im just concerned that this time around i'll have the same problem...

I was suprised when DS came two weeks early, I 'd be terrified to have a baby any earlier in the pregnancy because of it

Ive googled and it says about miscarriages and the placenta not having sufficient nutrients but nothing about full term babies and placentas.... hmmmm

then this

The things your midwife looks for are the placenta's size, shape and thickness -
are these all normal?
The texture, is it gritty and calcified - meaning overdue looking?
Do any sections look like they were not functioning - darkened or infarcted because of no blood flow?
Are all the mounds of placental tissue present (called cotyledons, resembling liver), meaning that the placenta is complete? Do the membranes look complete or are they ragged and torn and could some be missing (left behind in the uterus)?
Are there 3 blood vessels in the cord - 2 arteries and 1 vein?