths ago and things are a bit hazy.

Goodluck with your next scan.

[Laranna]

I was told I had a low-lying placenta at my 18 week scan. The sonographer told me on the spot and said it was 1cm away from my cervix. At my follow-up ob appt she gave me a referral for another scan at 32 weeks which I just had on Monday.

It's now 1.88cm away from my cervix and they said it's borderline ok. They usually like it to be at least 2cm away so it's out of the way when you dilate. So they told me this time that there is still time for it to shift and that they recommend another scan at 37 weeks to see the placenta's position again. I will definitely be having this scan before committing myself to a c-section.

My placenta is posterier and I haven't had any cramping or pains that are out of the ordinary for pregnancy.

[shellbell]

My placenta was low lying - about 1.6 away. My Ob checked it at 34 weeks and it is now well clear. He did say that there was little point checking it prior to then as the lower part only starts stretching around 30 - 32 weeks. My understanding is that the placenta doesn't move - everything just stretches as baby grows.

There were 2 or 3 of us in my belly buddies group who had low lying placenta and all of us are in the clear now - if that gives you any comfort!

It is certainly nobodies fault!! The placenta implants wherever it likes!