UPDATE POST #1-Anterior Low Laying Placenta and Lakes

[Sugar Magnolia]

My OB called me today after looking over my ultrasound pictures and the report.

My placenta is anterior and low laying. She said this makes it less likely to move.
Is she right?
I do not want to google!

TIA!

I went in for a regular ultrasound on Friday. My mom was in town so I thought it would be fun for her to see the baby and maybe we could find out the sex. I have had no trouble with this pregnancy, besides puking and dizziness but that is normal for me.

The tech had me empty my bladder because she wanted to get a better look at my placenta. Which tipped me off that something was not right. My placenta is less than 1 cm away from my cervix. She told me that it can move up. So it is not something we should worry about right now. But she also saw several placenta lakes. They are pockets of maternal blood. I really don't know what causes them, but they are associated with small babies.

I did not have an appt with my OB, but she wanted to see me anyway. She told me that I should be on pelvic rest. My placenta could move. We will have to see. But these lakes will not go away. I will need level 2 ultrasounds for the rest of my pregnancy and even if my placenta moves, the latest they will let me go is 38 weeks.

Needless to say I am stressed out. After 3 uneventful pregnancies and births, I am scared. Does anyone have experience with a low placenta? Or placenta lakes? If my placenta does not move how early will I have a c-section? I did a google search (which was not the smartest idea) and I am not going to do that anymore.

I hope this makes sense. I am just nervous. And scared.
TIA!

[BelleoftheBallFlagstaff]

I had a low placenta, and everything was fine. It just rested in an odd place!

HTH!

[tnrnchick74]

I had placenta previa that did not move up by the end of my pregnancy. I also went into labor at 25 weeks, but my water never ruptured so they let me continue on bedrest. I had to have a c-section for various reasons, but the placenta was one of them. Basically, I was on bedrest when I started contracting and had NST every week - as long as baby was fine and fluid was intact they let me go to my scheduled date of 39 weeks.

[MamaKath]

I had a low lying placenta with dd. It did migrate up, no need for c-section. With ds I had placenta lakes. There was no explanation for why they existed. They did put me on bedrest to minimize the risk of placental abruption and also to minimze the risk of preterm labor which had started at 28 weeks. Ds was born at 38 weeks (induced) and weighed over 7 lbs. After both, I was relieved I had taken it a bit easy, there seem to be no impairments directly related to either problem.

[tmarie]

I had a low lying placenta with my last pregnancy, as well as "pockets" or "clots" of blood. I don't know if these are the same as "lakes", but it sounds like it. My placenta eventually moved up and the clots eventually disappeared. It is not as unusual as you might think. I was told that these were not major issues, they just monitored me throughout the rest of my pregnancy to be safe. Best wishes for a safe and healthy rest of your pregnancy!

tmarie
dd#1 5/05
dd#2 6/08

[Edensmum]

I know it tough but try to relax, stressing doesn't help either of you. The placenta position at this stage does not mean much, they often move out of the way for delivery. I don't know much about the lakes, but it sounds like they will be monitoring you closely which is good. HUGS I am sorry they news wasn't reassuring hopefully it's just a little bump in the road and you have an uneventful rest of the pregnancy and delivery.

[maiaann]

I don't have any experience with either, but I found this article on babycenter that might make you feel better...

http://www.babycentre.co.uk/pregnancy/antenatalhealth/scans/placentallakeexpert/

[shilo]

hugs, i know how nerve wracking it can be to be faced with such a big unknown.

i had a low lying, posterior placenta with an acentric cord insertion with max (means the cord inserted to the outermost edge of the placenta instead of the middle somewhere). i had a large lake with sam, but a high posterior placenta.

with sam's pregnancy, they didn't see the lake until my 20 week level 2. sam's pregnancy started as a twin pregnancy and i lost his twin at the end of my first tri. the peri felt that the lake might have been the result of my body trying to maintain the pregnancy - i never did actually miscarry. they repeated it at 24 weeks and again at 32ish i think to monitor. it had started to resorb by the 24 week one and was smaller again at 32. by the time i delivered it was just a small clot on the placenta according to my ob.

with max's pregnancy, they did a BPP (biophysical profile) at every visit. but i think this was more to monitor the acentric cord insertion which can be associated with IUGR than the placental location. it moved up a bit as i got bigger and was never a problem. i did end up on modified bedrest from 24 to 32 weeks because of early intermittent contractions. but neither my ob or the peri seemed to think the early contractions were associated with the placenta or cord issues. but even after all that, max had to be induced at 41 weeks, was 7lbs and is perfectly healthy.

wishing you equally smooth sailing from here on out.

[Melarina]

I had a low placenta with DD but it eventually moved up. So sorry you are going through this. I don't know about the lakes, but from reading the other posts it sounds like that is something a number of other folks have experienced without a problem.

I agree completely about not looking things up on the internet -- I got myself into a lot of anxiety by googling things when I was pregnant with DD. I'm trying hard not to do that this time around.

Sending good wishes your way!

[DrSally]

I had a low-lying placenta with DS, which we didn't discover until I had some bright, red blood at 13 weeks. We were on vacation and it was scary. The doc did a sonogram and said the bleeding was from the placenta, not the baby. It did move up (picture a spot on a balloon, as it inflates, the spot moves up. I don't know anything about placental lakes?

ETA: I was told not to lift from that point on and also put on vaginal rest. I think it helped (no c-section).

[bubbaray]

I had low-lying placentas with both my girls. It was more of an "issue" with DD#2 b/c the placenta was lying right on my c/s scar. Both times, the placenta moved. My peri (same one both PGys) told me they typically move and not to worry about.

I don't know anything about placental lakes.

I hope both things resolve for you -- wishing you the best!

[Sugar Magnolia]

Thanks everyone for your reassuring words.

Right now I am more concerned about the lakes. MY OB told me I have many and that she has never seen this many correct themselves. She said they won't go away. But there is nothing I can do besides taking it easy!

[JTsMom]

I haven't had any experience with this, but I couldn't read and not send some :hug:. Sending good thoughts your way.

[Sugar Magnolia]

Update in post 1.

Any experience with Anterior Low Placenta?

Also, send some "move placenta, move" vibes this way please!

[Thatchermom]

I had anterior/low with DD. Didn't get the all-clear until 38 weeks, prior to that we were discussing C-section variances as the placenta was right where a normal incision would be made. Placenta cleared the cervix in time, DD came naturally and fast the day after her due date. We did get extra high-level ultrasounds along the way so that they could check clearly.

[bubbaray]

My placenta with DD#2 was anterior and low lying. At 15w5d when I had my amnio, it was right over the c/s scar (which is about as anterior as you can get).

My peri (almost 40 years of experience) told me not to worry b/c he thought it would move. And, it did.

Hugs