Written By: Debjani Arora | Updated : December 23, 2019 4:57 PM IST
Anomaly scan can tell about the position of your placenta. © Shutterstock
Your anomaly scan is usually done during the second trimester of your pregnancy, sometime in the 20th week. This is the time when your sonologist also tells you about the position of your placenta. If you are wondering why is it important to know the position of the placenta, remember your baby's development and growth depends on this organ. It is through that nutrients, blood and oxygen from the mother is supplied to the baby. The umbilical cord joins the baby to the placenta.
Placenta position also suggests the position of the baby and how it is placed inside the womb.
Posterior placenta is when the placenta develops at the back wall of the uterus. This happens when the fertilised egg travels through the fallopian tube and attaches itself on the back or posterior side of the uterus. This is where the placenta starts to grow.
Having both anterior and posterior placenta is normal and doesn't affect the growth and development of the baby. However, mothers with posterior placenta might seem to have a little more advantage than those who have anterior placenta. This is because having the placenta on the back wall of the uterus means feeling the baby's movements and kicks early and stronger. Moreover, posterior placenta is best for your baby. This is becaue it allows the him to grow and descend to the right position and align in the birth canal for a vaginal birth. With posterior placenta, as the baby grows it faces the mother's spine and the crown descends to the birth canal with time.
The position of the placenta does change throughout the pregnancy. But it would either move upward as the baby descends or in rare cases downwards if the baby moves upwards. The placenta takes about 50 percent of the space of the uterus during mid-term of pregnancy. During the later stage, it takes even less room as the baby grows and starts to descend.
If the placenta grows towards the cervix or lower end of the uterus, it is refered as placenta previa. In such a scenario chances of placenta detachment from the unstable position of the cervix is possible which can cause premature labour or internal bleeding.
Placenta previa could also mean that there is an obstruction in your cervix and a vaginal delivery might not be possible. This is the reason your physician recommends sonography at various stages of pregnancy. It ascertains the position of the placenta and that of the baby.
