Anterior placenta

[TheThreeMiracles]

When did you feel movements ? Just had my 20 week scan and been told placenta is at the front, potentially lying low but I've been referred to fetal medicine for another scan at 29 weeks to make sure it's up away from my cervix because she said cervix was abit sqished! But I've heard you don't feel much movement with placenta being at the front? X

A lot of people say you feel movements later and less regularly but I felt the first tiny kicks at 15 weeks with my second pregnancy anterior placenta and the movements throughout were just as noticable and strong as my first pregnancy posterior placenta. Not sure if I'm an anomaly though!

I had an anterior placenta in my first pregnancy and my experience was the opposite of pp, it was a real struggle to be honest.

I didn't feel any movements at all until 22/23 weeks and even after that they were never really strong or consistent. We never established any real pattern and they were never strong enough to be seen from the outside or for anyone else to be able to feel them.

I was in a lot with reduced movements in the third trimester as I could go entire days without feeling her - she would always be absolutely fine.
I had extra scans and she'd be dancing around like mad yet I couldn't feel a thing. By 37 weeks I was actually put on daily monitoring as it was so bad.

She was born perfectly healthy at 38 weeks and is now a very lively 4.5 year old.

I am now pregnant with DD2 and have a posterior placenta this time round and I cannot tell you how different it is! Absolute night and day.

Hopefully your experience will be much more like pp than mine!

I had an anterior placenta, felt my first flutters at just over 19 weeks, but I didn't start feeling movement most days until around 23/24 weeks. Like you, I also had a low lying placenta at 20 weeks - mine had moved up by the time I was scanned again at 34 weeks. By the time I gave birth it was so high up that it took ages to deliver!

How come they didn't pick this up at your 12 week scan? I had my 12 week scan last week and was told I have an anterior placenta. My ultrasound images were terribly blurry because of it. I'm only 14 weeks now and hoping it will move otherwise I will feel robbed of not feeling baby kicking around! :(

That's unusual for them to tell you so early as the placenta is just developing at 12 weeks and so often moves. It is more common to be told at 20 weeks.

At 12 weeks I got told 'it looks like it's probably developing at the back this time but we'll confirm at your 20 week scan'

I had an anterior placenta and felt bubble like movements from about 16 weeks. No proper kicks until 24 weeks and then they were very low down. Baby was transverse until 34 weeks so kicks were always in my sides!

Really? I wouldn't know as this is my first pregnancy.. but every abdominal scan I've had to date have been unsuccessful or extremely blurry as the placenta and the cord was constantly covering the baby :( They did say as it's early it could move up later on down the line.

Thank you for your replies, she said she's not sure if my placenta is low or high at this point, do you have to wait to see if it moves or would I be able to request another scan ie would I get the same outcome ?
I have felt some movements but only slightly I'm so worried I won't feel baby move etc xx

It really doesn't make any difference if high or low at this point and you wouldn't get another NHS scan for that.
29 weeks is about right for a scan to check where it is.

Thank you midwife phoned me and booked a scan for 26 weeks she was really reassuring xx

I have one and could feel kicks from 20 ish weeks, now 32 weeks and feel him loads. Sounds like it can be a very varied experience as with everything pregnancy related! Glad you feel reassured with another scan coming up OP x

I had anterior placenta and low lying (over cervix) with DS in my last pregnancy. Only found out at the 20 week scan, but during that scan she also couldn’t quite tell low low lying it was so offered a transvaginal scan there to measure, I agreed and she then said it was over the cervix with no gap.

I got another scan at 32 weeks to check if it had moved, and it had.

In terms of movements I felt bubbles at about 19 weeks once or twice but put it down to gas. Didn’t feel gentle movements until 22/23 weeks. To be honest it was very infrequent and gentle until about 28/29 weeks. Then I had a week of kicks. Then a day of no movements and ended up in MAC for reduced movements. On the monitor I could hear kicks/movements but I couldn’t feel them at all.

This time I have a posterior placenta (told me at the 12 week scan because I asked if they could see it they didn’t offer the info freely), and I have felt movements sooner from 17 weeks for bubbles and then 18 weeks for gentle movements, and by 20 weeks the odd kick and turning.

I had a low lying placenta diagnosed at 20 weeks and had another scan at 32 weeks to confirm the position. It’s up and away from the cervix, the midwife told me that happened in 9/10 cases. My is at the back too and I can already see feet and elbows protruding here and there.

That's kind they've brought it forward for a bit of reassurance for you.

If your placenta is low at that point, you'll likely get another scan at 32 weeks to check position and another at 36 weeks if it still hasn't moved.
It's at that point they would start discussing options for birth.

Still a long way off yet and you don't even know if it's high or low at this stage so please do try not to worry.

I’ve been the same, second pregnancy and anterior placenta (was posterior last time) and have been surprised I could feel just as much as I did when pregnant with my first.

Last night I felt lots of movement 💚