The period of pregnancy in future mothers is associated with great joy and great anxiety for the health of their babies. These feelings are quite natural and accompany the woman for all nine months. In this case, even if there is no reason for excitement, the pregnant woman will be anxious and constantly listen to her feelings. And if the doctors noticed some deviations from the norm on a routine examination, it is difficult to reassure the woman. Especially scary for future mothers are the words that the placenta blocks the internal pharynx. Many immediately begin to draw in their imagination scary pictures of what is happening with their baby, thereby further exacerbating their condition.
But in fact, with the fact that the placenta overlaps the internal pharynx, most pregnant women face. The current level of medicine is such that even with such a pathology, absolutely healthy and strong babies are born. However, mom should clearly understand what this diagnosis means and how to behave properly after identifying a problem.
The placenta and its effect on the development of the child
All nine months, the mother's body provides the baby with all the necessary components for proper development. And all this happens due to the placenta, which largely determines whether your baby will receive important vitamins and minerals, nutrition and oxygen, so important for tissues and the brain. The placenta is not formed immediately in the uterus, but only towards the end of the first trimester. Previously, its role is played by the chorion - the fleecy membrane that separates the egg from the walls of the uterus. It finally ripens by the twelfth day after conception. As you can see, nature very carefully made sure that the crumbs were constantly protected and received everything they needed.
For the normal development of the child, it is very important where the placenta is attached. The chorion is usually located on the front wall of the uterus, the posterior or near the bottom. Doctors consider the latter option the most successful, since in this case all metabolic processes go as quickly as possible, and the baby will not experience problems with getting oxygen or nutrition. However, sometimes the placenta overlaps the internal pharynx completely or with the edges. This is already considered a serious pathology and can cause premature birth or miscarriage. That is why doctors regularly monitor expectant mothers and monitor the position and maturity of the placenta by week. This procedure is done by ultrasound, which is completely safe for the crumbs and his mother. Do not abandon these studies, especially if you are older than thirty-five years. For some reason, it is in women who already have children, at this age during pregnancy, the placenta overlaps the internal pharynx.
Talk a little about anatomy
Women often underestimate this problem, and even after the diagnosis is poorly understood what exactly is happening in their body. To clarify the situation, it is necessary to turn to anatomy.
The uterus is that organ in which the baby develops for nine months. It is connected with the vagina by the neck, which is tightly closed during pregnancy and is distinguished by the bluish color of the tissues. This is because the neck becomes very dense, but at the same time elastic, because by the end of the term it will have to stretch to skip the baby. The external and internal border of the neck is called "pharynx". From the outside, it separates the uterus from the vagina and is tightly closed, and the internal pharynx of the cervix protects the baby from infection. At the right time, it stretches and allows the baby to take a place in the small pelvis, which indicates an early birth.
For carrying a child, it is very important that the pharynx remains closed and does not overlap, as this threatens the baby with numerous problems. Minimum bleeding and increased uterine tone. In especially severe cases, the child has varying degrees of hypoxia, and the mother has difficulties with labor, forcing doctors to resort to cesarean section.
Placenta position
Doctors consider tracking the position and maturity of the placenta weekly in the process of monitoring the condition of a pregnant woman. After all, by the twelfth week there is an opportunity to identify placental pathologies. Most often, women face the following two problems:
- premature ripening;
- low position relative to the pharynx.
If we talk about the first pathology, it should be noted that it is extremely rare. It can be briefly described as aging of the placenta, which does not correspond to the gestational age. That is, the baby is not yet ready to be born, and the amount of nutrients required by him is gradually decreasing. In parallel, there are problems with the provision of oxygen. All this puts the life of the crumbs in danger and forces doctors to take emergency measures.
Low placentation is common in women quite often, but this diagnosis raises a lot of questions in pregnant women. So, what does low placenta and normal placenta mean? Let's talk about this in more detail.
If, after fertilization, normal attachment of the chorion occurred (along the front wall of the uterus, back or in the bottom), then the placenta will occupy the desired position within the normal range. But it is worth considering that for nine months, as the uterus stretches, it slightly changes its position. This process is also monitored by doctors on a routine ultrasound scan. For example, if in the second trimester the distance between the internal pharynx and the placenta is about five centimeters, then these indicators are considered the norm. By about the twentieth week, the distance changes, but it should not be less than seven centimeters.
