Anterior low lying placenta-please kick me, for I have googled....

[Sarahlou8]

I've just come back from my 20 week scan which was lovely and the baby is doing really well.
As I suspected, I have an anterior placenta that is low lying, and I've got to go back for another scan to check it's position at 32 weeks.

I've just made the awful mistake of googling and theres all sorts of stories, the main two concerning me are that the baby may lie back to back at birth and deliver face up, making things very difficult, and also that I may not be able to fly, we have a holiday booked when I'll be 27 weeks and I'm now worried my midwife will not let me have a certificate to fly (29 weeks on return) although obviously I will check with her when I see her in 2 weeks time.

I'd be really grateful for anyones experiences on either worries! Thankyou x

Get decent holiday insurance now, that covers you for cancellation due to pg causes.

But 80% of them move, or is it 90%, can't remember. Tell your mw about the hol and ask to book a scan a few weeks before rather than at 32 weeks.

Is this your first or have you had a cs in the past?

Personally I wouldn't fly at 29 weeks with a low-lying placenta, but then I've had rotten experiences with them.

But the chances are good that you won't have a low-lying placenta by then.

And Googling is Bad!

Sorry, the question about whether you've had a cs wasn't meant to be an either/or question, I realise there's another possibility

I had anterior low-lying placenta at 20 weeks; it moved up and out of the way, and my (8lb) baby was ROA, not back-to-back, and born easily. Try not to worry about it at this stage - easy to say, I know...

20 week scan showed I have low lying anterior placenta and baby HAS been back to back for majority of pregnancy resulting in horrendous back and pelvic pain throughout making me panic what labour was going to be like! (3rd DC)

However now at 35 weeks he appears to have shifted to "normal" position - I will find out in a couple of days whether placenta has moved sufficiently with scan.

Petty sure it has moved because baby has shifted position (and remained in correct position!) plus movements are less "muffled" where placenta was lying if you see what I mean?

Had this for both DD and DS. Both times, the placenta had 'shifted' by the scan at 36 weeks. I think it does for most folk. So please do try not to worry unnecessarily.

Hate to be the bearer of bad experiences but I'd really advise getting an earlier scan before flying if you can, just to see if the placenta has started moving.

I wont go into gory details but suffice to say, low lying/covering placenta diagnosed at 20 weeks, flew at 28 weeks, just come out of hospital after 7 days of very close monitoring and a few scares!!!!

Sorry for being negative and I'm sure you'll be fine. The placenta does move in over 90% of cases but make sure its showing signs of movement before you fly.

sorry I would second getting both another scan and travel insurance to cover you if you do fly. My similar scan led to a baby being born at 29 weeks and a cancelled holiday (we were due to fly 3 days after my son was born -insurance just paid out 3 months later)

I've had 3 pregnancies.

all three placentas were low lying and my last was also anterior.

All three placentas had moved up by the 32 week scan

one of the babies was back to back but funnily enough not the one with the anterior placenta. he was born facing the wrong way and despite that and being my biggest baby and having his arm over his face he was the easiest delivery of the three

The thing is, you've got a 90% chance that everything will be fine. So try not to worry.

And you have a 10% chance that the placenta won't move, in which case it is fairly likely that you'll end up bleeding and needing to get to hospital fast.

I've had 2 low placentas, neither of them moved. With the second, we were due to go on holiday at 26 weeks. I had a huge bleed at 23 weeks, ambulance to hospital, managed not to have the baby there and then, but was still in hospital on the date when we had been supposed to go on holiday.

I don't mean to scare you - but 1 in 10 is a reasonable risk given how horrible it would be to haemorrhage on a plane or be hospitalised for weeks in a foreign country.

Do try to get more info before you get on a plane!

Do you know if your placenta was covering the os (the inside end of the cervix)? That is one of the things that makes it less likely to move up.

Hi Catherder, its my 3rd pg, 2 normal previous deliveries.
The sonograper didn't seem at all concerned, it wasn't until they handed me the advice sheets for low lying placenta that I even gave it much of a thought. I don't know whether it is covering the base, I don't think so. She said in most cases it moves up on it's own.
The other thing I googled is that a caesarian is difficult with an anterior as obviously it is across the front, where they need to cut - and yet if I need a cs because it's low lying, what happens then?

I'm tring to sort travel insurance out specifically for me now, it seems too premature to cancel the holiday.

No, don't cancel. Try and get a scan before you go. You'll have a much nicer holiday if you know it's moved up!

The answer to the cs-with-anterior placenta question is, they manage! You'd get the experienced surgeon, which is always nice.

(although a bit annoying if you have to have a cs after two VBs)

I would def get a scan before you go. I had a placenta praevia (grade 4) which the MW told me breezily at 20 weeks would probably move (i think she said 95%). However mine didn't and i had a slight bleed at 29 weeks (when i was then given stern advice about not doing much physical stuff and straight to hozzie if I bled). I then had a massive bleed at 31 weeks and hospital care to 36 weeks and another bleed when i had a CS. I can honestly say i would not have wanted to be any distance from a hospital when the bleeds happened.

Hope you can get the insurance sorted and a scan for reassurance

I had a low lying anterior placenta. It did move up a little bit at my later scan. They were happy enough with it but told me I couldn't deliver at the midwife led birthing centre.

DD was back to back and did end up being and emergency c-section. I was worried about them cutting into the placenta and made sure the surgeons were aware of it before they started. Must have told them at least 10 times until DH told me to leave them alone! DD was fine.

Most placentas move up fine. My friend had a low lying placenta that didn't move and would have prevented her from giving birth. She was scanned and booked for a c-section two days later. Went in for c-section, prepped for theatre when surgeon decided to do one last scan. The placenta had moved and she gave birth naturally two weeks later!

When i had 20wk scan sonographer wrote on my notes that i had a low lying placenta and told me that i had to book for 34wk scan.

Didn't say anything else. I came home got out my pregnancy books and read up.

My midwife never said much when i asked about it. The midwife i seen the other day about referral to consultant re elcs, said after reading all my notes "maybe your placenta wont have moved up"

i have never been given any advice with regards to my low lying placenta