You may be advised to come into hospital at the end of your pregnancy so emergency treatment (such as a blood transfusion) can be given very quickly if you bleed. This bleeding can be very heavy and put you and your baby at risk. If the placenta is still low in your womb, there's a higher chance that you could bleed during your pregnancy or during your baby's birth. If your placenta is significantly low, you'll be offered an extra ultrasound scan later in your pregnancy (usually at about 32 weeks) to check its position again.įor 9 in every 10 women, the placenta will have moved into the upper part of the womb by this point. The position of your placenta will be recorded at your 18- to 21-week ultrasound scan. It affects about 1 in every 200 births, but in most cases the cervix is not completely covered. This is called low-lying placenta or placenta praevia. If the placenta stays low in your womb, near to or covering your cervix, it may block the baby's way out. The area where the placenta is attached usually stretches upwards, away from your cervix. Low-lying placentaĪs your pregnancy progresses, your womb expands and this affects the placenta's position. placental abruption – when the placenta starts to come away from the wall of the womb.retained placenta – when part of the placenta remains in the womb after giving birth.Complications that can affect the placenta during pregnancy or childbirth include:

Uterus shifted to the left