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Discussion

Large placenta = c-section???

I know someone who was recently told her placenta is too large and that she needs a c-section. I have never heard of this and it sounds like another dumb reason to have a c-section. Has anyone heard of this??

P.S. She is currently in labor, induced I guess but we'll see what happens.

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  • Experts

It's possible they are suspicious of a placenta acreta; if that's what it is, they need to do a stat hysterectomy to prevent her from bleeding to death very, very rapidly. If that's the case, they should have told her for informed consent.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placenta_accreta

The OB nurses can probably think of some more reasons.

This is only my personal experience, so I don't know how it measures up. I had a large placenta with my second daughter. (Apparently it was impressively big, according to the OB and nurse.) I had no problems delivering it; however, I started hemorrhaging within an hour or so, but that was treated successfully with IM methergine. It was a piece of cake to deliver, but I had just delivered a 10-pound girl, so maybe she stretched me the heck out. I didn't tear at all, either. Never was a C-section discussed. However, nothing was abnormal with my pregnancy except my daughter and her placenta were big.

The OB nurses will definitely know more than I do, but I'm just relating my personal experience.

If the abnormally large size of the placenta causes it to extend over the cervical os (or dangerously close to it), a C-section would be necessary to safely deliver the baby and prevent hemorrhage, as with a placenta previa.

  • Experts

Usually we are more worried about the location (and extension into uterine wall) of the placenta rather than the size. Like Jolie said, though, if the placenta's size causes it to be over the cervix, then yes we do a c/s. However, some docs will allow a woman w/ a low-lying placenta or a very marginal previa to at least have a trial of labor.

If the abnormally large size of the placenta causes it to extend over the cervical os (or dangerously close to it), a C-section would be necessary to safely deliver the baby and prevent hemorrhage, as with a placenta previa.

But in this case, they probably wouldn't have induced labor with a known previa.

My guess is either something is missing in translation (i.e. this is an acreta) or this is one of the ever increasing number of illogical reasons some OBs out there are using to convince women to birth by cesarean. :no:

  • Experts
But in this case, they probably wouldn't have induced labor with a known previa.

I was thinking the same thing. That's just not a smart thing to do!

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