An anterior placenta is when the placenta attaches and grows on the front portion of the uterus instead of the back. It may correlate with the woman’s sleep position at the time of conception, or possibly with having type O blood. It generally does not lead to significant complications with birth. An anterior placenta may lead to minor issues such as difficulty hearing the fetal heartbeat by 18 to 20 weeks gestation or delays in being able to feel the baby kick. There are better tools to help avoid these complications such as using a handheld Doppler to detect the heartbeat.

Read more: Anterior Placenta: What it Means for Your Birth Plan