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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staff
Painless, bright red vaginal bleeding in the second half of pregnancy is the main sign of placenta previa.
Although some women have light bleeding or spotting during the first trimester or early second trimester, bleeding associated with placenta previa usually occurs near the end of the second trimester or the beginning of the third. The amount of bleeding may range from light to heavy. And it usually stops, but it nearly always recurs days or weeks later. Some women who have placenta previa experience contractions with the bleeding.
Types of placenta previa
There are three specific types of placenta previa:
- Total placenta previa. In total placenta previa, the placenta completely covers the cervix.
- Partial placenta previa. In partial placenta previa, the placenta partly covers the cervix.
- Marginal placenta previa. In marginal placenta previa, the placenta approaches the edge of the cervix.
Low-lying placenta is a term used to describe a placenta that lies low in the uterus but isn't quite close enough to the cervix to qualify as marginal placenta previa. This condition usually doesn't cause signs or symptoms during pregnancy, but it may cause bleeding after delivery.
When to see a doctor
If you're pregnant, seek regular prenatal care. If you experience any vaginal bleeding during your second or third trimester, call your health care provider right away. Your health care provider will likely do an ultrasound to determine the source of the bleeding.
If you've been diagnosed with placenta previa, make sure that any health care provider you see during pregnancy is aware of the condition. Examining the cervix can lead to heavy bleeding. Sex is also off-limits for the rest of the pregnancy.
- Lockwood CJ, et al. Clinical manifestations and diagnosis of placenta previa. http://www.uptodate.com/hom. Accessed April 17, 2009.
- Sakornbut E, et al. Late pregnancy bleeding. American Family Physician. 2007;75:1199.
- Zeltzer JS. Vaginal bleeding in late pregnancy. In: Rakel RE, et al. Conn's Current Therapy 2008. 60th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/132444171-3/831220627/1621/508.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-4435-2..50256-9_4080. Accessed April 17, 2009.
- Lockwood CJ, et al. Management of placenta previa. http://www.uptodate.com/hom. Accessed April 17, 2009.
