To be confused about low lying placenta?

[Pregnancywhat]

Had my 20 week scan yesterday and everyone looked good, so was feeling so happy.

just as we were leaving, the doctor runs out and says oh by the way you have a low placenta so you’ll need to come back at 32 weeks and if it hasn’t moved then we will ‘clear it out’. But 9 out of 10 times, it will move.

Obviously I have googled and have seen warnings about big bleeds, bed rest, no sex etc but can’t see anything about what ‘clearing it out’ might mean?!

i am going to try and speak to someone over the phone but any ideas please?

No idea what was meant by 'clear it out'. I would give your community midwife a call just to talk things over so you feel a bit more reassured. Most women with low lying placenta at 20 weeks go onto find at the scan at 32 weeks that it has moved up and is no longer an issue. In some cases you can experience bleeding but generally unless a bleed has happened you would not be advised any bed rest. Definitely ask your midwife for advice regarding sex during pregnancy.

If they find at 32 weeks that your placenta hasn't moved then you will get a rescan at 36 weeks but will generally advise to have a c section as mode of delivery due to bleeding risk for vaginal.

Sorry that you were just casually chucked that info at you, not what you needed but if you could talk to someone who has access to your records then hopefully they can give you some reassurance.

Take care x

Why didn’t you ask?

You must have misheard, there is no such thing as “clearing it out”

@ialwayswantedyoutogo because he literally ran out of the room as we were waiting for the lift and dashed off again - he was very breezy about it.

@ChickpeaPie no, both my husband and I did not miss hear. We are not in the UK so unsure if they have different procedures.

@Nursemumma92 thank you - I have asked my OBgyn to give me a call to chat through!

Whether you’re in the UK or not, you cannot clear out a placenta. It either moves up by 32 weeks or it stays put and you have an elective section

@ChickpeaPie well yes I can see that, that’s easily available on google.

I was asking if anyone had heard of the phrase - ie do they try and manually move it on or manipulate it externally. You haven’t and that’s fine - both of us didn’t mishear.

Mine never moved. I bled from about 27 weeks on and off and was in hospital until he was born at 34 weeks. I has placenta previa and was prone to bleeds just by doing to the loo sometimes. Hope yours moves.

Manipulating a placenta would cause catastrophic haemorrhage. If you find out what they meant then please let us know!

I'd assume "clear it out of the way" ie move it. Manipulation, external massage, etc, like when midwives try to turn babies?

how do you move a placenta - blimey! I'm shocked anyone thinks this is possible - if it detaches it doesn't just find a new home

it will move as your womb grows or you will have a section - mine grew out of the way as my womb grew

NO! that would be the end of everything

The placenta cannot be moved or "cleared out", unless the doctor is thinking of clearing out the baby at the same time. I had type 4 placenta praevia in my first pregnancy, I had to spend the last 6 weeks in hospital due to risk of haemorrhage.

@LisaJool really sorry to hear that.

did they let you know at your 20 week scan how serious it was?

my scan was all looks good and then as we were walking out btw you have this but not to worry byeee. Anxiously waiting for my obgyn to call me back!

No they absolutely can't move it. I cannot for the life of me think what he could have been talking about. I think you should ring and ask. Really not on for him to just drop something like that and leave

@OriginalUsername3 i know - I have a left a message for a call back. I didn’t think much of it until I got back and googled and I am now very confused!

Low lying placenta is different to placenta previa which that advice is often aimed at.

if you weren’t supposed to have sex you’d have been told

Maybe it was just a strange phase they used to mean plan whats to happen, like at 32 weeks if it hasn't moved we will discuss the next steps i.e. a planned c section? Hope you get to talk to your care team soon to put your mind at rest!

Just to add, I found out I had low lying placenta at 20 weeks but it didn't move enough and I had elective section, it was a great birth and fine recovery (even though I had really wanted a 'natural' birth)

@Restingpotato thank you - as long as they arrive healthy and ideally not too early then I will be so grateful and happy, however it happens.

Does your scan report tell you how far from your cervix the placenta is? As others have said there is no way to ‘clear out’ or manually move a placenta. It may move as your uterus grows.

I had this at my 20 week scan and at my follow up scan it had moved out the way. I think they usually do. I was told that mine was touching the cervix but not covering it at the 20week scan and then it moved up as my bump grew.

If it remains low then you may need a planned c section from what I understand, due to the risk of placenta coming out first during birth. It's not something that should have been casually mentioned to you. It's possible that as you need to be given the "all clear" for a natural birth to go ahead at the follow up scan maybe they said something like this?

I had this - it just moves on its own the vast, vast majority of the time and when it doesn't you have to have a c-section. It's not as dramatic as the internet makes it sound (I remember googling and being panicked too). No idea what they mean by "clear it out" though - they absolutely cannot and would not attempt to move it. You don't need to do anything differently.

I reckon 'clear it' meant 'check you're safe to go into labour' (and if not, to book a section).

@Pregnancywhat no at my 20 week scan they just mentioned it was low lying but would most likely move. I had a big bleed at 27 weeks and they told me then that it was completely covering the cervix and there was no chance that it would move up any further. I had a haemorrhage at 37 weeks and that was when dc was born, via emcs.

Absolutely this!