The Posterior placenta Occurs when a mother's placenta attaches to her uterus on the posterior wall.
The placenta is an organ that supplies nutrients and oxygen from the mother's blood to the baby's blood. The placenta covers a wide area and is connected to the mother's uterus. The umbilical cord connects the placenta with the baby.
The frontal area of the uterus is considered the anterior placenta; The back is the posterior placenta; The fundus constitutes the upper wall of the placenta and the sides of the uterus are the right and left sides.
It does not matter which area of the uterus the placenta is placed in, but if the lower portion is too low, it can make it difficult for the baby's head to descend at birth. This can occur when the mother has a posterior placenta.
There is a posterior placenta when the uterus is positioned between the pelvic bones of the mother. As the baby begins to grow, so does the uterus. The placenta attaches to the uterine wall. When it adheres to the back, it is considered a posterior placenta.
The position of the placenta depends largely on the location of the egg when it has been fertilized. The fertilized egg attaches to the wall of the uterus and begins to grow from that place.
Possible consequences
The uterus is a muscular, pear-shaped organ curled up in a woman's pelvic bones. During pregnancy, the uterus enlarges as the baby grows. The placenta, a major organ in the form of a liver that transfers blood rich in oxygen and nutrients from the mother to the baby, is attached to the inner wall of the uterus.
The placenta may attach to the anterior part of the uterus, in front of the woman's belly, called the placenta anterior. If the placenta attaches to the posterior wall of the uterus, it is called the posterior placenta.
Posterior and posterior positions of the placenta are considered normal for the developing mother and baby.
The concern arises when the placenta develops toward the cervix, called the placenta previa. In such a condition, the placenta may separate from the narrower and less stable neck in the fundus of the uterus and complications may result from excessive bleeding or premature labor.
Both the anterior and posterior placenta are normal for both the baby and the mother. When it is in the vertical position of the uterus, this causes a posterior placenta. When the placenta is in the posterior wall towards the upper part of the uterus, the posterior placental placenta is considered as it is attached to the fundus of the uterus.
This is considered the best location for the baby as it allows him to move to the previous position just before he is born. While if it faces the spine of its mother, the crown of the child's head can make its way in the direction of the birth canal.
When a woman is pregnant, an ultrasound is performed to find out exactly where the placenta is and what its location is in the cervix. It is normal for the placenta to change during pregnancy.
In mid-pregnancy, the placenta occupies 50% of the space on the surface of the uterus. At approximately 40 weeks, the placenta occupies only 17-25% of the surface of the uterus.
It is not that the placenta is shrinking, it means that it grows in the different moments of the pregnancy.
In the third part of the pregnancy, the baby's head begins to prepare for delivery descending to the pelvic area.
The lower part of the uterus begins to contract the pressure that the baby's head is putting on this area. This is when placental attachment seems to be starting to rise.
When the placenta grows in the direction of the cervix, it is called the placenta previa and this could be cause for concern. The placenta has the opportunity to shed the unstable portion of the cervix toward the lower part of the uterus, which could lead to premature labor and complications as a result of heavy bleeding.
There is usually nothing to worry about if an examination that is taken in the beginning of your pregnancy determines that your placenta is located in the lower part of your uterus as the placenta will move upwards as the pregnancy progresses .
Later in pregnancy, this position of the placenta could cause problems. The placenta previa means that the cervix is clogged and the baby may not be able to be born vaginally but through a cesarean section.
Placental abruption occurs when the uterine wall stretches towards the second half of pregnancy, resulting in excessive bleeding. It is important to monitor the placement of the placenta throughout the pregnancy to determine if the mother will be able to give birth to her baby vaginally or if she will need a cesarean delivery.
Prevention
Mothers rarely detect the position of the placenta, although women with placenta posterior can feel the movements of the baby earlier and stronger than the mothers with placenta previa.
This is because a posterior placenta fills the posterior wall of the uterus, forcing the baby forward and closer to the woman's belly, where fetal heart movements and beats are more easily detected.
Ultrasound, used for the first time in obstetrics in the sixties, detects the position of the placenta and the development of the baby. Occasionally, the placenta will travel as the uterus grows.
Mothers who are diagnosed with placenta previa may find that the placenta has moved to a placenta placenta posterior or placenta position anterior to the moment of birth.
References
- New Health Guide ORG. (2014). Posterior Placenta. 2-1-2017, Health Guide.
- Gill, L.. (2013). The posterior placenta. 2-1-2017, Baby Center.