Is an Anterior Placenta Bad for Pregnancy and Birth?
What is an anterior placenta and what does it mean for pregnancy? In this post we'll discuss the risks, complications, and the annoying things that go along with having an anterior placenta.
Many years ago at one of my 20 week anatomy ultrasound appointments I asked the tech where my placenta was located. She said I had an anterior placenta, to which I replied, "that's stupid." The ultrasound tech wondered why I said that, and maybe you wonder too. This post is everything you need to know about why I thought having an anterior placenta is stupid.
On This Page
8 minute read
↓What is an anterior placenta?
↓Is an anterior placenta normal?
↓Will an anterior placenta move to a different location?
↓Anterior placenta risks and complications
↓When will I hear baby's heartbeat with an anterior placenta?
↓When will I feel movement with an anterior placenta?
↓Is it harder to determine baby's position with an anterior placenta?
↓Will an anterior placenta make labor longer and more painful?
↓The 3 Principles of Spinning Babies
↓Will I need to have a cesarean birth because of my anterior placenta?
↓Will I Have a Bigger Belly with an Anterior Placenta?
↓Does Having an Anterior Placenta Mean Boy or Girl?
↓Is an Anterior Placenta Bad for Pregnancy and Birth?
What is an Anterior Placenta?
First, let me explain what an anterior placenta is. The typical placenta attaches itself between mom and baby but an anterior placenta attaches itself to the front of a woman's uterus.
Every time I was pregnant I had an anterior placenta. So, if you came up to me when I was pregnant and rubbed my belly and started talking to the baby, you were in fact introducing yourself to my placenta and not the baby.
Anterior placentas are in the front of the uterus, right in between baby and the belly button.
Is an Anterior Placenta Normal?
The typical placement of a placenta is in the posterior position, not anterior. However, it is not abnormal to have an anterior placenta. An anterior placenta is a normal abnormality!
Will It Move?
No, an anterior placenta won't move. Once the placenta is implanted it will stay where it's at. Once an anterior placenta, always an anterior placenta.
However, for future pregnancies a woman could have the placenta implant in a different location altogether.
Ok, so having an anterior placenta isn't necessarily "stupid" but more annoying than anything. And don't get me wrong, I am grateful that I had healthy placentas keeping my babies healthy. (I'm also grateful that my placentas weren't low lying which could be dangerous if it covered my cervix, aka placenta previa.)
The following are some risks, complications, and stupid/annoying things that go along with having an anterior placenta.
Anterior Placenta Risks and Complications
One of the reasons why anterior placentas annoy me is that it makes it extremely hard to hear baby's heartbeat with a fetoscope or pinard horn in your second trimester.
What is a Fetoscope or Pinard Horn?
A Pinard Horn or fetoscope are like stethoscopes, but used primarily to hear fetal heart tones. It's not invasive, doesn't use ultrasound like a doppler, so anybody could use it without having to have a medically indicated reason.
However, since my placentas were always in the front I was never able to hear my baby's heartbeat with my fetoscope. Instead heard my own pulse loud and clear. I was hearing my placenta!
When Can I Hear My Baby's Heartbeat with an Anterior Placenta?
A big reason an anterior placenta can be frustrating is because in the first and some of the second trimester it could cause your care provider to struggle to find baby's heartbeat with a handheld doppler. Because baby is still so small and the anterior placenta is in front covering baby, hearing baby's heartbeat may not be possible.
Nothing is worse than waiting for your care provider to try to find the heartbeat. Even worse is when they're not be able to find it! Typically, when this happens mamas go into "worse case scenario mode" and assume the worst.
However, the inability to hear a heartbeat with a doppler in the first and some of the second trimester is not uncommon.
This exact scenario happened to me right around the end of the first trimester when I was pregnant with my daughter. Instead of sending me on home and trying again in four weeks, my midwife was kind and sent me to get a quick ultrasound.
To my relief I saw and heard my baby. I also saw my anterior placenta! And it was at that point I knew I was REALLY pregnant! (Haha... if you've been there you know exactly how I felt!)
When Will I Feel Fetal Movement with an Anterior Placenta?
Another reason anterior placentas are frustrating is because it will typically take longer to start feeling fetal movement or quickening. On top of that, when women finally begin to feel movement, it can often be dulled compared to what other women may be feeling.
With an anterior placenta you might not feel movement WELL into your second trimester. This is frustrating, but normal!
With one of my anterior placenta pregnancies I started feeling movement at 16 weeks and my husband felt baby kick at 19 weeks. For me I don't think having an anterior placenta impacted feeling fetal movement.
