Placenta
The placenta is a disc-shaped organ, roughly the size of a dinner plate at term, that grows inside the uterus and attaches to its wall. It acts as the lifeline between you and your baby, transferring oxygen and nutrients from your bloodstream into the baby's, and carrying waste and carbon dioxide back out. It also produces hormones such as progesterone and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) that sustain the pregnancy. The placenta is delivered in the third stage of labour, usually within 30 minutes of birth. Problems such as placenta praevia (low-lying placenta) or placental abruption require close medical management.
What This Means for You
Understanding Placenta is an important part of your pregnancy journey. During pregnancy, your care team will use this term regularly. Being familiar with it means you can ask better questions and feel more confident at your antenatal appointments.
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A low-lying placenta detected on your mid-pregnancy scan often moves upward as your uterus grows, so a follow-up scan around 32 to 34 weeks is typically arranged before drawing any conclusions about your birth plan.
Related Terms
Source: https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/how-your-fetus-grows-during-pregnancy
Always consult your healthcare provider for personalised advice.
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