Is the placenta getting thicker?

When a woman is in the middle or late stages of pregnancy, she goes to the hospital for a pre-pregnancy check and usually has to have a detailed placenta examination. First, the position of the placenta should be checked to see if there is anything abnormal. In addition, the thickness of the placenta should be checked. Experts say that a placenta that is too thin or too thick is not good, and will affect the function of the placenta to a certain extent, and may even directly threaten the fetus. Let's take a look at the growth and change process of the placenta thickness.

Is the placenta getting thicker?

The state of the placenta in a pregnant woman's body is extremely important to both the pregnant woman and the fetus. The placenta is an important link between the pregnant woman and the fetus. However, if pregnant women have placental diseases or abnormalities, it will inevitably directly affect their normal pregnancy. Does the placenta become thicker in late pregnancy?

Is the placenta getting thicker?

The normal value of placental thickness at 23 weeks of pregnancy is 3.6-3.8 cm, generally not exceeding 5 cm. The placental maturity level at 23 weeks of pregnancy is placenta level 0, which belongs to the middle stage of pregnancy. A low-lying placenta is a type of placenta previa, which can be divided into three types: complete placenta previa, partial placenta previa, and low-lying placenta.

When a pregnant mother has a low-lying placenta, she should take appropriate self-care measures, but avoid all strenuous exercise, such as running, jumping, etc., and some actions are absolutely inappropriate. For example, squatting. Pregnant mothers already have a bulging abdomen, which puts a lot of pressure on their lower limbs, so it is not easy for them to squat. If a pregnant mother with a low-lying placenta squats, the cervix will expand and the placenta located lower will be stretched, causing detachment and bleeding. Therefore, pregnant mothers with low-lying placenta should never squat.

In terms of placental structure, the placenta is a combination of embryonic and maternal tissues, and is composed of the amnion, chorionic villi and decidua basalis.

Amnion: The fetal portion of the placenta that is the innermost layer of the placenta. Its thickness is only 0.02 to 0.5 mm, and it is composed of five thinner layers of membranes: epithelial cell layer, dense layer, basement membrane, fibroblast and spongy layer.

Chorionic villi: The fetal part of the placenta that makes up the placenta. It is the main part of the placenta. The main structure of the placenta is the villi. It goes through three stages of development, namely primary villi, secondary villi and tertiary villi. About 3 weeks after fertilization, when blood vessels form within the villi, the fetal placental circulatory system is established. The fetus relies on the placental blood circulation to obtain the nutrients it needs for growth from the mother's blood flowing through the placenta.