'Gritty' placenta. Any thoughts on why?

[Bensonbluebird]

I just remembered that when DS2 was born the midwife said that the placenta was 'gritty' and looked like the placenta of a smoker or as if the baby was a couple of weeks over term. I'm not a smoker, the baby was 3 days early and I'd had a very healthy pregnancy. So what might have been going on?

calcium deposits i think, placenta could have been older than thought - maybe dates wrong?

Is it possible that the dates were wrong?

it means taht she found some calcification, and that indicates placenta is older and more mature and therefore not quite as efficient

"Calcification within the placenta is quite a common finding - many people consider it to be a normal part of the maturation and aging of this organ in response to the increasing stresses placed upon it by the rapidly growing baby."

seems smokers do have more calcified placentas too

perhpas your dates were a little out, or your placenta was just a little quicker to start ageing !

i take it the baby was a good weight?

my sister had a gritty placenta and her baby was small for dates, she was 37 weeks, the midwife said that her placenta was failing

The baby was 8lb 2 and my scan dates were the same as those from my own calculations... looks like the placenta must have matured more quickly than usual.

Thanks for info Lulu, Scorpio and Pennies.

sounds like baby was just fine !

Very interesting

When I had dd I was asked if I was a smoker as the placenta was gritty.

I have never smoked,my dd was born at 39 weeks weighing 6lb.

So interesting to know it probably means the placenta was aged or starting to fail,will have to keep this in mind for when i have my new baby in April.

I had a gritty placenta. But I also had pre-eclampsia and apparently that can cause it too. I was quite offended when they asked if I was a smoker!

Shanks - that was bothering me a bit too, not prego now but I'd like to have another. If I do it won't be until this baby is 2 and I will have reached the grand old age of 36. As the placenta matures more quickly in older mothers that could mean that placenta might fail. Don't want to worry you but probably worth asking your midwife about it.

Whomovedmychocolate - I was a teensy bit offended too!

Interesting to read these posts. My placenta was also v gritty and I was asked if i was a smoker (i'm not). At the time I did wonder about the dates as I was vast by the time I gave birth (40+5), baby was 9 lb and somehow looked mature for a newborn. There was also lots of meconium. I've always felt a bit like my body let me down at the end of a wonderful pregnancy - took ages to dilate (finally got to 9.5 cm) and ended up emcs with both me and baby in distress, and then a gritty placenta to top it all off!