20 week scan placenta covering the cervix

[PurpleFuschia4]

Wondering if anyone is in the same position or recently has been as could do with advice.

I'm pregnant with my first, a girl due 21st April. I've just been for my second 20 week scan as at the first some checks (legs, heart and placenta) couldn't be done because of baby's position. All is fine with baby however the sonographer informed me my placenta is covering my cervix. He told me I'd have to come back for another scan around 32 weeks and gave me a leaflet to read.

The leaflet doesn't really say a lot so naturally I googled it (not sure if that was a good idea!). Have I understood correctly - a placenta that covers the cervix is unlikely to "move" and i will more than likely have to deliver by c section around 38 weeks?

Also there seemed to be a lot of talk about blood loss.

Anyone been in this situation and can advise?? It's making me feel really anxious.

I was told this too at my 20 week scan. I was then booked in for a further scan at 32 weeks.
The baby moved the placenta when it got into the head down position at around 29 weeks.
I’m now 37 weeks and everything’s fine

I was told this at my 20 weeks scan, had a scan at 29 weeks and due another one at 33 weeks placenta seems to be moving away from cervix. It’s quite common that it’ll move by the time you will be due to deliver. I don’t want to scare you or anything but I did have a couple of bleeds caused by this. I went to the hospital and all was fine.

Good luck x

My placenta was covering the cervix at 20 weeks. They did another scan at 33 weeks and it had moved out of the way. Think of drawing a dot near the neck of a balloon and then blowing it up - the dot moves up the balloon as it expands. So your placenta remains attached to the same point on the wall of the uterus, but as the uterus expands the placenta moves upwards away from the cervix. The hospital consultant said in the vast majority of cases the placenta moves and it's a very small minority of cases where they do a C-section because it hasn't.

Thanks so much for that bella frenchie and rebekah - I feel a lot more positive now! It seemed all I was reading was how noones had "moved" so I'm surprised (in a good way) to hear all your experiences

Where is the rest of your placenta? Is it at the bottom and anterior? Mine was and it had moved completely out the way by 31 weeks

I was told mine is low at the 20 week scan, I've got another scan in 4 weeks (I'll be 32 weeks) to see where it is exactly, she said she wasn't concerned and from what I've seen 9/10 it moves!

It is at the back (posterior?). All was said was that it was covering the cervix. I'll have to speak to my mw of course but appointment isn't until January.

Mines the same. I also terrified myself by googling! Scan at 28 weeks shows it's still low and I go back in 3 weeks for another scan. 31 weeks and no bleeding yet (fingers crossed) the hospital don't seem worried at all about it but if you have any bleeding even a spot call the maternity unit or go in. If it stays low they will refer you to a consultant and would be a c section.

Thanks ChocolateButton - Google is the devil haha. Fingers crossed for your next scan.

Mine was low lying at my 20 week scan with DC2. Second scan at 32 weeks showed that the placenta had moved so the path was cleared for a vaginal birth

Midwife did mention in the time between scans that if I experienced any bleeding to call the antenatal unit at the hospital and get myself admitted straight away. Having a low lying placenta immediately puts you in the high risk category so they don't tend to mess around.

I've got my fingers crossed for you that everything is ok, the placenta has plenty of time to move around between now and your due date. And don't go google anything else!

Mine was low at 20 weeks, and I have a scan tomorrow to see if it's moved. I've only seen a midwife once (2nd pregnancy) since the last scan and she didn't even mention it so I've not really worried about it.

From what I've read, most move so fingers crossed for all of us!