A number of women will develop a placenta previa during their pregnancy, and they often wonder if it is a bad thing?
YES, it is bad. But let me preface what I mean by that.
As your placenta grows, we like it to grow on either the front side, back side, or top side. Front-sided is called anterior, back-sided is called a posterior, and top-sided is called a fundal.
A placenta previa means that it is overlying the cervix and birth canal. If the placenta is in that position as your due date approaches, then Baby will have to go through the placenta to deliver. This is concerning.
Your second trimester ultrasound, which is performed around 20 weeks gestation, should reveal the location of your placenta (it should reveal if your placenta is low-lying or completely covering your cervix). A low-lying placenta means that the placenta is by the cervical opening (part of the birth canal) or completely overlaying the cervical os.
As you move forward toward your due date, your doctor should perform a follow-up ultrasound to assess if the placenta has migrated (moved) up and away from the cervix. Yes, the placenta can move! In fact, a great majority of placentas migrate up into the uterine cavity as Mamas approach their due date.
If we fast-forward to 36 weeks, 96% of low-lying placentas have migrated up and away from the cervical os.
If we fast-forward another 4 weeks all the way to term, 98% of low-lying placentas have migrated up, out of the way of the cervix to allow for a vaginal delivery.
That means the total amount of Mamas that are affected by low-lying placentas at term is roughly 2% or less.
Even in those cases, there are some women who have a low-lying placenta and their baby is still able to deliver successfully without endangering Mama or Baby.
It is important to mention that if the placenta overlies the cervical os (placenta previa) at full term, your healthcare provider will probably recommend a C-Section for the safety of you and your baby.
I encourage you to talk with your healthcare provider in depth if you are diagnosed with a low-lying placenta or placenta previa.
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