Placenta praevia
The placenta provides the growing baby with oxygen and nourishment. After the baby is born, the placenta is expelled as the afterbirth.
The placenta can sometimes attach too low down and partly or totally cover the entrance to the womb (cervix). The placenta normally moves away from the cervix, as the womb stretches to accommodate the growing baby.
The placenta may, in some cases, continue to partly obstruct the cervix in the final stages of pregnancy. This is known as placenta praevia. If the placenta covers the entire cervix, this is known as major placenta praevia.
In either case, the baby cannot be born vaginally, because the placenta would rupture and bleed heavily, risking the life of mother and baby. An elective caesarean section would be required to avoid this happening.
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