What makes a placenta healthy

It also removes waste products from baby to prevent any harmful infections. The placenta plays a crucial part in hormone production too, including the production of progesterone, oestrogen and the HCG hormone, which all help to sustain a healthy pregnancy. The placenta begins to form in the early weeks of pregnancy, when the fertilised egg attaches itself to a tiny yolk sack in the uterus.

This sack provides nourishment to the baby until the placenta is fully formed a few weeks later. By week of pregnancy, the placenta is fully developed and takes over the transfer of oxygen and nutrients to the fertilised egg, ensuring that the foetus is fully nourished.

This is good news for mums-to-be! During this time, many mothers experience reduced morning sickness and increased energy levels once the placenta takes over, which makes life a bit easier for expectant mums. A healthy placenta continues to grow throughout the pregnancy period and is then delivered after birth — normally between 5 and 30 minutes after the baby. Your placenta nourishes your baby throughout your pregnancy. However, its usefulness does not have to stop at birth.

Your placenta contains Amnion and Placental Cells , which are being used in a range of therapies to push the boundaries of conventional medicine.

Amnion has already been used to heal serious burns and diabetic ulcers, as well as to regenerate infected wounds. Both Amnion and Placental Cells are the subject of a growing body of very promising clinical trials for cardiovascular conditions, brain injury, arthritis and many more.

By banking placental tissue with Cells4Life, you can make sure your child has access to as many of the latest regenerative therapies as possible, as they become available.

It may even reach the bladder or wrap around the rectum. Sometimes part or all of it hangs on. Removing it can lead to severe blood loss after a delivery. Occasionally, a doctor must perform a hysterectomy in such a case. Placenta percreta happens when the placenta grows through the uterine wall.

The cause is unknown, but risks are higher for those who have had prior surgery on the uterus previous c-section or other uterine surgery , prior defects in the uterine muscle or in women older than Sometimes it happens for no detectable reason.

Women's Health. Rene Wisely. October 13, PM. Graphic: Stephanie King. JavaScript is required. No time read? Listen to the audio version instead:. Preeclampsia Preeclampsia, a pregnancy complication that leads to high blood pressure and possible kidney damage, is another placental disorder that Townsel personally experienced.

Courtney Denise Townsel, M. The placenta is dedicated to the survival of the fetus. Even when exposed to a poor maternal environment, for example when the mother is malnourished, diseased, smokes or takes cocaine, the placenta can often compensate by becoming more efficient.

Unfortunately, there are limits to the placenta's ability to cope with external stresses. Eventually, if multiple or severe enough, these stresses can lead to placental damage, fetal damage and even intrauterine demise and pregnancy loss.

Just as the rings of a cut tree can tell the story of the tree's life, so too the placenta can disclose the history of the pregnancy. In cases of poor pregnancy outcome, microscopic examination of the placenta often reveals the stresses that caused the fetal damage observed in an affected newborn. The major pathologic processes observable in the placenta that can adversely affect pregnancy outcome include intrauterine bacterial infections, decreased blood flow to the placenta from the mother and immunologic attack of the placenta by the mother's immune system.

Thank you for sharing our content. A message has been sent to your recipient's email address with a link to the content webpage. Your name: is required Error: This is required. Your email: is required Error: This is required Error: Not a valid value. Send to: is required Error: This is required Error: Not a valid value. About the placenta The placenta is a large organ that develops during pregnancy.

What happens to the placenta during pregnancy? How to keep your placenta healthy It is important to visit your healthcare provider regularly during pregnancy to check for any problems with your placenta. Speak with your doctor or midwife if you have any concerns, or if you experience: severe abdominal or back pain vaginal bleeding contractions any trauma to your abdomen, for example from a fall or car accident Placenta complications Problems with the placenta can potentially be dangerous for both mother and baby: Placenta accreta : When the placenta grows too deeply into the wall of the uterus.

This can lead to massive blood loss during or after delivery and can be life-threatening. Placental abruption : When the placenta peels away from the wall of the womb before delivery.

This can cause bleeding and will mean your baby may not be getting all the nutrients they need. In some cases, an early delivery may be needed. Placenta praevia : When the placenta partially or totally covers the cervix, the opening through which the baby will come out. This condition is more common early in pregnancy and often resolves as the placenta moves higher in the uterus as the uterus grows.

If the placenta is still covering the cervix close to the time of delivery, a caesarean section will be necessary. This can affect the growth of the baby. Retained placenta : The placenta may not come out after the birth because it is blocked by the cervix or it is still attached to the uterus.

This can cause severe infection or blood loss, and can be life-threatening. Options for the placenta after the birth In some cultures, families bury the placenta in a special place. Back To Top.