Placenta where should it be

Having an anterior placenta is quite common. Due to the position of the placenta in front of the baby, a woman with an anterior placenta may not feel fetal movement as strongly as a woman with a posterior placenta, particularly earlier in pregnancy when the fetus is smaller. In cases where a woman needs an amniocentesis , an anterior placenta may make it slightly more difficult for a doctor to carry out the test.

An amniocentesis is a procedure that takes a sample of the amniotic fluid surrounding the baby. A doctor will analyze the fluid for signs of any abnormalities. The location of an anterior placenta at the front of the uterus may make this more challenging. A doctor can determine the placement of the placenta using an ultrasound , which usually occurs between 18 and 20 weeks of pregnancy. Sometimes, they may recommend additional ultrasounds closer to the delivery date to check the location of the placenta and ensure that it is not covering the cervix.

Although an anterior placenta is not usually a cause for concern, some studies have shown that the placement of a placenta could affect the outcome of the pregnancy. One study indicated that women with an anterior placenta might have an increased risk of the following complications:. There is also some evidence to suggest that women with an anterior placenta have a higher risk of problems after the baby is born.

The placenta can also migrate during pregnancy, meaning that it starts growing in another direction. An anterior placenta may migrate upward and attach itself to the top of the uterus where many of the bigger blood vessels are present.

All pregnant women should see a doctor regularly throughout their pregnancy. While an anterior placenta will not usually cause any issues, other symptoms can indicate a problem with the placenta. An anterior placenta occurs when the placenta grows in the front of the uterine wall. Sharing our experiences of pregnancy and infant loss can help us heal. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Typical placenta location. How is an anterior placenta different? Are there potential complications to an anterior placenta?

When should I call the doctor about a placenta problem? The takeaway. Parenthood Pregnancy 2nd Trimester. Placental Insufficiency. What Is Placental Abruption? Is Eating Your Placenta Safe? Read this next. The top wall is called fundal. What matters most is where the lower edge of the placenta extends because if it is too low in the uterus it can cause bleeding and prevent the descent of the fetal head during labour. Because of these reasons many pregnancies have a low-lying placenta at weeks gestation, but they do not have a low-lying placenta by the end of the pregnancy.

If the placenta completely covers the cervix, then there is no way the baby can deliver vaginally without causing massive haemorrhage from the mother and the baby. In this situation Caesarean section is the only safe way to deliver the baby.

The below table shows how the risk of placenta praevia increases after previous Caesarean sections:. There is much discussion about how far away from the cervix the placenta should be, to allow a normal vaginal birth without bleeding from mother or baby.

It depends on a number of factors including:. However, if the placenta is less than 2cm from the opening of the uterus into the cervix, which is called the internal os at the week scan, it may still be low at the time of the birth.

Therefore, many obstetricians and midwives ask for it to be re-checked in the third trimester. To arrange for your placental location scan, please call the Ultrasound Care team at a location most convenient for you.

Ultrasound Care Privacy. Skip to content. The fundal-posterior position is located on the top of the womb but extends to the back of the womb.

If your placenta is in this position, this is not a big concern as the baby will still be nourished unless you have signs of symptoms. Symptoms may include bleeding, severe back pain and abdominal pain. If these symptoms do occur, please seek medical care. Figure 2: Location of the fundal placenta. The placenta praevia occurs when the placenta covers the cervix Figure 3.

If placenta covers the cervix partially or fully, this can cause complications throughout your pregnancy.

Complications that may occur are bleeding from the placenta and preterm birth. Depending on how blocked the cervix is, this may result in mothers having a cesarean birth rather than a vaginal birth. Figure 3: Comparison of a normal placenta and placenta praevia. Your specialist will perform the ultrasound and will determine what type of position your placenta is located in.