Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow Do You Know If You Have an Anterior Placenta?How It Affects Your Pregnancy ExperienceAnterior Pregnancy and Normal DeliveryRisks of an Anterior PlacentaOther Placenta PositionsFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
How Do You Know If You Have an Anterior Placenta?
How It Affects Your Pregnancy Experience
Anterior Pregnancy and Normal Delivery
Risks of an Anterior Placenta
Other Placenta Positions
Frequently Asked Questions
An anteriorplacentais one that is attached to the front of the uterus (womb). This is a common occurrence and usually does not pose any risk to you or your fetus. It may make it harder to detect early kicks and fetal heart sounds, however.
An anterior placenta is not a medical condition, but simply one of several possible locations the placenta—also called the afterbirth—can develop.
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A standard ultrasound is typically performed at 18 to 22 weeks of pregnancy and can detect an anterior placenta. (Ultrasounds completed in the first trimester are not considered standard because it is too early in the pregnancy to see the full details of how the fetus is developing.)
Standard ultrasounds provide information such as:
You will not be able to tell if you have an anterior placenta without an ultrasound.
Having an anterior placenta can change your pregnancy experience at a few stages, making fetal movement harder to detect and exams a bit more difficult to conduct.
Women are typically expected to begin feeling fetal movement and kicking between 18 and 24 weeks. With an anterior placenta, this may take longer.
An anterior placenta essentially acts like a cushion that sits between your uterus and belly. This can muffle movements, making them more difficult to feel and even recognize as what they are.
Often, those with an anterior placenta don’t begin to feel kicks until later on in pregnancy, when the fetus is larger.
More Challenging Exams
An anterior placenta may make it a bit more difficult for your healthcare provider to identify the position and the different body parts of your fetus.
In addition, an anterior placenta can also impact the following tests used to monitor a pregnancy:
Fetal Doppler Ultrasound
Amniocentesis
An amniocentesis (amnio) is a procedure that uses a needle to remove a small amount of amniotic fluid from the uterus test for testing or treatment. It is an optional test that is only recommended in certain situations.
An anterior placenta can make an amnio a bit more complicated because the needle may need to pass through the placenta in order for a sample to be collected. This can also lead to some blood mixing in with the fluid.
Having an anterior placenta usually doesn’t affect labor and delivery. You will likely still be able to have a vaginal delivery, as long as the placenta is not blocking the cervix and you do not have any pregnancy complications.
If you need a C-section and have an anterior placenta, your healthcare provider may sometimes be able to use an ultrasound to determine the safest location for the incision.
Some research shows that avoiding cutting into an anterior placement reduced the risk for mothers needing a blood transfusion—which is used to replace excessive amounts of lost blood—following a C-section.
An anterior placenta doesn’t usually cause complications during pregnancy. However, some research suggests that an anterior placenta location could make it more likely to experience one of these pregnancy complications:
Aside from an anterior placenta, it’s also possible for the placenta to be in any of these positions:
A placenta may also have a relative shift in location during pregnancy as the uterus and fetus grow.An anterior position is common, but the most common locations for the placenta to attach tend to be either toward the top or the back of the uterus. It’s believed that this is because there are more blood vessels in those areas, making it easier for the placenta to transport nutrients to the fetus.
When to See a Healthcare Provider
With all pregnancies and placenta locations, you should call your healthcare provider if you experience:
These are not necessarily signs of an issue with your placenta, but they do warrant evaluation.
Summary
Anterior placenta previa is an anterior placenta that is also covering part or all of the cervix. You are not more likely to have placenta previa if you have an anterior placenta; this condition can also occur with a posterior placenta. Most of the time, the condition resolves on its own. If not, you may need to deliver via C-section.
5 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Special tests for monitoring fetal well-being.
Verspyck E, Douysset X, Roman H, Marret S, Marpeau L.Transecting versus avoiding incision of the anterior placenta previa during cesarean delivery.Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2015;128(1):44-47. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijgo.2014.07.020
Zia S.Placental location and pregnancy outcome. J Turk Ger Gynecol Assoc. 2013;14(4):190-193. doi:10.5152/jtgga.2013.92609
Cleveland Clinic.Placental abruption.
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