Gritty Placenta

I keep forgetting to ask my doctor about this but I have a question that some of you may know the answer to.

On my birth record thing that's in Gabby's Infant Welfare book is says that the placenta was "gritty".
I asked my friend who is an ER nurse what she thought and she was surprised because she thought that placentas were gritty for smokers (and I'm not a smoker).
What other reasons are there for a placenta being gritty? Gab was born 4 days past her EDD so she wasn't majorly overdue.
Is it something that's a problem? Or is it normal?

Deb... all I know is at the end of PG with Jovie when I had the u/s to check the placenta there was calcification. This happened normally at the end of pregnancy when the baby is ready to come, the placenta starts to calcify. To what degree is dependant on how far along you are. Mine was heavily calcified but there was enough to continue providing for a while apparently (thats what the ob said). The were using that as a big push to have me induced... the next day after the scan I went into labour. So it made sense. I don't know about gritty though... maybe it has to do with calcification???

Thanks Christy... perhaps it is just a normal thing that a healthy placenta does at the end of pregnancy??

Deb, funnily enough I was chatting to a GF about this just last night.......she is a nurse, and when she had her first little boy her placenta was "gritty".....he was overdue only by a few days, she has never smoked ever, BUT her placenta had begun to "break down".........so that may be it?

Hopefully that's the reason!
I'm kicking myself for not asking more questions during the birth but, hey, ya live and learn!

Hi Deb
It means that your placenta has done its job and is at the end of its life. It is not unusual to see a gritty placenta at term in a healthy mum. It is very common to see a gritty placenta at term in a smoker.

Thanks Alan :) That's good to know that placentas can be gritty smokers or not ;)

LOL Debbie I thought you were asking about Gritty Polenta.... I think I need more sleep!

Glad its a normal thing ;)

*mwa*
Cailin

Hahahahaha PMSL Cailin!!
Ohhhh that's funny ;)

Hmmm, both my girls were excatl 7 das over & I wasnt told of a gitty placenta, infact the said my placenta's were big & healthy!!!

I quit smoking 9 yrs ago just after finding out I was preg with Maddy!