The placenta is a unique and extremely important organ for normal pregnancy that allows transportation of nutrients and vitamins from the mother to the baby. It is from this body that the viability of the fetus depends to a large extent. Therefore, it is almost impossible to overestimate the placenta.
It can be said with certainty that the placenta is the organ that helps maintain the normal intrauterine development of the fetus throughout the nine months . In appearance, the placenta resembles a circular disc. One side, he turns to the fetus, and the second - to the mother's uterus. The umbilical cord leaves the fruit side of this peculiar barrier. The size of the mature placenta is normal - from 15 to 25 cm in diameter. The thickness of the organ is about 2 cm.
The placenta is located directly in the uterus, usually in the mucosa of the posterior wall. But for various reasons, it can be located in the front part, and below, sometimes even blocking the output to the child. This wrong position (especially when the placenta is low) can have a very negative impact on natural childbearing. That is why doctors appoint in such situations a planned cesarean section.
But if such a diagnosis was made during the examination in the first semester, then you need not worry. The placenta is a rapidly developing organ. It grows and changes throughout the period of gestation and, most likely, no one will remember this diagnosis in the third semester. The structure of the placenta is lobed. Each such "slice" is called cotyledon. They are separated from each other by partitions - septums. The part of the placenta facing the fetus is additionally covered with an amniotic. An umbilical cord is also formed on this part. This cordlike formation connects the placenta with the fetus. In the umbilical cord there are three large blood vessels, and a specially developed substance completely envelops these vessels, protecting them from mechanical damage.
It is also important that the placenta is a multifunctional organ. Its main function, of course, is to provide the baby with nutrients and oxygen in full. This is the first thing that ensures normal development of the fetus. The placenta is also responsible for the production of certain specific hormones. They are necessary for maintaining a pregnancy. This is a chorionic gonadotropin and progesterone. Another important function is protective. The placenta is a kind of barrier, through which strictly selective penetration of substances takes place. But for a number of reasons this function is violated, and the child can still get various harmful substances that can cause harm. That is why it is so important that the future mother leads a healthy lifestyle. The placenta helps to get the baby a natural innate immunity.
Learn about the status of the placenta helps ultrasound. He's scheduled every trimester. The survey reveals the degree of the placenta. In total, 4 degrees (0,1,2,3) are known, each characteristic for a certain period of pregnancy. If the organ ripens faster than the prescribed time, then they say about the aging of the placenta.