Anterior placenta?

[Cafeaulait27]

Hi all, I had my 12 week scan earlier in the week and was relieved that everything looked normal, it’s the furthest I’ve ever got with a pregnancy.

However I noticed on the scan report that I have an anterior placenta, which wasn’t discussed at all. I briefly googled and saw that it says this is a perfectly normal place for it to be and isn’t a concern, and I know the sonographer or midwife would’ve spoken to me about it if it was.

However I googled again last night and saw a study which said it can cause small babies or even stillbirth due to potential restricted blood flow.

Should I be worried? Does anyone have any stories of their experience with an anterior placenta?

Thank you xx

@Moominmiss yes must be more due to the tilt than anything else. It was initially a bit scary when she said I needed an internal, I was convinced that meant baby must’ve been measuring small or something was wrong. But she assured me everything looked normal, it was just hard to see so I relaxed after that!

Hopefully will be able to have abdominal ones going forward but I guess it’s not the end of the world if it’s still difficult as long as baby is healthy.

It’s great that you’ve been able to hear the HB and feel movements too. Did your midwife check for the HB at your 16 week appointment?

I’ve also requested a c section so I’m hoping it won’t be an issue for this too, glad to hear it seems to be fine for you. Xx

@Chelyanne ah thank you for explaining. recently I wondered if I was experiencing movements, felt a bit like gut movements but something about it made me think it might be baby movements. I’m 12+4 - do you think it could be, or is it too early? Xx

My 16 week app was a phone one. I havent heard heartbeat yet at 27 weeks! Only face to face apps have been booking and two scans!

I do have a face to face next week however

I had anterior placenta and had a whopper at 9'11 and this time anterior and baby looks to be on the same growth path. Honestly never heard it could be dangerous and have had lots and lots of check ups due to medical condition (mine) but started to feel movements with first at about 18 weeks and by 20 weeks could feel them well. A lot of the time you feel movements at the side I've found anyway. Try not to worry OP and huge congrats. Also please try not to Google, I know its hard but can be a recipe for disaster if you are an anxious type.

@Cafeaulait27 I really wouldn’t worry about whether you have tv or abdo scans. As you said baby is doing fab, and if it means that’s how they get the very best view then that’s all that matters.

I have my 16 week appointment with midwife later this week where she said she’ll listen to the heartbeat. I also got to hear it at my private nipt scan at 13+4.

Now I know what it sounds like and roughly where to find it (from watching where the sonographer placed the Doppler) I can find it really quickly within a couple of seconds.

Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy and your c section! Xx

@THATbasicSNOWFLAKE I feel very lucky that my trust (West Sussex) has done all face to face appointments, and my partner was allowed to the dating scan too. I think the sonographer was maybe being kind as it seems it’s not usual to hear the HB at the dating scan? Never got that far before so I wasn’t sure but it was lovely to hear it! Great that you have a face to face next week.

She spent so long rummaging around with the internal probe, I felt sure I would bleed after but I haven’t at all which I hope is a good sign.

@Starlive23 definitely learnt my lesson on googling, especially late at night! It seems to be only one study that says this, and most websites and numerous other studies say it isn’t an issue.

@Moominmiss great that you’ll hear it at your 16 week appointment and great that you have a Doppler too - must be reassuring. What did you think of the NIPT test by the way? Would you say it’s worth having? I know it’s 99% accurate for downs but I worry that it’s not as accurate for edwards or pataus so I’m sort of on the fence about it now.

Thank you so much, good luck with the rest of your pregnancy and c section too! x

@Cafeaulait27 it is reassuring finding the heartbeat at home, but I’m being realistic and will make sure I don’t get panicky if I don’t find it one day as I know they have so much room to move around at the moment.

I found the nipt an incredible experience. We actually had 2 done 😂

Basically we first went to ultrasound direct as they were slightly cheaper and closer to us. The scan was rubbish, didn’t do any measurements, was just a ‘oooh look at your cute baby’ type of scan. Then the blood test. It was a harmony one. It came back inconclusive.

I just found them to be totally crap so I booked the scan/test I’d wanted to go for from the start, which was a SAFE nipt at the birth company on Harley street in London. We’d originally decided to go for the one closer to home because the SAFE one was in London (2.5 hours away for us), and was £100 more expensive (£500 in comparison to £400 for harmony with ultrasound direct).

I so wish wed just gone for the SAFE was from the start.

The whole experience was amazing. So much more professional. The sonographer spent well over 30 minutes scanning me, it was more thorough and detailed than any nhs scan I’ve ever had. She did nt measurement, nasal bone check, limbs, heart chambers, spine, brain, kidneys, stomach, blood flow through placenta etc. Was just a really great scan.

We got a low nt measurement and she was able to point out a strong nasal bone etc.
Then she listened to the heartbeat.

After the scan she printed off a really detailed report with all measurements etc and talked us through each section.

She showed me what my background risk was for the 3 trisomies based on my age alone, then she showed us the adjusted risk now taking into account the scan findings.

Then she took blood and explained when we were likely to hear.

7 calendar days later we got the phone all telling us we were low risk. Then they emailed the report through where it was listed as 1:100,000 for all 3.

I personally feel extremely reassured by it, along with the scan.

Obviously there are abnormalities that can occur that could still be picked up at the 20 week anomaly scan that the nipt doesn’t check for. So at this point I’m obviously just hoping we have good news at that scan too.

Xx

They could be but they are very easily missed with a 1st baby. I think I was closer to 20wk when I knew that it was baby movement with our eldest.

I think it is unusual to listen to the hb at NHS scans, I haven't heard baby at any of my appointments. My 16wk was at hospital with the consultants but they only did urine dip and my bp. I have heard babys hb at home but my doppler had to be binned as the wires were knackered, it was over a decade old though so did well to last 3 full pregnancies and to about 18wk with this one. Also heard hb at my private scan at 16+4, umming and ahing about getting a private growth scan atm as the consultant said I'm not guaranteed any despite having a history of big babies.

I am 30 weeks and have an anterior placenta. Scans have been really smooth for me with no internal scans necessary. I have had three scans and each time the baby has been in a good position.

@Moominmiss that’s sounds great, I’m so glad it went well for you! The idea of a really thorough check over I think I would find really reassuring. Glad to hear yours came back low risk too.

@NinaMimi that’s great to hear, it must be my tilted uterus which is the issue with scans. All the best for the remainder of your pregnancy! ❤️

Honestly, I wouldn’t worry about it, it’s very common.
I had anterior placenta in my second pregnancy, felt first movement at the same time in both pregnancies (16 weeks). Had pretty smooth pregnancy and easy (as can be ) water birth, considering DC was 10lb 13oz whopper!
Try not to worry and enjoy your pregnancy