News from the baby Doctor.

My doctor called me yesterday to talk to me about my ultrasound. It was a little alarming considering I've never had a doctor do this before. He informed me that the baby looked great, BUT, on the ultrasound it showed that I had Marginal Placenta Previa. He told me not to worry yet, and that I would have another ultrasound at 32 weeks to see if it's moved farther away from the cervix. You can read all about it below:



What is placenta previa?

If you have placenta previa, it means that your placenta is lying unusually low in your uterus, next to or covering your cervix. The placenta is the pancake-shaped organ — normally located near the top of the uterus — that supplies your baby with nutrients through the umbilical cord.

Placenta previa is not usually a problem early in pregnancy. But if it persists into later pregnancy, it can cause bleeding, which may require you to deliver early and can lead to other complications. If you have placenta previa when it's time to deliver your baby, you'll need to have a c-section.

If the placenta covers the cervix completely, it's called a complete or total previa. If it's right on the border of the cervix, it's called a marginal previa. (You may also hear the term "partial previa," which refers to a placenta that covers part of the cervical opening once the cervix starts to dilate.) If the edge of the placenta is within 2 centimeters of the cervix but not bordering it, it's called a low-lying placenta. The location of your placenta will be checked during your midpregnancy ultrasound exam.




What happens if I'm diagnosed with placenta previa?

It depends on how far along you are in pregnancy. Don't panic if your second trimester ultrasound shows that you have placenta previa. As your pregnancy progresses, your placenta is likely to "migrate" farther from your cervix and no longer be a problem. (Since the placenta is implanted in the uterus, it doesn't actually move, but it can end up farther from your cervix as your uterus expands. Also, as the placenta itself grows, it's likely to grow toward the richer blood supply in the upper part of the uterus.)

Only about 10 percent of women who have placenta previa noted on ultrasound at midpregnancy still have it when they deliver their baby. A placenta that completely covers the cervix is more likely to stay that way than one that's bordering it (marginal) or nearby (low-lying).

Even if previa is discovered later in pregnancy, the placenta may still move away from the cervix (although the later it's found, the less likely this is to happen). You'll have a follow-up ultrasound early in your third trimester to check on the location of your placenta. If you have any vaginal bleeding in the meantime, an ultrasound will be done then to find out what's going on.