Low lying placenta and previous C-section

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I just had my 20 week scan and the baby looked perfect, but my placenta is 14mm away from my cervix and classed as low lying anterior. The sonographer said it's a concern because I've had a C-section before, and booked me back in for another appointment later in the week with someone more senior than her for a second opinion. She was rushed off her feet and didn't give me any other information. Does anyone know what this could mean for me? I'm feeling pretty worried 😟

Hey OP. Try not to worry too much! As you get bigger the placenta can move and sometimes gets pushed to the back. They’ll keep an eye on it. If it doesn’t move I think you’ll end up having another c section as it’ll be in the way of your cervix x

I haven't had a previous c-section but also have an anterior low-lying placenta which was identified at my 20 week scan - my understanding is that low-lying placenta/placenta praevia (where the placenta completely covers the cervix) is more common in pregnancies where you've had a previous c-section. Most of the time an anterior low-lying placenta will move up as the uterus stretches and will move away from the cervix - if it doesn't then like PP says you'll need another c-section as there's a risk of significant blood loss with a low-lying placenta.

They won't be able to do anything about it now, but they'll need to scan you again further along in your pregnancy to check the position of the placenta - I'm having another scan at 34 weeks so your hospital will probably offer you something similar.

Hopefully that gives a bit of reassurance - I don't think you need to worry too much right now as there is genuinely nothing you can do at the moment.

Mine was low lying anterior at 20 week scan but by 32 weeks had moved enough and at my final scan at 38 weeks was apparently well out of the way. Sonographer told us 90% move so you may well be fine. From what I can gather it's only a real risk during pregnancy if the placenta actually covers the cervix if it's just close it means probably a c section but the actual pregnancy shouldn't be affected. My SIL had low lying placenta that didn't move she had no issues at all and had ELCS at 37 weeks but that was due to baby also being big.

I had exactly this, in fact mine was touching my cervix but not overlapping at 20 weeks, so even closer. I think they will be monitoring it because if it's too close vaginal birth would be risky, and also due to the previous c section scar. Mine moved up very slowly but by 36 weeks it was considered safe for a vaginal birth and no issues with the scar. I had a c section for other reasons and everything was totally fine, so don't worry.

I had a low lying anterior placenta at the 20 week scan, by 29 weeks it was 4cm clear and has moved up even further now at 31 weeks and is in no way low lying. Sonographer explained to me that most do move and usually doesn’t end up being an issue. It’s more unusual for it to stay low lying than it is to move and it isn’t uncommon to be classed as low lying at 20 weeks if that makes sense! X

I had a similar experience, the sonographer identified it then didn't really explain other than it was concerning! I had a consultant appt the week after and she explained that yes it can move, but if it doesn't a c section is the only real way forward as it's obstructing the babies exit and it can be risky. I'm 35 weeks now and although I'm due a final scan at 36 weeks to just check it out I'm booked in for a section anyway as mine was unlikely to move enough. I was a bit scared by it but now we have a plan and I'm know why I need one I'm a peace with it!

The reason she mentioned concern with low lying placenta and previous section, is that there is a risk of placenta accreta.

This is where the placenta embeds into the previous c section scar and is a majorly complex obstetric complication. However, it's more common when someone has had more than one c section in the past. It's becoming much more common due to increasing c section rates, but still considered uncommon.

She probably jumped the gun a little by suggesting something like this without having evidence or seeing more than just a low lying placenta. Majority of low lying placentas are not accretas. But all accretas are low lying. She's probably being overly cautious, but equally good to out rule. Hope the follow up scan gives you complete peace of mind.

They should book you in for another scan at 32 weeks to check if the placenta has moved, which it often does as the uterus grows. I would suggest speaking to your midwife about any activities you should avoid (it is recommended to avoid sex, heavy lifting, strenuous exercise).

I was diagnosed with a low lying placenta at 20 weeks, fully covering the cervix. Unfortunately it hasn’t moved and I’ve had a few bleeds (which you need to phone triage/maternity assessment straight away for and will likely be asked to go in). I’m having my c section tomorrow at 35 weeks as unfortunately due to the number of bleeds I have had (4). I haven’t told you this to scare you, I just want to let you know the possibilities of this happening if the placenta doesn’t move.

There are good placenta previa support groups on Facebook.

Thanks everyone for your replies, I didn't reply again because I got that second opinion this morning and the other sonographer does think it looks like the placenta might be inbedding into the uterus wall (i.e. accreta but she didn't use that word). A consultant needs to look at the images and then I will have an MRI at 26 weeks to confirm either way. Looks like this could be a bigger deal than just low lying placenta 😟

Hope your consultant appointment goes well! They were worried about the same for me and I did a deep dive into placenta accreta and all I could find was that they may do a c section a bit earlier than your due date and you just take it easy until then to avoid going into labour! Hope all goes well!

Hey, what was your outcome , I'm in the same situation right now both low lying and possibly accreta covering the previous c section.

Hiya! It was a bit weird what happened, the consultant reviewed the images from the ultrasound and couldn't see whatever evidence of accreta that the sonographer had seen, so I just had another ultrasound at 28 weeks which confirmed the placenta had moved up and was no longer low lying. Then I got a call saying they've decided to give me an MRI after all, and they didn't give it to me until 35 weeks! Weeks and weeks of unbearable worry but the MRI ruled out accreta.
In the end I had an elective cesarean which was really complicated for other reasons, took hours and I haemorrhaged anyway. After that experience, accreta doesn't sound so scary anymore. They really do look after you no matter what. I think where accreta is really dangerous, is usually in situations where they didn't discover it before delivery. I really hope you don't have accreta, but if you do, you'll have a specialist team in place and everything will be planned and prepped to deliver your baby safely.

This thread just shows how pointless it is asking for medical advice on here, the first 6 replies were falsely reassuring because those people don't know about abnormally invasive placenta as a complication of previous caesarean section. How people can just say it's fine when they don't know 🤯
Hope you are ok x

Tbh even the sonographer was reluctant to give me any information. She said the placenta looked like it was embedding into the uterus but she didn't use the word "accreta" presumably because she didn't want me to Google it. I also asked what if it is embedding into the uterus, what happens then? And she just said that I'll need another c section. My midwife then claimed not to know what accreta involves. This all significantly added to my worry way more than if they had been straight up with all the implications.

I am glad that it ended up not being accreta for you and hope you are recovering from what still sounds like a complicated ELCS.

I had a low lying anterior placenta near the cervix that moved by my due date with DD2, in fact I attempted VBAC which ended in a 2nd EMCS.

With my third however I did have placenta praevia seen on scans at 20 weeks and with the history of two previous C-sections I pushed for further scans which would have been done at 34 weeks. Before that point though I had a bleed at 26 weeks, they then did an MRI which confirmed percreta the most invasive form of accreta. It is very serious.

The more c sections or even uterine scarring you have from other procedures the more the likelihood of accreta in subsequent pregnancies.

Oof I'm sorry, I've heard of placenta percreta and it sounds a lot worse. By 34 weeks they need to be thinking about operating already so it's crazy to think if you didn't have that bleed then they wouldn't have even known until 34 weeks! That's why I was annoyed they didn't do my MRI until 35. Did the delivery go okay in the end? X

Delivery was at 34 weeks in the end after I started contracting. I had been in hospital for two months by that point due to repeated bleeds. The C-section itself was very touch and go I lost 6 litres, had a 14 unit blood transfusion, an emergency hysterectomy and bladder surgery. I am lucky to be here and that is only thanks to the two top consultants that did my specialist surgery. People don't realise how bad it can be.