I did notice, however, that I only felt movement down low and to the sides, which makes sense because the placenta was cushioning any kicks I may have otherwise felt with a posterior placenta.
Is It Harder to Determine Baby's Position with an Anterior Placenta?
Another reason I'm not a fan of anterior placentas is because I always look forward to figuring out my baby's position (aka belly mapping) and an anterior placenta makes it a bit more difficult.
Because there's a placenta in the way, an anterior placenta makes it more challenging for moms to figure out their baby's position.
Will an Anterior Placenta Make Labor Longer and More Painful?
A quick google search will reveal that some people believe OP babies are more common with an anterior placenta. Uh-oh!
An OP baby is the occiput posterior position (head down and facing mom's front). The optimal position, however, is occiput anterior which is head down and facing mom's back. Having a baby in the optimal position makes labor shorter and less painful - a good thing!
If babies with anterior placentas are more likely to be in an un-optimal position, it makes sense to think that anterior placentas cause harder, longer, and more painful labors. Not good!
After consulting the Spinning Babies website I've concluded that no, an anterior placenta doesn't necessarily mean baby will be in an un-optimal position resulting in a longer, more painful, and complicated birth. Especially if you apply the 3 principles of spinning babies to your pregnancy!
The 3 Principles of Spinning Babies
- Balance your uterus. 1-5 short inversions per day and the rebozo are your friend.
- Apply gravity using maternal positioning. Couches and recliners are for wimps!
- Move the mother. Pelvic rocks, swimming, and more inversions.
A good time to start implementing these things is around 20 weeks. Pregnant women should be doing daily inversions, stretching, pelvic floor exercises, gentle prenatal yoga, psoas exercises, brisk walking, and swimming!
The Daily Essentials video by Spinning Babies is probably the best resource I've found to prepare you and your baby for a less painful and more empowered birth experience.
SIDE NOTE: I gave birth to my daughter one day before her due date. Her labor was straightforward and I had no baby positioning problems or placenta problems. Everything went great!
Will I Need to Have a Cesarean Birth Because of My Anterior Placenta?
A diagnosis of an anterior placenta in and of itself is not a medically indicated reason for a cesarean section. In English - No, you won't need a cesarean because your placenta is anterior.
Other placenta issues like placenta previa (where the placenta covers all or part of the cervix - not an emergency but you obviously cannot have a vaginal birth if the placenta is still covering the cervix at 40 weeks or full term), or placental abruption (where the placenta becomes partially or completely detached from the uterus - AN EMERGENCY!) would definitely be reason to have a life saving cesarean birth.
More Questions Answered
Will I Have a Bigger Belly with an Anterior Placenta?
Nope, your belly shouldn't be any bigger with or without an anterior placenta. Every pregnant woman has the same stuff in her uterus, it's just arranged differently!
Does Having an Anterior Placenta Mean Boy or Girl?
As fun as it would be to confirm that there are more boy or girl babies associated with anterior placentas, it's just not a thing. Sorry!
Is an Anterior Placenta Bad for Pregnancy and Birth?
In conclusion, an anterior placenta is not bad for pregnancy and birth. It's a normal abnormality and no cause for concern. I may think that it's stupid 😉 but it's really no big deal. Happy pregnancy to you!
I have had anterior placentas with both kids... and I have to say, I felt PLENTY of movement, haha. Like you said, mostly sides and top, but I don't feel like I was missing out at all (but maybe I didn't know any better). 🙂 Also... my son rotated from OA to OP in labor and my daughter rotated from OP to OA in labor! I felt that by the third trimester, it was very easy to use spinning babies to belly map my kids' positions. At that point, the baby is big enough to feel butts/heads/feet around the comparatively small surface area that the placenta takes up. I also have a retroverted uterus (it's tilted and flexed) so it looks like we're uterus sisters. haha. Thanks for the interesting post, I have really been enjoying your blog. 🙂
Hi uterus sister!! 🙂 thanks for the info.
brillinat info loved it but what does OP stand for??
occiput posterior 🙂
I'm 20 weeks pregnant and found out last week that I too have an anterior placenta. I also have a low placenta. I was told it's not dangerous, it just means a c-section might be required. Also it's too early to tell, because sometimes it moves as the pregnancy progresses. I could feel little tickling way down on my right side from 17-18.5 weeks (around) and then it stopped. I was convinced the baby had died, but no, he was very active on the ultrasound last week. It's my placenta that is preventing me from feeling it. I also had my first ultrasound at 7 weeks and the doctor had no trouble seeing the fetus and she got a strong heartbeat every time (7 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks and 18 weeks). Looking forward to feeling something, but it will come So women shouldn't worry. It is true that no two pregnancies are alike! good luck ladies
Omg!!! Im going through this now and after two muscarriages i hate not being able to feel baby move!!! I too have anterior placenta and its my first pregnancy like this!! I have 4 kids and none like this!! I stay worried and pray deeply all the time because i also lost a baby at 16 weeks as well. I'm trying to stay positive.
