Placenta previa

Symptoms:

• spotting during the 1st and 2nd trimesters
• sudden, painless, and profuse vaginal bleeding in pregnancy during the third trimester (usually after 28 weeks)
• uterine cramping may occur with onset of bleeding
• bleeding may not occur until after labor starts in some cases

Note: Labor sometimes starts within several days after initial heavy vaginal bleeding.

Signs and tests:

The uterus is usually soft and relaxed. The infant position is oblique ( // ) or transverse ( == ) in about 15% of cases. Fetal distress is not usually present unless vaginal blood loss has been heavy enough to induce maternal shock, placenta abruptio occurs, or unless a cord accident occurs.

An abdominal ultrasound indicates low positioning of the placenta.