In these cases, a woman can not worry about low placentation and calmly carry the baby. If she does not have other problems identified, then doctors will recommend a natural birth with high chances of having a healthy baby.
Possible pathologies
If during an ultrasound examination the doctor noticed that the distance between the lower edge of the placenta and the internal pharynx is less than the above indicators, then we can talk about low placentation due to chorion presentation. At 12 weeks, this can be noticed for the first time, then the woman will be closely watched to notice all possible changes in time. But in any case, we are already talking about pathology.
However, I want to note that, regardless of the stage of presentation, a woman has every chance to bear and give birth to a baby. Naturally, if you follow all the doctor’s recommendations and monitor your condition. For example, bleeding is the most likely symptom of problems caused by a low position of the placenta. Most often, they occur without pain in the lower abdomen, so they do not always scare women. But any bleeding should be an occasion to see a doctor, as often it indicates the detachment of the placenta, which can lead to the death of the fetus and mother.
Remember that you can talk about low chorionic presentation at 12 weeks, if the distance between the placenta and the internal pharynx is three centimeters or less. Such indicators are cause for concern and such a record as “pathology” is entered in the pregnant card.
Presentation stages
Do not panic if the doctor tells you about the low attachment of the placenta. Not all stages of the pathology are critical. Some of them require only the supervision of a doctor, but others make you think about urgent surgical intervention. Therefore, a pregnant woman herself should understand this issue.
In expectant mothers, there are three types of pathologies of the placenta:
- Presentation. This stage is the most difficult, since the placenta completely blocks the internal pharynx. This pathology will not allow the baby to sink into the small pelvis and take the right position before childbirth. Most often, the placenta along the front wall overlaps the internal pharynx, this, in addition to the already mentioned problem, can cause delamination of the placenta. Since due to the stretching of the uterus, she will not be able to move and take the correct position. Often, the placenta along the back wall overlaps the internal pharynx, which also refers to severe pathology and threatens with problems during childbirth.
- Incomplete or partial presentation. A similar situation arises with the regional presentation of the chorion, later a placenta is formed at the same place and its edge partially overlaps the internal pharynx. If the doctor makes an ultrasound diagnosis, then a woman has every chance of giving birth to a baby on her own. However, the situation must be watched very carefully, since by the twentieth week the placenta can move. As a result, the position of the pregnant woman will improve or, conversely, worsen.
- Low placenta If in the first days after conception, the chorion was fixed on the front wall of the uterus a little lower than usual, then the placenta will form close to the internal pharynx. However, with such a diagnosis, it does not overlap the child's place, which means the baby has every chance of getting the necessary nutrition and oxygen, and at the right time to be born naturally.
The stages of the pathologies listed by us, doctors can notice only on ultrasound. However, before the twentieth week, the placenta can change its position, and the diagnosis will be removed. However, in this case, the woman should carefully listen to what happens to the baby (the 20th week of pregnancy with low placentation is crucial) in order to see a doctor in time.
Reasons for presentation
As soon as a woman has a pathology in her position, she begins to ask different questions. How does this threaten the baby? How to behave? At what time period do they do planned caesarean if complete overlap of the internal pharynx is noticed? And the main thing - what caused the arisen pathology? The last question excites future moms most of all, and we will try to answer it.
Doctors consider the main reason for low placentation to be health problems, which a woman could well not know about or simply ignore. They provoke the regional presentation of the chorion, and then the placenta. But in a healthy expectant mother, the risk of such a situation is minimal. Usually, the chorion attaches to the front wall or the back wall of the uterus, so in the future the distance between the edge of the placenta and the internal pharynx will be within normal limits. During pregnancy, the doctor will monitor these indicators in order to notice problems in time. However, in most cases, if the placenta is higher than the internal pharynx at the twelfth week, then in the control periods - twenty and thirty-two weeks - its location will be within normal limits.
But if a woman has health problems before pregnancy, the fetal egg can attach quite low. Its location is affected by scars remaining after cesarean section or abortion. Also, fibroids, adenomyosis, and chronic inflammation of internal organs lead to a similar situation. According to doctors, any infection of the genital area can lead to pathology during pregnancy. A high risk of such problems in cases where a woman has anatomical defects of the genitals.
The consequences of low placentation and previa
First of all, women should know that these problems cause fetal hypotrophy and hypoxia. This is due to malnutrition of the fetus and its supply of oxygen. In such situations, the baby signals the mother about the trouble with too much activity, so if the baby suddenly began to beat in the stomach, you should immediately consult a doctor.
