Low Lying Placenta at 20wks - Will It Move?

[girlfromdownsouth]

Hi All, had my 20wk scan yesterday and at the meeting with the midwife afterwards she mentioned that my placenta was low lying and completely covering the mouth of the cervix. She said that if it was still like that full term the only way for the baby to come out is a C-Section. This is a million miles away from the home birth I had booked!

Anyone else had this at my stage and did the placenta move out of the way?

DO NOT WORRY. I had exactly the same and was told no gym, no sex (!!!) and not to carry anything. Next m/w appointment she told me that was a load of bollocks frankly, and that it was MASSIVELY unlikely that it would not have moved. Scanned again at 32 weeks and lo, it had moved, and I went on to have a dream homebirth. Please don't worry - I ruined 8 weeks of a beautiful pregnancy crying over this. The basis fact which applies to everyone is that if you have any unexplained bleeding or bright red blood you get straight to casuality as this is what you will definitely get if you have placenta praevia. PP is incredibly serious and it is a known fact that it is massively over-diagnosed at 20 wks (about 20%) of which I think about 4% are genuinely covering the cervix at 32 weeks. Only small thing is it could mean you placenta is anterior (by your belly button!) so you could end up with a back-to-back baby - I did but still had a fantastic homebirth. You will be absolutely fine - good luck and don't let this ruin your pregnancy!

It might. Or it might not.

Mine didn't move and I had a section at 38 weeks. I hadn't planned a homebirth but had wanted the pool, essential oils and knitted lentil blanket. :o But I did come to terms with it. There is a Natal Hypnotherapy CD about C Sections which really helped me. It had a part about coming to terms with having a section and saying 'goodbye' to the birth you want.

You won't definitely bleed - I didn't. And I carried on with swimming, yoga etc till 36 weeks.

Sorry Panzee - hope I didn't sound too much like I think I'm the world's greatest expert on low lying placenta - am certainly not. Didn't mean to downplay the fact that it is very serious when it doesn't move, just that in all probability it will. Glad your sonographer didn't scare you off what sounds like a great pregnancy.

It was a great pregnancy despite the 'luggage being in the wrong place', as a midwife described it. I had to go into hospital at 37 weeks which I was most miffed about at the time, but it was no biggie really and it was just in case I went into labour.

Thanks TCOB and Panzee. Midwife did tell me to look out for bleeding - have had quite a bit in this pg but eased off after New Year.

TCOB I had a back to back home birth with my first and although bloody painful, was great.

Panzee As I said to midwife if it doesn't move the most important thing is that baby is safe and if it means a c/s then so be it. I have been looking into Hypnotherapy so will check some CD's out - thanks for that.

I had a low lying placenta at the 20 week scan. And it has moved up by the time I had a rescan at 34 weeks. They say that 9 times out of ten it does move up. Try not to worry about it and carry on as usual. Good luck.

Another one where it moved.