anyone ever hear of a low laying placenta?

Question

my sister is 18 weeks pregnant she went in for her first ultrasound 2 weeks ago. she seen the doctor today and the doctor told her that she has a low laying placenta and that the baby is a smaller then she would like. but told my sis that it's nothing to worry about and she wants her to do a diabetes test next month and do a repeat ultrasound when she is 32 weeks along. i however today when my sis went to her office to try to talk to her the nurse said that she couldn't contact the doctor so she would send her an e-mail and the doctor could get back to her. the reason she went is cuz she had pressure in the lower abodomine to the point she was crying. i think that she should switch doctors she wants to keep with the doctor (even though she don't like her either) cuz her mom wants her to. can anyone plz explain the conditon and give some advice. thank you

Answer 1

NotAminiv gave a great answer about the physical aspects of the low lying placenta. But I think you need to convince you Sis to stop with the mom wants this thing and start living as an adult. IF you sis is having this kind of a response from her doctor this early on in her pregnancy then she should be looking for a new doc. This is one of those life altering experiences that will frame out her life. She may not have another chance to experience this very female experience. The doc in these matters is soooo important. When you having back surgery you want the best, most qualified guy, even if he is a jerk. When your having a baby you want a competent person as your doc, but you also need a comfortable person too. This is such a personal experience that if the doctor has no clue as to what you are experiencing then it is time to look elsewhere. The OB doc is trained to intervene. That means she is very astute to watch for different medical conditions that can be life threatening to mom and baby. This doc has done that well so far, but there is another component to caring for the pregnant woman which requires a true understanding of the event and it consequences to this woman and her whole family. If this doctor does not know that such an event as what you have described is tumultuous to a new young mother and that she needs her doc to be there just to calm her fears, or at least be honest with her and tell her what is coming up next. I would totally encourage you to go elsewhere. there is so much more coming, including a birth and a healthy child, not to mention a healthy mother too. You must trust and eventually become indebited to your delivering entity and be able to discuss virtually anything with her. If that is not happening move on. Mom is not delivering, Your sis is. look around and you will easily find a younger more eager OB possibly even a nurse-midwife who understands the pregnant mother, her desires and her concerns.
Good luck to your sister and her unborn child.

Answer 2

A low lying placenta is fairly common and is nothing to worry about. Now, if the doc had said the placenta was "previa" or stated that was lying over the cervix that is a whole different story.

Low lying simply means the placenta implanted in the lower part of the uterus instead of the upper part (which is more common.) It does not cause any pregnancy complications. And, as the uterus grows and enlarges the placenta will tend to migrate or "move" up. (It doesn't really move, the uterus just grows and takes it with it!) Contrary to what someone else said, I have never seen a low-lying placenta "move" down.

It is possible your sister's dates are wrong and that is why the baby is smaller than the doctor expected. Low lying placentas are also more common earlier in pregnancy.

Pressure in the lower abdomen would have nothing to do with a low lying placenta. Look for another cause, such as a bladder infection. That is often the primary symptom in pregnancy. Burning and pain with urination is not common with pregnancy.

Your sister should find a doctor or midwife that she is comfortable with. She is the one having the baby, not your mother. However, from what you have said, nothing this doctor said sounds out of line at all.

Claudine Crews CPM, LM

Answer 3

A low laying placenta can move up or move down & become placenta previa which requires her to deliver csection. I believe 15% of pregnancies have low or previa plaentas...
I found this Q &A that fit your sisters profie quit well so here it is...

Question

I was told today by findings from my ultrasound (I am 18 weeks) that my placenta is low. I looked it up and now am a nervous wreck. I get another ultrasound in 10 weeks, but what do I do until then? This is my second child, first one had no problems. I am 35. What causes this to happen? - Sheila, Phoenix


Answer

Sheila, first try not to worry as the finding of a low-lying placenta early in pregnancy is rarely a problem by the end of the third trimester.

Early in pregnancy, the zygote (fertilized egg) implants in the uterus and forms a placenta. Implantation that occurs low in the uterus may result in a placenta that is close to or covers the cervical os (birth canal). Most low-lying placentas migrate (move) during later pregnancy towards the fundus (top of the uterus) and away from the cervix.

A low placenta has four degrees of severity:

1. Low-lying placenta: The placenta is implanted low in the uterus close to the cervix but the edge of the placenta does not reach the cervical os.

2. Marginal placenta previa: The edge of the placenta is at the margin of the cervical os.

3. Partial placenta previa: The cervical os is partially covered by the placenta.

4. Total placenta previa: The cervix is completely covered by the placenta.

Women with low-lying placentas generally are not given any restrictions and are followed by periodic ultrasounds. Again, the vast majority of placentas move away from the cervix by the third trimester. However, any bleeding during pregnancy needs to be reported your health care provider right away.

Women diagnosed with placenta previa are often placed on modified bed rest and pelvic rest (no sexual intercourse or orgasm). If the placenta previa persists at term, or if there is heavy bleeding, a cesarean section is needed.

Please discuss your concerns with your health care provider as soon as possible.

Answer 4

I had this in one of my 6 pregnancies and the baby was delivered fine. Here is a quote....

In the majority of pregnancies, the placenta forms in the top half of the womb. In some cases, however, it forms in the lower half, so that it lies partly or completely over the cervix, blocking the baby's way out of the womb. This is known as a low-lying placenta (or placenta praevia).

The position of your placenta can be shown by an ultrasound scan. If you have a scan in the first half of your pregnancy that shows that your placenta is low-lying, this isn't usually any cause for concern. As many as one in four placentas may be low-lying in mid-pregnancy. The likelihood is that as your womb gets bigger, the placenta will move up (it doesn’t actually ‘move’ as such, but as the womb grows, the area to which the placenta is attached stretches upwards, away from the cervix). If your placenta is shown to be low-lying in mid-pregnancy, you’re likely to be offered another scan later on (usually around 32-34 weeks) to check that it has moved. Only 0.5 per cent -1 per cent of placentas remain low-lying at the end of pregnancy. However, when this happens, it can cause problems.

Answer 5

a placenta laying low is usually called placenta previa it is a condition where the placenta lies across the bottom of the womb instead of the top it depends on it's exact location as to whether or not it causes a problem if it cover the opening on the birth canal then a Cesarean section will be done but in most cases it is just lying low not in the way but if it is in the way her doctor will advise her of her options after her next scan and as for the pain she needs to see any doctor as soon as possible or just go to hospital she is better to be safe than sorry also if she is not comfortable with her current doctor she really should change it is not up to her mum she is an adult now and will be a mum her self soon so she needs to make her own choices when it comes to her body and her baby good luck to her i am sure she will be fine with good friends like you looking out for her.

Answer 6

a low lying placenta is quite common it is also called placenta pervia, thats when the placenta attaches to the lower part of the uterus.
care has to be taken in such a case, with bedrest or resting every half an hour.
if care is taken there should be no problems.
a gynaec should always be available but changing doctor should be your sisters decision

Answer 7

i had a low placenta and my baby turned out fine.

Answer 8

huh?