Let’s Talk About Placenta Accreta
Do you know what placenta accreta is?
I didn’t when I had it.
Placenta accreta is a condition that occurs when the placenta attaches too deeply into the uterine wall.
This happens in 1 out of 2,500 pregnancies.
There is no known cause of this.
Two cases that there have been shown an increase in occurrences:
In 5-10% of pregnancies with placenta previa
Cesarean births increase the chances in future pregnancies
Risks of placenta accreta can include:
Hemorrhages during birth and/or in postpartum
Hysterectomies
Treatment of placenta accreta is typically surgery, in order to separate the placenta from the uterine wall.
Important signs to look out for after you give birth:
If the bleeding does not get lighter over time and, instead, is getting heavier.
If you are passing blood clots, and the clots continue to get larger over time.
If this is you, please reach out to your doctor and get assessed immediately.
I reached out to my doctor, but they did not think I needed to be assessed.
I wished I had advocated for myself more.
Because experiencing an emergency surgery was extremely traumatic, and took me a long time to heal from - physically and emotionally.
If you experienced postpartum trauma, my heart goes out to you.
More than anything, I want you to know that you are not alone.