I agree, anterior placentas are stupid (but okay as long as they are doing their job, right?). I had all the same "symptoms" as you, not cool for a third baby when I thought I knew what to expect. I am really worried about having an OP baby, time to start Spinning Babies work!
Kiara - Great idea about the spinning babies. Have you seen their video yet? It's called Daily Essentials. Check it out over here. https://www.motherrisingbirth.com/daily-essentials-video
Does having an anterior placenta mean that I am more likely to have back labor?
This is my third baby. With my second I had anterior placenta and I had horrible back labor.
Hey Amy!
No, it doesn’t necessarily mean baby will be OP more often especially if you use Spinning Babies' Daily Essentials. You can find that here: https://www.motherrisingbirth.com/daily-essentials-video
Thank you i am high risk and have an anterior placenta this is my forth pregnancy an all my babies have felt stronger than this one ive been a ball worries.
How far along are you? I'm 16 weeks and a ball of worries like you. I hate the first half of pregnancy because of all the unknown and waiting.
I'm 22 weeks with my 4th and have only felt occasional little flutters. I was fine with this because it's what I experienced with my last pregnancy. But when my midwife couldn't find the heartbeat on Tuesday with doppler (my placenta is anterior also), I'm driving myself crazy! I'm starting to wonder if I've even felt anything lately. The logical explanation is that I have a kick-absorbing placenta in the way, the baby is probably hiding deep inside, and within a couple weeks I will be fully reassured. But of course my mind is thinking the worst!
Oh man, how stressful! I hope you hear a heart beat soon. Waiting is the worst. ♥
Im having a anterior placanta my fetal heart rate is147bpm will u please tell baby gender
I am 13 weeks pragnant and I am overweight and I can hear the babt hb faintly on my dopplet at home but the plancenta in the way too so icant pick up the number
Where did you position the Doppler?
I found out yesterday at my 20 week ultrasound that I have an anterior placenta. And yes I agree that its stupid..... just because I want to feel my baby move. I'm jealous of other mammas that feel constant movement. This is my 3rd baby and first time having to wait so long to feel much movement. I have felt baby move a few times here and there, but they are dull movements and seem to happen maybe once a day or every few days. The ultrasound tech said it may be another 3-4 weeks before baby is big enough to be get more. Not great news for the worlds most impatient person lol.
April -- I completely relate! I'm 23 weeks with my 4th, and I'm just now feeling more consistent, undeniable baby movements. But it's either very low in my pelvis or in my ribs or in my hip area. I swear, that placenta truly is a pillow in there! I was planning to get an ultrasound this week to calm my paranoia, but the movements are finally detectable. Hang in there. I know how that can drive even an experienced mamma nuts!
Oops, should have addressed it to Laura, not April!
I had an anterior placenta with my last baby and with my current pregnancy. With my last baby I was very rarely able to feel him move. Even up until he was full term. It was quite concerning, honestly. And my husband was never able to feel his movements like he'd been able to with my previous pregnancies. This time around I am feeling more movement, I'm guessing that is due to the placenta being in a bit of a different location even though it is still anterior.
Did you have a C Section?
I'm 19 weeks with my second pregnancy and very impatient. Last week when I got my sonogram they told me my placenta was in the front but they always hear a heart beat easily. However, I can't tell whether or not I'm feeling the baby move with my son I could definitely tell he was moving. I do not like this feeling of not knowing. 🙁
I had an anterior placenta with Avi. It was frustrating but not the end of the world. I can definitely relate. =)
I agree, anterior placentas are stupid (but okay as long as they are doing their job, right?). I had all the same “symptoms” as you, not cool for a third baby when I thought I knew what to expect.
i had Anterior Placenta with my twins, both placentas were anterior. I felt maybe 4 movements the entire pregnancy but then I also had polyhydraminos (excess fluid) and had that drained twice. I started medications to slow contractions at 20 weeks, My twin A was transverse breech and off to c section we went at 31 weeks when my water broke and labour couldn't be slowed/halted any longer.
I am incredibly grateful to have my two alive and well and driving me crazy as 7 year olds. But I will admit happily that being pregnant was the most stressful time of my life but worth every non peaceful moment.
It doesn't matter how your babies are born what position they are/were in the only thing that matters is holding a breathing baby or two or three and knowing you did it!