What does a Anterior Placenta mean for your Pregnancy?

Pregnancy is a special time for most women. Many women who experience this condition enjoy their ability to create and give life to another human being. Whilst being pregnant is a wonderful occurrence it can be a complex and complicated situation for a female to experience. There are certain parts of the birthing process that can make it unpredictable or difficult. The anterior placenta is an aspect of pregnancy that can alter a woman’s ability to give birth.

What is an anterior placenta?

The placenta serves an important purpose for pregnant women. This specialized pregnancy tube grows from a woman’s uterus and attaches to a developing infant’s umbilical cord. The placenta normally grows from the front part of a woman’s uterus. However, it can grow from the back, top, side, or bottom of a woman’s uterus. It can even grow over her cervix. Here is a quick list of the following terms that describe the position of the uterus.

• anterior (the front)
• posterior (the back)
• the side (no medical term for this position)
• fundal (the top)
• low-lying (the bottom or sometimes over the cervix)

Most women will experience placenta growth from the anterior position. Once again, it doesn’t mean that the placenta will always develop here for all pregnant females. Placenta placement will be different for some women.

Why is placenta placement important?

The placenta provides nutrients and oxygen for babies whilst they’re in the womb. Without this specialized tube, a child could not survive the pregnancy process. Placenta placement is also important because it can interfere with certain aspects of your pregnancy. For example, if your placenta is in the anterior position, you will have a harder time feeling your baby move around. Why? An anterior is positioned at the front part of your belly. This position will make it harder for you to know when your baby moves around.

Another reason why placenta placement is so important has to do with amniocentesis. Amniocentesis is the process of collecting amniotic fluids from a woman’s stomach area. These fluids are necessary for ensuring that a child isn’t born with specific conditions, diseases, or some defect. Medical personnel can also figure out if a child is going to be a male or female from this fluid. When an anterior placenta is present it will make it harder for a gynaecologist (or a perinatologist) to draw fluid from a woman’s body.

Another problem with the front-facing placenta has to do with the occiput posterior or OP. This means that a baby’s head is in the opposite position of where it’s supposed to be. Keep in mind that most babies are positioned upside down in their mother’s womb. This position is important for a smooth birthing process since the baby’s head comes out first.

The OP position means that a baby’s feet will come out first. This could make pregnancy more complicated. Gynaecologists will know how to handle these complex situations. Still, having an anterior placenta placement increases a woman’s chances of a complex pregnancy.

Finally, anterior placentas are responsible for most pregnancies with C-sections. Remember, a “feet-first” baby can be more difficult to deliver than a “head-first” child. You should also know that C-sections leave scarred tissue in a woman’s body and if she has another pregnancy her placenta will probably develop from this scarred area.

Overview…

Medical professionals have the knowledge and experience to handle most medical issues. So, having an anterior placenta might not be a huge problem for any pregnant woman to deal with. Still, this condition can make it more difficult for a woman to have a child. The best thing that a pregnant lady can do is follow her doctor’s orders, pay attention to her body, and attend frequent check-ups to ensure the safety of their child.