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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Low-lying placenta at 21 weeks - how likely is this to move?

12 replies

naturelover · 18/04/2007 13:11

Just wondering if any of you had low-lying placentas at the anomaly scan that moved away from the cervix before birth. Just worried that if it doesn't move I'll a) not be allowed a home birth and b) have to have a c-section. I'm due to have another scan at 35 weeks.

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southeastastra · 18/04/2007 13:13

hi i had a low lying one that didn't move and had to have a c section. most of them do move though.

Mum2FunkyDude · 18/04/2007 13:14

info

stanleysmother · 18/04/2007 13:26

Mine was low lying at the anomaly scan and i had exactly the same concerns. I was reassured that the majority do move, but obviously someone is going to be in that 1% who don't. Was rescanned at 34 weeks or similar and all was well. Went onto have DS in 7 hours in water with no pain relief

Guitargirl · 18/04/2007 17:42

I had a low lying placenta at the 20-week abnormality scan which was still low at 23-week scan to measure cervix. Had another scan at 34 weeks and it had moved up by then. (Ended up with ECC anyway but that was nothing to do with placenta).

Pebblemum · 19/04/2007 10:09

My 20wk scan showed i had a low lying placenta but when they rescanned me at 32wks it had moved out of the way so all was ok
Its quite common for them to move as the womb grows so try to stay positive

Olihan · 19/04/2007 10:21

My second one was low at my 20 week scan but had oved by 36 weeks when I was rescanned. Dr said the bottom of the uterus is the last bit to grow, that's why they leave it to 35/36 weeks to rescan.

Katy44 · 19/04/2007 10:48

Yes, me too - placenta covering the exit at 18 weeks but had moved by 34 week scan. I was told by MW that 20% of women get the low lying placenta, 95% of them have moved by later on in the pregnancy - not sure whether those are accurate figures or whether she was just making the point.
And - you get another scan which is wonderful!

Original poster

naturelover · 19/04/2007 11:51

Thanks for the encouraging messages. Did some googling and saw that in most cases the placenta does indeed move in time.

Brief rant: had 21 week scan yesterday and the sonographer was really abrupt with us, mumbled, etc. I know they do scans day in day out but she didn't make it feel special at all! We came out feeling like we'd just taken the car to the garage. So actually the prospect of another scan doesn't really fill us with joy that much. Also the pics she gave us were blurred and indistinct, much worse than the ones at 13 weeks. This is our first child so having such a non-event of a scan made us feel a bit disappointed.

Maybe my expectations were too high. It's just that the last sonographer was so nice and it was so special.

OP posts:

Klaw · 19/04/2007 11:58

Naturelover, you are more than likely to find that at 35wks scan placenta has moved up.

It's not actually that the placenta moves but that as the womb grows it takes the placenta away from the exit. (mark a big dot on a balloon near the hole before you blow it up and then see where it is once you've blown it up..)

It was a concern for me before my VBAC but thankfully placenta did not cover exit by 34wk scan! I'm fairly sure you'll find the same.

Best of luck!

Klaw · 19/04/2007 12:01

pity about the sonographer, all too often it seems that people are in the wrong jobs!

Try not to let it dampen the joy and excitement of your pg! She was probably jealous of your beauty.

Katy44 · 19/04/2007 12:03

naturelover - at your next scan you might have someone else and it will be much nicer. Plus, i found it really hard to make out the baby's body parts at my 18 week scan - at 34 weeks everything was so clear!

stanleysmother · 19/04/2007 13:53

naturelover - sorry to hear about your rubbish experience. I really think it's the luck of the draw on the day, some sonographers take pleasure in their work and are really happy for you and some are just miserable swines. I had a dreadful 12 week scan with my 1st pregnancy, left me feeling very low, they just mumbled to each other while they did it and the stony silences and lack of info really unnerved me. They then told me the baby had a high chance of DS, with 1:716 odds, which I now know is not really that high at all... but was that explained to me then? No chance. I was told to go away & think about it and make a decision re invasive tests. Ended up going to the AMAZING Fetal medicine Centre in Harley St for a repeat nuchal which left me more confident. Was dreading the 22 week scan but had the nicest doctor in the world and it was wonderful. Don't be downhearted, your 1st baby is too special! And if you are really annoyed, write a letter of complaint to the head of the unit

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