Low Placenta

it's called placenta previa. in most cases the placenta should move on its own, if it doesn't and it's covering the cervix you'll need a c-section.

What happens if I'm diagnosed with placenta previa?
It depends on how far along you are in pregnancy. Don't panic if your second trimester ultrasound shows that you have placenta previa. As your pregnancy progresses, your placenta is likely to "migrate" farther from your cervix and no longer be a problem. (Since the placenta is implanted in the uterus, it doesn't actually move, but it can end up farther from your cervix as your uterus expands. Also, as the placenta itself grows, it's likely to grow toward the richer blood supply in the upper part of the uterus.)

Only about 10 percent of women who have placenta previa noted on ultrasound at midpregnancy still have it when they deliver their baby. A placenta that completely covers the cervix is more likely to stay that way than one that's bordering it (marginal) or nearby (low-lying).

Even if previa is discovered later in pregnancy, the placenta may still move away from the cervix (although the later it's found, the less likely this is to happen). You'll have a follow-up ultrasound early in your third trimester to check on the location of your placenta. If you have any vaginal bleeding in the meantime, an ultrasound will be done then to find out what's going on.

Your placenta can cover the cervix if it gets too low. This can cause the bleeding your doctor is talking about.

Having a low-lying placenta won't harm your baby. If it causes bleeding, the blood comes from the you, not from the baby.

If your placenta is shown to be low-lying in mid-pregnancy, you’re likely to be offered another scan later on (usually around 32-34 weeks) to check that it has moved. Only 0.5 per cent -1 per cent of placentas remain low-lying at the end of pregnancy.

I have had placenta previa twice. It is not a fun thing to have. I didn't have ultra sounds for either, so of course I found out too late on both.

The first one I had was partial, meaning the placenta was only partially covering the cervix. I started bleeding out quite a bit 2 weeks before my due date. I was taken to the hospital.......and it took some time for them to find the reason for the bleeding, but after close observation on the ultra sound, they were able to find that the placenta was indeed slightly covering the cervix. So I had to have a c-section right then. The baby was fine.

My last baby was a full previa....5 and a half weeks before my due date, I lost over 2 pints of blood in less than half an hour. By the time I got to the hospital I was up for an emergency c-section and a blood transfusion, and had already gone into shock from blood loss. They even checked to see if I was still alive. I was going to be ok, but the baby was in the NICU for 14 days because of immature lungs.

I was the first one to ever have had it twice in all my doctor's medical practice....so it is very rare indeed. Since I didn't know, I wasn't considered high-risk, but that is what you may be if your placenta fails to move. Sex will be a no-no and you may be put on bedrest. Once the placenta moves, it doesn't move back, so once you are cleared of it, you don't have to worry.

Of course this time we checked and checked again to make sure everything is ok and hubby just had to pay out of pocket for the fees. But it's better than almost dying. I hope I didn't scare you, just want you to know that things can go wrong with this, even if you do know what's going on.

I hope it moves. It's less worry and pain that way. Best of luck

I had low lying in the first and beginning of second trimester, chances are it will move up as your uterus grows. Dont worry!!!

Oh and congrats on the little boy!!!! Another one for the blue team, we are also having alittle boy!

Thanks for all the helpful information. I will be 22 weeks tomorrow, so I think they have caught it pretty early. Is there anyway that this is prevented or to help with the movement of it, or is this a natural thing?
babyAndy congrats on your boy too!
Sarah

No, you just have to wait it out and see what happens.

it all depends on where the egg decides to attach. There is NO WAY to prevent it and to my knowledge, there's no real way to fix it if it doesn't move on it's own.

My friend had FULL previa at about 28wks and by the time she delivered, it had completely moved out of the way. Her doctor was shocked, plus he couldn't believe she gave birth naturally. First time in his career that's happened.