First time mum - anterior placenta advice?

[Chaoscontrol]

I am 18 weeks with a baby girl and every Dr's appointment is excatly how it should be, she's growing perfectly and everything is as it should be, no issues or worries.

But at a private scan to find out gender I was told I have an anterior placenta. After a bit of googling, I realised not feeling her move is totally normal and especially as a first time mum too..

But how can I shake this horrible nervous worry that something is wrong because I cant feel my baby?

I have minimal symptoms, a small bump and desperately waiting for this to all feel real. Any advice for a first time mum would be hugely appriciated 🩷

Hi OP, I had anterior placenta with both of my DC and can remember the worry. If it's reassuring at all you will definitely start to feel more as the baby grows. IIRC I felt fewer kicks and more turning and pushing. It was visible at times.

I had a couple of private scans for reassurance but did end up calling MAU a couple of times and was checked over if I hadn't felt as much as usual.

I'm sure I felt more after 21 weeks so hopefully you won't have too much time to go before your baby really makes themselves known. Once mine started they really went for it including having hiccups pretty often.

Anterior placenta twice here. Trust me, past a certain point you get just as beaten up from the inside out! DSs could kick hard enough to wake DH by the 8 month point!

18 weeks is fairly early to feel movements with any kind of placenta I think. After 20w you'll feel more I'm sure

Yes, this 😭

36w pg atm and the whole double bed shakes with each kick

I even had a kid in a lift notice it and she and her mum were pointing and gazing lol

I'm pretty sure my baby is trying to break out through my belly button like a bird hatching out of an egg

I had anterior placenta with DS2 and again now with baby #3. I couldn't feel anything until 22 weeks with this one but now at 26 weeks if I want reassurance I lie down for a few minutes and can almost always feel something. If I still can't, I drink cold water and that gets her going!

The key is knowing what's normal for you. Unfortunately I think it's too early to work that out. Give it a few weeks and try to relax. The chances of anything being wrong at this stage are tiny!

At 18 weeks with #1 I was slimmer than pre pregnancy (thank you morning sickness) and barely feeling movements. It's really normal with first babies wherever your placenta is to not feel movements at this point, or to even feel that pregnant. Often the early symptoms have eased but your bump has yet to pop and movements are so faint - remember baby has lots of room in there right now and isn't that big, so they are not pushing on things as much!

Wishing you lots of luck!

Hello, first time mum here with anterior placenta too. My bump has been really small throughout, I am currently 26 weeks and it is still pretty small. Everyone carries differently so try not to worry and as others have said baby is still tiny so there is plenty of room to move around. I started to feel more noticeable movements from 20 weeks onwards and now can definitely feel her moving regularly all the time ! My midwife advised it is totally normal not to notice much as a FTM early on. They only really want you to track movements from 24 weeks anyway as it is around about this time baby establishes a pattern.

Try not to worry and wishing you all the best xx

I really feel for you as I was exactly the same! FTM too at almost 31 weeks now, but I couldn’t feel my baby at all until 24 weeks. Even then it wasn’t huge movements. Now he’s making my whole belly move with massive kicks/punches/headbutts - God knows what he’s up to in there!

I really don’t know how to manage worry as I feel like I’ve been worried the entire time. It’s just a case of waiting it out, which I know isn’t super helpful. The second trimester is always a bit weird as a lot of people have fewer symptoms than in the first trimester - that’s totally normal.

Very best of luck with everything x

Thanks all, very reassuring to hear.
I do get twinges and little aches occasionally, but as I've never been pregnant before I have no idea if this is baby or wind 😂

I'm 26+3 weeks with an anterior placenta. I started to feel baby low down (above vagina, and to the sides of pubic bones) around 18/19wks. Only now I can feel baby softly on the front of my stomach. It caused me anxiety too as a first time mum. Once baby gets bigger you'll notice them more!

Anterior placenta in both pregnancies.

First pregnancy, felt movements fine for the most part. Got into a predictable pattern. Only worried once maybe 30something weeks and went in hospital for monitoring where they heard heartbeat and predictably, she started kicking.

this pregnancy, I’m currently 22 weeks (23 tomorrow). I felt increasing amounts of movements from 19 weeks, definitely stronger by 20 weeks. again baby is starting to settle into a pattern.

usually a cold glass of water wakes him up, usually kicks after I’ve eaten.

i honestly don’t think an anterior placenta is as much as a problem as people make out.

I’m in a Facebook group with mums due at the same time & loads of us have APs.

they didn’t even mention it at any of my appointments. I just saw it on my notes.

I’d say that is about right for 18 weeks. I felt “things” but couldn’t say if wind or not at that stage.

by 19-20 weeks it was getting stronger/more regular and noticeable.

20+ weeks unmistakeable

22-23 weeks pretty predictable when he’ll move/kick

midwife told me they like recognisable patterns by 24 weeks