The Placenta: Your Baby's Life-Support System During Pregnancy
Learn how the placenta nourishes your baby, its key functions, and possible complications to watch for.
In short: The placenta is a temporary organ that delivers oxygen and nutrients to the baby, produces the hormones of pregnancy and removes waste. It begins to form when the embryo implants, at about day seven, and is working fully by the end of the third month. Its problems include a low-lying placenta, early separation, infection and clotting.
The placenta is the vital bridge between mother and baby, nourishing your growing baby throughout pregnancy and supporting you both during birth.
Understanding how this remarkable organ works can help you feel more informed and confident throughout your pregnancy journey.
What are the functions of the placenta?
- Delivering oxygen to the baby
- Delivering nutrients to the baby, such as:
- Sugars
- Amino acids
- Fatty acids
- Minerals
- Vitamins
The placenta also stores certain elements such as glycogen, iron, and proteins for the baby’s use.
It produces hormones that support and maintain a healthy pregnancy, such as:
- Pregnancy hormone (hCG)
- Relaxin, which softens the cervix and loosens the ligaments in preparation for birth
- Progesterone
- Estrogen
It also removes waste products such as urea and carbon dioxide from the baby’s blood.
- A partial protective barrier: it transfers your protective antibodies (IgG) to the baby, especially in the last weeks of pregnancy, but it cannot stop some germs (such as rubella, cytomegalovirus, toxoplasma, syphilis and listeria) or substances such as alcohol, nicotine and some medicines from reaching the baby.
- Helping to regulate the baby’s temperature by passing excess heat from the baby to the mother’s blood.
- Performing some important metabolic processes.
When does placental formation begin during pregnancy?
It begins from the time the embryo implants in the uterine lining (around day 7 after fertilization).
The placenta reaches functional maturity by the end of the third month of pregnancy.
The placenta reaches anatomical maturity (complete formation) by the end of the sixteenth week of pregnancy.
What are the potential placental abnormalities?
- Placental position problems (such as placenta previa)
- Placental implantation problems (placenta accreta)
- Placental abruption
- Preeclampsia
- Chorioamnionitis
- Placental thrombosis
- Gestational trophoblastic disease (molar pregnancy and, rarely, choriocarcinoma), which is very treatable with proper follow-up
- Placenta with larger than usual size
- Placenta with smaller than usual size
- Accessory placental lobe (placenta with two parts)
Thus, the placenta is a single organ that performs several vital functions; it is a biological miracle that supports a growing human being and represents the lifeline before birth. Regular prenatal check-ups can help monitor placental health throughout your pregnancy.
If you have questions or concerns about your pregnancy or placental health, our team at Dr. Najeeb Layyous clinic is here to support you with guidance and care.
Dr Najeeb Layyous F.R.C.O.G
Consultant Obstetrician, Gynecologist and Infertility Specialist
The finest doctor in Jordan — may God bless him and his whole medical team. A doctor in every sense of the word. I advise anyone planning a pregnancy to visit Dr. Najeeb Layyous. His manner is wonderful, always smiling, with the highest ethics; he gives every patient her due, and the patient’s comfort matters most to him. We had been to many doctors and none understood and treated my case except him. Special thanks to him and the whole team, and to Dina in particular — a lovely person. I recommend anyone considering IVF or pregnancy to visit his clinic.