If your practitioner tells you that you have an anterior placenta, it just means that your baby is taking a backseat to the placenta, the pancake-shaped organ that develops in the uterus during pregnancy.

While having an anterior placenta might come with some minor inconveniences, the good news is that it shouldn't pose any risk to your health.

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Key Takeaways:
  • An anterior placenta means your placenta is attached to the front of your uterus. It's a normal finding your provider might mention at an ultrasound.
  • It doesn't affect your baby's health. You may feel kicks a bit later and heart beats can be trickier to hear early on, but movement typically becomes easier to feel as pregnancy progresses.
  • Know when to call your provider. Reach out right away for vaginal bleeding, severe belly or back pain, or rapid, regular contractions.

What is an anterior placenta?

The placenta is formed with the sole purpose of supporting your pregnancy. This incredible organ acts as the lifeline between your baby and your own blood supply, enabling your baby to eat and breathe.

The term "anterior placenta" simply refers to the location of the placenta within your uterus. In medical terms, "anterior" means the front of your body and "posterior" means towards your back.

So if you have an anterior placenta, it means that the organ is attached in the front of your bump instead of at the back closer to your spine, where a posterior placenta is located. And it's incredibly common, occurring in up to 50% of pregnancies.

Your practitioner might inform you of the location of your placenta during one of your pregnancy ultrasounds. But rest assured that both anterior and posterior placentas are completely normal during pregnancy.

Want help navigating your prenatal visits and pregnancy health? Track your symptoms, weight, and kick counts in the What to Expect app, where you'll find trusted expert advice, tips from parents, and easy questions to bring to your next visit.

How can an anterior placenta affect your pregnancy?

Does the location of your placenta make any difference? Not to your baby, who doesn't care which side of the uterus she is lying on.

But what about to you — or your practitioner? If you have an anterior placenta, you might experience the following:

  • You might be less able to feel your baby's early kicks and punches because the placenta will serve as a cushion between your baby and your tummy. As your pregnancy progresses and your baby grows, an anterior placenta won't muffle these sensations as much, and you should be able to feel your baby's movements more easily. "I had it first pregnancy and have it again this time," reports What to Expect Community mom Sirsh. "It kind of muffled the feeling a bit, which honestly was a blessing in the third trimester because I could still feel them all day, but it wasn't super intense so I could still sleep." 
  • For the same reason, your doctor or midwife may find it a bit harder to hear fetal heart sounds.
  • An anterior placenta could make amniocentesis slightly more challenging.

Despite these slight inconveniences, an anterior placenta in and of itself poses no risk to your health.

However, if you experience vaginal bleeding, severe abdominal or back pain, or rapid uterine contractions, call your practitioner, as these symptoms could indicate potential placental problems.

Good luck!


Heidi Murkoff