Low placentation can cause detachment of the placenta. It is always accompanied by bleeding. Obstetricians emit a partial and complete detachment of the placenta. Partial leads to heavy bleeding at the site of exfoliation. The pregnant woman may not even know about the problem, but gradually her condition will worsen. Naturally, an increase in hematoma affects the condition of the baby.
Complete detachment of the placenta is extremely dangerous. In this case, we are talking about saving the life of a little man and his mother. The problem is accompanied by severe bleeding and pain. When these symptoms appear, the count goes literally for minutes, you must immediately call an ambulance and even during the call to voice their assumptions. This will facilitate the work of the visiting team of doctors, who will have already prepared the necessary preparations to save the life of mother and baby.
If the placenta overlaps the inner pharynx with the edge, then the woman has a chance to give birth naturally. However, one more is added to all the above listed risks - infection by infections. Since the microflora of the vagina is not sterile, then the baby can get a fraction of the germs while still in the womb. A tightly closed internal pharynx protects him from this. But if part of the placenta enters it, then it is likely that the infection will easily go to a child's place. This is very dangerous for the baby.
Chances of a Change
Many women are interested in how to raise the placenta during pregnancy. There are stories of miraculous remedies and medicines that help the placenta move. However, doctors refute this rumor. They claim that so far no specialist knows how to raise the placenta. During pregnancy, the woman’s body undergoes numerous changes and many of them cannot be explained, therefore, there are cases when the doctors canceled the diagnosis of “presentation”. But this happens naturally. Under the influence of a stretching uterus, the process of "migration" starts. The placenta gradually begins to shift and enters the boundaries of the norm. This is done very slowly and does not cause the pregnant woman any unpleasant sensations, only at the planned ultrasound she finds out that the situation has stabilized. But once again we repeat that this process is independent of drugs.
According to statistics, in ninety-five percent of women with a pathology, the placenta rose by the thirty-second week. For the remaining number of expectant mothers, the situation is also not deplorable. In about fifty percent of them, the placenta shifts in the right direction to the birth.
Monitoring the condition of women
With low placentation, doctors can prescribe a pregnant woman and an additional ultrasound examination, but usually everything happens according to the established deadlines:
- Twelve weeks. At this time, there is a chance to notice the problem. If a woman follows the doctor’s recommendations, she will not notice any deterioration in her condition. But the slightest deviation from them can cause bleeding. A pregnant woman with a low placentation is strictly forbidden to abruptly get up, lift weights, engage in sports and sex. It is not recommended for such a problem and worry, as well as violently show emotions. Even joyful events can trigger minor or heavy bleeding.
- Twenty weeks. For some reason, the diagnosis may not change by the 20th week of pregnancy. What happens to the baby in this case? As the baby grows, the situation is aggravated. With full presentation, problems with oxygen and nutrition can be observed. Often a woman enters a hospital for conservation. In severe cases, she is left in the hospital until delivery. If a pregnant woman is diagnosed with only low placentation without blocking the pharynx, then she may be advised to move less and monitor her condition.
- Thirty two weeks. At this time, the situation is likely to not change, and doctors are thinking about how a woman will give birth. With complete closure of the pharynx, we will talk about surgery and a pregnant woman will be put in a hospital to prepare for surgery. How long do planned caesarean do? If severe bleeding does not occur, then presumably at the thirty-seventh week. In cases when it comes to saving two lives, doctors make a decision urgently and can perform the operation earlier.
Dangerous symptoms and behavior algorithm
So, we think you understand that the most important symptom that needs attention when the placenta is low is bleeding. They can be internal and external. The latter are immediately noticeable and a woman can appreciate their abundance or scarcity. , . , . , .
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In order for the crumb to not have problems with oxygen, one cannot exclude walks from the regime of the day. They should occur regularly, as this normalizes the emotional background of the pregnant woman. It is important that the woman gets enough sleep. Pregnancy in itself is a serious burden for the body, and with low placentation it increases significantly. Therefore, a full sleep will help to recover and gain strength.
It is equally important to maintain a good mood and avoid stress. In the last stages, they can cause uterine hypertonicity, and this is fraught with bleeding. If they are repeated frequently, then the woman may experience anemia, and there will be problems with hair and nails. All this will negatively affect the development of the fetus, which will also lack iron.