I visited the early pregnancy unit after a heavy bleed at around 5 weeks pregnant. I thought I’d had a miscarriage. I was given an ultrasound and told there was a heartbeat, but that implantation was low. The midwife could see there was still bleeding in my uterus too so I was told to expect a miscarriage. I was scanned weekly and the pregnancy continued. I repeatedly asked if my caesarean scar from previous birth was visible at each appointment and I was assured that if implantation had happened over my scar then the pregnancy wouldn’t grow, which I now understand isn’t accurate information. When I reached 12 weeks I was discharged from the early pregnancy unit and told the pregnancy looked normal.
At my 20-week scan in February 2023 we were told we were expecting a boy and thankfully everything was looking normal for him, however the sonographer was concerned about my placenta. A fetal medicine consultant reviewed me and explained they suspected placenta accreta. They told me I’d need a hysterectomy and explained the risks of high blood loss in surgery. This news was earth shattering, but deep down I knew something was wrong. I then did what they told me not to do, I googled and terrified myself! After my 20-week appointment, I held my 4-year-old daughter tight every night as she fell asleep, then I’d cry myself to sleep. There are no words to explain the heartache, or the guilt I felt. It was a really sad and traumatising time.
I was referred to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (RIE) and had my appointment there at 27 weeks with an MRI at 30 weeks. RIE had experience in PAS cases, and they also have the blood bank. Surgery was scheduled for 34 weeks but we live a couple hours from that hospital so I was admitted 1 week earlier at 33weeks gestation. I almost didnt stay – it was gut wrenching taking that extra time away from my daughter and partner. Even when I arrived at the hospital, I almost went back home, as I thought Id be more comfortable there. But, I also felt like a time-bomb. I reluctantly knew to stay was the sensible thing to do.
On the first night I woke up at 1:30 am and I was majorly hemorrhaging. It was an extreme emergency and I was rushed to theatre. I was prepped and sedated and my beautiful boy was born at 1.47am. I’ll never know how the medical staff on shift that night managed to come together and do what they did in those 17mins. Real-life superheroes! I’ll be forever grateful to all of them for saving our lives and so thankful to the anesthetist who held my hand until I was put under GA.
We stayed in hospital for 3 weeks after the surgery. I was in theatre for about 4 hours and lost 13litres of blood. I woke up in ICU, lying on my back and still with a ventilator. My mum and my partner were on each side of me holding my hands. It was emotional for everyone. I met my boy when he was about 15 hours old. I was in ICU for 4days, HDU for 3days, then on the ward for another 2wks. Despite his dramatic entrance into the world, our boy was healthy and strong. He stayed in NICU for 1 week then under supervision from pediatric high dependency for remaining 2wks, but he was allowed to be with me for those 2 weeks. My partner stayed with us in hospital too. The staff at RIE were incredible. We felt so cared for. It was an incredibly difficult decision to stay hospital before surgery and be away from my daughter and partner but it was the safest place to be for my baby and me.
Unfortunately I had some postoperative complications 5 weeks after surgery, so we spent time in and out of different hospitals throughout the summer. It was brutal for a while and there were some dark times where I just couldn’t imagine being strong and healthy again. Mentally it really took its toll, I was constantly waiting for the next thing to go wrong. But I had support from my psychologist and physiotherapist and with some time, I got stronger.
My baby is now 2.5 year old! I’m doing really well, better than I could’ve imagined 2 years ago! I still think about what happened often, but I don’t have the same anxiety around it anymore. Physically, I feel stronger than I have done in a long time (maybe ever!). I try to look after my body & mind more than I’ve ever done before – Over the last 2 years, I started cold water swimming, going to the sauna and lifting heavy things at the gym and they have all helped me heal, and regain my confidence and trust in my body.
Placenta Accreta Ireland
I discovered Placenta Accreta Ireland at around 30 weeks of my pregnancy. I had a great medical team and a strong support network of close friends and family, but it was still such an isolating time. Until I found Placenta Accreta Ireland, I felt isolated, no one understood what I was truly going through. Listening to the Accreta & Me podcast and hearing PAS mums bravely sharing their stories gave me so much. It helped me prepare mentally, it validated my thoughts and feelings and helped me feel less alone. I reached out to the mental health team at the hospital after hearing that advice from some of the mums on the podcast. I have had a psychologist through the NHS and I don’t know how I would’ve coped without her. We have worked through the PTSD using EMDR along with talking therapy and it has been life changing. I’ve shared the resources on the website with family, friends and medics who’ve supported me. I contacted Placenta Accreta Ireland to say thank-you and Naomi responded immediately. It was so comforting and supportive. Naomi and I are now collaborating to establish a similar group in Scotland.
I really hope that sharing my story helps to raise awareness of Placenta Accreta Spectrum and helps another PAS mum feel less alone, but I hope it also demonstrates the life-saving importance of blood donation. Thanks to blood donors, my children still have their mum. I am organising some blood drives and hope to encourage enough people to donate blood to replace the volume that was donated to me. To anyone who has ever donated blood, thank-you!
