Low lying placenta

[Anonymous]

I am 17 weeks and was a the doctor today for some spotting. The baby is doing fine but the doctor noted that my placenta seemed low. I have my 20 week US in a few weeks so she said that they would have a better look then. In the meantime, I'm restricted from excercise. I know that in many cases the placenta ends up higher, but I am intersted in hearing from people who have a low lying placenta that didn't go higher and what their experience was during the pregnancy and delivery. TIA.

[Anonymous]

Chances are, it will move- you are still early in your pregnancy. And, your placenta is only low lying (meaning it is more likely it will move). I was diagnosed with a complete placenta previa at 19 weeks. At 24 weeks, I had some bleeding and was hospitalized. I was on bedrest for the next 14 weeks, with a c-section scheduled for when I was 38 weeks. Just three days before my scheduled c-section, the ultrasound showed that my placenta had moved enough for me to have a vaginal birth (it was still considered low lying). My son's birth was uneventful and everything ended up fine! Odds are in your favor, so I wouldn't worry too much about it until you need to. And even if it does stay low lying, you can still try for a vaginal birth.

Also, as a side note, once I was diagnosed with the previa, I switched practices to the high risk practice at Georgetown. I was VERY impressed with all the doctors and nurses there, and highly recommend Georgetown, particularly if you have a complication.

Good luck!