Advice anterior placenta

[RoRosmama]

So I am just after a bit of advice if anyone out there has had the same or knows anything about anterior placentas.

I went for a private scan at 17*4 weeks and was told I had an anterior placenta. I was told it's nothing to worry about and it can shift etc.
Next week I go for my 20 week scan so will see what they say. I have heard if the placenta moves down then it is most likely that a caesarean is required. I want to know how can they know this? Obviously they will see it on the scan but Will I keep being scanned after 20 weeks to check on the whereabouts of my placenta? Or will it end up being an emergency c section? I'm quite worried.

I hope this makes sense.

Thanks in advance

[Mintypea5]

Anterior placenta means it's at the front not the back. Placentas start off low and move up as the uterus and baby grow / expand.

If it's showing low at the 20 week scan they will arrange for you to have a planets check scan around 34 weeks. If it's still not loved then they'll discuss options with you.

Most of the time they move so try kit to worry

[JustLikeJasper]

I had an anterior placenta and caused no issues through pregnancy or the birth, try not to worry it's unusual to cause complications x

[CannonCaboodle]

Anterior placenta means it's on the front wall of your womb. It usually moves up and out of the way of your cervix as your womb gets larger. I wouldn't worry.

[Jsh125]

I had an anterior placenta with my first pregnancy & wasn't an issue at all. At the 20 week scan they'll check its position but what's important is whether it's anywhere near the cervix & therefore blocking babies exit. It moves up or away during pregnancy so provided it's a certain distance away at 20 weeks they can be pretty confident it won't be a problem. Whether it's anterior or posterior doesn't make a difference to needing a c section, it's whether it's covering any of the cervix (well whatever the bit after the cervix is called!) that is important as that would mean the baby couldn't be born through the vagina. Hope that helps a little bit

[RoRosmama]

Thank you all so much for your replies. I do feel a lot better after reading them. I do have one further question however. If my placenta is still anterior at the 20 week scan then what's not to say in the coming weeks that it moves down? Would they not know this until I go into labour? Or can the midwife feel in later apps?
Sorry I am dramatising I do realise this. I had a traumatic labour with my first so am just a bit nervous!

[Mintypea5]

Being anterior isn't anything to do with how high or low it is.

Anterior just means it's positioned on the front of the uterus. If it's not low at your 20 week scan then it's not going to move down. They start low and move up over time.

The only issue you may find with an anterior placenta is it can cushion the movements a bit.

If it's low at your 20 week scan then you'll be rescanned again about 34 weeks to check it's moved.

[Lonelymum11]

If my placenta is still anterior at the 20 week scan then what's not to say in the coming weeks that it moves down?

It will still be anterior as it won't move front to back. They'll be able to tell from the scan what the position is and what (if any) risk it poses. If you're worried, ask them about it specifically in the scan and they'll be able to reassure you.

[Lonelymum11]

Ah I might be wrong about it not moving front to back, sorry!

[Minkies13]

Think of the placenta like a dot on a balloon down low near where you blow into it. The balloon is your uterus. As your uterus grows, and it does a lot of growing in the last trimester, it typically moves up... Not that it can shift, its just that your uterus gets bigger so it goes up.

That dot on the balloon... When you blow air into the balloon that dot will move up higher on the balloon. That's what your placenta will do.

Mine was anterior and low and at my last scan at 38 weeks (I was given a few extra scans bc of this) it had moved well out of the way of my cervix