Contents:
- Medical Video: What is placenta previa?
- What is placenta previa?
- You can still get pregnant again after experiencing placenta previa
- Prevent placenta previa when you are pregnant again
Medical Video: What is placenta previa?
For women who have experienced placenta previa in their pregnancy, you may become anxious about your reproductive health. Not a few who later wondered if they could get pregnant again after previously experiencing placenta previa. Will the next pregnancy encounter the same problem or not? Come on, see the explanation below.
What is placenta previa?
Placenta previa is a condition in which the placenta covers part or all of the cervix. The cervix is the birth canal of the baby located at the top of the vagina. This condition can occur in 1 in 200 pregnancies.
If you are detected experiencing this condition early in pregnancy, it is usually not a problem. But if not treated, this disorder can result in severe bleeding before or during labor later.
During pregnancy, the placenta will grow according to the baby's development. In pregnancy where the placenta is normal, the placenta is in a low position in the uterus and will move up and to the side of the uterus as the baby grows. In the case of placenta previa, the placenta will continue to grow in the lower part of the uterus and close the area of the cervical opening and it will remain like that before the birth process.
When the labor process arrives, your baby will come out through the birth canal. If you have this placental disorder, when the cervix begins to expand and opens for labor, the blood vessels that connect the placenta to the uterus may experience tears. This then causes severe bleeding during labor and birth, threatening your and your baby's safety.
You can still get pregnant again after experiencing placenta previa
If you have a history of placenta previa before, you still have a 2-3 percent chance of experiencing this condition again in the next pregnancy. Even the risk of getting bigger if you previously had a Caesarean section and uterine surgery such as curettage or removal of fibroids.
But take it easy, your hope to get pregnant again after placenta previa will still be there. If you want normal labor, then you should not rush. Give a distance of about 18-24 months before trying to get pregnant again. This pause is needed so that your uterus can return to work normally again.
If you have a particular concern, you should immediately consult your obstetrician when you can get another pregnancy after experiencing a placental problem in a previous pregnancy.
Prevent placenta previa when you are pregnant again
Actually, there is no known right way to prevent a woman from getting placenta previa. However, you can reduce the risk of experiencing placenta previa by following the following:
- Do not smoke
- Not taking illegal drugs
- Maintaining uterine health, for example, regularlycheck upand maintain a balanced diet
- Only had a Caesarean section if it was needed medically
As mentioned earlier, one of the risks for having a placental disorder is having had a history of having a Caesarean section. Therefore, it is recommended that if the pregnancy you are experiencing is healthy and there is no medical reason for having a Caesarean section at delivery, you should leave the delivery to normal. The more Caesarean section you have undergone, the greater your risk of developing placenta previa.
