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That sounds to me like either low lying placenta or placenta previa. I was told at 23 wks (I'm 27 wks now) I had low lying placenta and the if it didn't move I was up to a c-section. But you need to check with your mid-wife if thats what you have and if it is completely blocking the way for your baby to be delivered v____ally. Don't take this as what you have, it just sounds like what I was told, please check with her or your ob (if you're seeing one also) before you drive yourself nuts, we pregnant ladies know how to do that the best. Good luck and please let us know.

you see she dint seem that worried and she said he is engaged so i dont see how if he is engaged that it could be in his way if you know what i mean

Kirstie, I have heard of nurses/doctors saying that but from my knowledge it wasn't an issue unless they said that right away. With you being so far in the pregnancy I would definitely bring something up to your OB to make sure they are not concerned. I researched the internet to see if I could find anything and this is what I found out .......... ANTERIOR PLACENTA Often, an anterior placenta takes up some room in the front of the mom's belly that would otherwise be occupied by the baby's back. This can sometimes cause the baby to be somewhat posterior, although this tends to correct itself as the baby moves lower into the pelvis and the back moves down, beyond the placental location. Sometimes, in an effort to correct this apparent posterior position, moms will spend a lot of time on hands and knees. This can be a problem with an anterior placenta in that then the baby's weight is right on top of the placenta, which can cause some cord compression, especially with big babies or low fluid levels. This can result in minor fetal distress or meconium. So moms with anterior placentas who are doing hands and knees might want to limit the time to 2 or 3 minutes at a stretch.

Oh sorry you also mentioned something about your lo being engaged. It is normal for your baby to be engaged now but just because he is engaged does not speed up the process for sure but everyone is different so it may for you. I would just make sure if you notice anything unusual or experience pain with your braxton hick then I would call your OB or L&D. Good luck!

thanks for the advice

Hey Kirsatie...I just posted to you on the cravings board and now I read this. We sould very much alike. Yes, I crave ice like crazy because I am anemic and my doctor also has a hard time hearing a heartbeat. The reason for this is because I have an anterior placenta. That means that the placenta is closest to your belly (skin) than the baby. The baby is behind the placenta. I asked my doctor if this would cause any problems and he didn't seem to think so...or atleast he did not tell me. I am 33 calendar weeks along but Jacob is measuring 36 weeks and weighs (as of last Friday) 5 pound 14 oz. I go back to the dr on Tuesday so I will know more about whether he is engaged or not.

I have an anterior placenta as well. My doctor said there is nothing wrong or weird about it. She told me when I had my u/s at 18 weeks. The only thing she said about it was that it may take longer for me to feel any kicking. She even told me that in her second pregnancy she had an anterior placenta. I would not worry if your doctor did not express concern.

What you have is an anterior placenta. I had an anterior placenta with my daughter. It was really no big deal, it made it very very difficult for me to feel her move as time went on. It really didnt make any difference to me. As far as your babies head being engaged, it doesnt really mean a lot either. You can still go to your due date and even become overdue with the baby being engaged. Try not to worry, everything sounds fine. ~Kristin~

Hi what you have is an anterior placenta, I had that as well, it just means you dont feel movements as hard and yeh the heartbeat is always a little harder to keep track of, other than that I had a normal pregnancy and a normal labor its really nothing to worry about :)

Yes you have an anterior placenta. It's in the front so as the previous post says you don't feel the kicks as hard as it acts like insulation and it can make finding the heartbeat a little more difficult. But it's completly normal and not a problem as my Dr told me.

Well a placenta can be anterior (in front) without being a hazard. I have an anterior placenta but it is up high. It only poses a greater chance of the baby being born face-up which causes back labor. Other than that, no problems. If your Midwife isn't worried then I wouldn't either. The baby can be engaged for quite a while without the baby being born so things are probably just fine.

You will be fine. My placents is in the front too. If it was to low and going to cause a problem at birth, they would have known at your 20week u/s and asked you to come back for another u/s . If they didn't mention it that it is not going to cause an issue. Babies can be engaged for a couple months before labor and they can also become engaged and then move back out of the pelvis later. Depends on how big they are and how much room they have to move around. My daughter didn't engage until I went into labor.