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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Low lying placenta

20 replies

liznay · 12/10/2008 10:29

Hi everyone,
this is my first post. I'm 28 wks and at my last scan they said I have a low lying placenta. What are the chances of this moving upwards by 11th dec (when they have booked me in for another scan) and do I def have to have a C/S if not?
Any other ladies out there had this problem?

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WentworthMillerMad · 12/10/2008 10:39

Hi - i dont have any personal experience of this but this was the exact same situation for a close friend of mine. her placenta did not move, obviously grew bigger so she had an elective section at 36 weeks - mummy and baby doing just fine!!!! i think the chances of it moving are slim but i am not a medic!!!! all the best

ilovemydog · 12/10/2008 10:49

Hi - DD was low lying until week 36 or so. Chances are very good that the baby will move. Don't have exact figures, but percentage is very high that plaacenta will move.

kiddiz · 12/10/2008 10:52

I had low lying placentas with both ds1 and ds2. You definately have time for it to move yet. I was finally given the all clear(!!!) at 36 week scan with ds2. It depends how low really. You will defintely have to have a c/s if it doesn't move up but I would try not to worry too much until your next scan...easier said than done I know. I'm sure they have told you all the warning signs to look out for. Good Luck.

pollyblue · 12/10/2008 12:09

Hello, there is a good chance it will move, I was told mine was low at my 20 week scan, but mose do move up, and was booked for another scan at 34 weeks to check its position. It hadn't moved and because it was just touching the cervix dd was delivered by section at 37 weeks. It had caused bleeding, which was the main reason why she was delivered early.

The fact it's low lying doesn't mean you will have to have a section, it depends where it is in relation to your cervix - touching it you probably will, if it is covering it you definitely will. Have you been warned that it can cause bleeding? Again, this doesn't always happen but I wish I had been told how suddenly a bleed can start - if you have a fast, heavy, painless blood loss go to hospital to be monitored.

Original poster

liznay · 12/10/2008 13:34

cheers for the replies! I've been told to go to the hospital if I bleed but other than that, haven't been told very much. maybe they don't want to scare me!

OP posts:

lauraloola · 12/10/2008 13:41

Mine was low on my 20 week scan. Was told not to have sex, lift anything or get too stressed!

Had another scan at 34 weeks and it had moved. If you get any bleeding go straight to the labour ward x

moocowme · 12/10/2008 20:59

they really ought to be telling your more than 'its low' they can see just how low at this stage. low could be: a) close to cervix - in which case it will probably move. b) touching cervix - it could move enough. c) its across the cervix - not much chance of moving and you are very high risk of bleeding and should have been given tons of advice and be booked for another scan by 32-34 weeks.

i had this problem and they did not tell me until way to late (+30 weeks) to fly home what was even wrong so i promptly left the nhs and went private.

Ebb · 12/10/2008 23:20

I had a low lying placenta at 20wks but it had moved by the time I was scanned again at 36wks. I think it's something like 20% of women have a low lying placenta at 20wks but only 5% of those women still have a low lying placenta at delivery time. (Could have that wrong but I think that's what I read when I googled it at 20wks!)

I also think it depends on how low it is. I certainly wasn't told to avoid sex or lifting anything...... Could have been a great excuse

benandoli · 12/10/2008 23:38

they told me the same and all was fine by the 36 week scan. They told me then that most placentas are low at 20 weeks and that they move as the baby grows.

Lubyloo · 12/10/2008 23:51

Info here that you may find useful. Only 0.5 to 1% of placentas remain low lying.

Mine was low at 20 week scan but had moved by 36 weeks. It was still a little lower than they liked but it just meant that I had to deliver in hospital rather than in the birthing centre I had chosen.

giggleBirthdayWitch · 12/10/2008 23:56

had it with ds1.
one bit of reassurance for you - the sonographers reckon it doesn't happen with subsequent babies I had two more and it didn't

Original poster

liznay · 13/10/2008 08:41

thanks for all the advice. From my notes I can see its 2cm away from the cervix, so perhaps not as critical at this stage.
Hopefully by the time I have my next scan then, it will have moved up.

OP posts:

gigglewitch · 14/10/2008 22:00

I delivered ds1 with it 0.5mm from the brim Errrr that's about the width of my little finger nail isnt it
Was horrified when found out at 39wks pg - just 5 days before he arrived actually. they were stringing it out cos i really really didn't want a CS. I think it complicated the pushing stage a bit - but hey we did it.

woo12woo · 31/10/2008 02:39

I was just diagnosed with this too. My doctor said that it is common, but no sex or heavy lifting. The dr said that it is supposed to be 3 inches away from the crevix and mine is 1 1/2 inches. I am a little bit worried, but she said everything else looks good and that my placenta looks good, so i guess it is just the positioning of it right now. They want to scan me again at 30 weeks, I am almost 21 weeks abd they saw this on my 18 weeks scan. Hopefully it will move??

DS77 · 31/10/2008 10:05

Is it common for a placenta to be in a normal position at the 20 week scan but to move down and lie low as the baby grows?

twinklytoes · 31/10/2008 10:30

ds77 - thats what happened to me! fine at 20wk, bleed at 26wks = fingernail distance from cervix, bleed at 33wk = full grade 4 placenta previa resulting in enforced hospital stay and emcs delivery at 35 wks 5 days following a bleed that wouldn't stop.

horsemadgal · 31/10/2008 10:31

I don't think it would move down. Placenta doesn't actually move, it's attached and then as the baby/womb etc grows it sort of grows away from cervix. At least that's what I was told.

I was diagnosed with this at 19 weeks as had a lot of bleeding. My placenta is slightly over the cervix. I'm now 25 weeks and have had no bleeding for 2 weeks now but am signed off work and basically resting as much as possible. I found if I did too much then I would have a bleed. I lifted my son one evening and was bleeding the next morning.

I was told no heavy lifting, no sex, no orgasms ( )and to take it easy basically. I'll be scanned again at 30 weeks.

Good luck as most have said in most cases it moves away.

horsemadgal · 31/10/2008 10:33

Eek twinklytoes, guess I have been misinformed about it not moving down, scary. Hope all was ok with you and bubs.

twinklytoes · 31/10/2008 10:43

thx, all ok now - ds weighed in at 7lb5oz and is 6wks now.

i didn't really believe it was as serious as they say at 20+ weeks but that final bleed was scary and i was glad to have been in hospital.

take care and rest and honestly, no lifting etc. its hard but it'll be worth it in the end.

horsemadgal · 31/10/2008 10:49

twinklytoes, phew, so glad all ok with you and baby.
Thanks hunny.

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