Expectant moms and mommies-to-be! Shall we talk about placental grading? I think almost everyone has heard that the placenta is the organ responsible for nourishing the baby inside the mother’s uterus. The placenta forms together with pregnancy, as soon as the baby attaches inside the uterus, during the famous implantation.
How is the placenta formed?
The zygote, which is formed from the union of an egg and a sperm, keeps multiplying its cells. From the moment it attaches, it divides into two distinct parts. One half will become the baby and the other half becomes the placenta. It is absolutely necessary and essential for the baby’s growth, oxygenation and nourishment1.
What does a placenta look like?
The placenta has an appearance similar to beef liver. It is full of blood vessels that receive blood rich in vitamins and oxygen. All of this passes to the fetus through the umbilical cord, helping the baby to develop properly. However, the placenta has different maturity grades.
What are the placental grades?
Placental grades can be grade 1, grade 2, grade 3, and 0. What determines these grades is the maturity of the placenta2. In other words, the higher the number, the more “aged” it is. The placental grade can determine how much nutrition and oxygen your baby is receiving. So, let’s say when it is at grade 1, it can nourish and oxygenate the baby very well without any risk.
Grade 2 placenta is the one that can remain for the longest period during pregnancy. It can start around 28 weeks and go until 36, 37 weeks, or even until the end of the pregnancy with no problems. Grade 3 is the highest level of placental maturity. But that does not mean it is not supplying the baby’s needs, just that it is “tired”. It can also mean that labor is near. Remember, grade 0 is the best of all. It indicates the placenta shows no signs of maturity and that the pregnancy is healthy.
Placenta removed after a natural birth, graphic scenes for those who don’t like to see blood, so be warned!
I’ve seen cases of moms at 30 weeks pregnant with a grade 2 placenta, but I’ve also seen grade 3. If that’s your case, don’t worry. Talk to your doctor to be reassured. Usually, pregnancy happens without problems even with a grade 3 placenta instead of a grade 2.
I myself had a grade 2 placenta at 29 weeks of pregnancy and went smoothly until the end, when it was already grade 3 at 39 weeks. As the placenta matures, the amniotic fluid changes with it, and the baby’s maturity also contributes to this3. I read somewhere that the baby’s lungs secrete a hormone when they are mature, which can accelerate placental maturity at the end of pregnancy. That’s why many pregnancies reach the highest grade of maturity. Usually, the placental grade is not a cause for concern.
Does placental grade speed up labor?
What can anticipate labor is not the placental grade, but rather its condition. For example, a reason to bring labor forward, or to think about induction, would be placental calcification. That is when the placenta starts to become hardened or calcified (hardening) and then is no longer passing nutrients to the baby, prompting the doctor to talk about delivery. But that’s a topic for another post…
Readers’ questions:
34 weeks with grade 3 placenta, are there risks?
At 34 weeks, prenatal care becomes even more attentive and detailed. If the ultrasound shows grade 3 at this gestational age, it is necessary to check the baby’s oxygenation. If it is good, there is no problem. The Doppler exam of the umbilical and placental arteries, which is usually requested towards the end of pregnancy, allows these conditions to be assessed.
37 weeks and grade 1 placenta, is there any problem?
No, on the contrary! The lower the grade of the placenta, the younger it is, and the better it is functioning to nourish and oxygenate the baby.
What is a thick placenta?
A thick placenta is one that is thicker than considered normal. It can be caused by a small unilateral, partial, or complete calcification. It looks like small blood clots all over its surface. It is not an alarming case but it does require medical monitoring.
See also: Umbilical Cord and Baby’s Belly Button – Its Function Inside the Womb
