About low-lying placenta

During your ultrasound, we saw that your placenta is positioned either wholly or partly in front of your cervix.

When the placenta is positioned wholly or partly in front of your cervix at this stage of pregnancy, it will prevent you from giving birth vaginally. This means that you will likely need a caesarean section.

What happens next?

Impact on pregnancy and delivery

An obstetrician will talk to you about precautions you should take during the remainder of your pregnancy. There may be activities you should be careful with or avoid altogether. The obstetrician will set a date for your next check-up.

In consultation with you, we will schedule a caesarean section approximately 2 weeks before your due date. However, if you experience a lot bleeding during the pregnancy, we may have to carry out the caesarean section earlier. When you have a low-lying placenta, there is an increased risk of bleeding during the caesarean section.

If your placenta partially blocks the cervix, we will scan you again a few weeks before the scheduled caesarean section to check whether the placenta has moved away from the cervix, which would allow you to give birth vaginally.

Sick leave

If you have a physically demanding job, it might be necessary to take sick leave. Talk to your general practitioner about sick leave.

Things to be aware of

Always contact us if you begin bleeding

You may bleed from the vagina if your placenta is wholly or partially blocking your cervix. The bleeding can be caused by sex, Braxton Hicks contractions or without any provocation at all.

If you begin bleeding from the vagina, we will often admit you to hospital to keep an eye on you and your baby. Most people can be discharged 2 days after bleeding has stopped.

If you experience heavy bleeding prior to the 34th week of pregnancy, we will often treat you with adrenocortical hormones, which will help mature your baby's lungs.

In rare cases it may be necessary to perform an emergency caesarean section.