accreta experience:

Grace Hilton

accreta experience: Grace hilton

accreta recovery: Celebrating your successes

When I got asked to write my accreta experience I was over the moon because I really wanted to help people who could relate to my story. It's a very rare condition and its lonely, people who haven't experienced it, well they will never know the emotional and physical torture that comes with it and I am so sorry if you are going through this.  

My accreta journey started on the 28th August 2018. I had been with my daughter to soft play and I was 33 weeks pregnant. We had just bought and moved into our first home and it was exciting but stressful while being heavily pregnant. At approximately 6 o'clock that evening I thought I was wetting myself, we all know our bladders get weak during pregnancy, I ran up to the toilet and looked down to find I was having a huge bleed, Blood literally pouring from me! I called my partner and he phoned 999 an ambulance came and I was rushed to hospital. 

Upon arrival tests were done and the baby was stable. We found I had placenta previa, quite a common condition where the placenta completely covers the cervix, this means I would need to have a planned C-section. I was in hospital for 4 nights, they wouldn't let me leave the hospital until the bleeding had stopped for at least 24 hours. The problem was the bleeding never stopped, it became lighter and I needed to get home to my daughter so I discharged myself. Before I left hospital they sent me for an MRI, this was the 1st time I heard the words Placenta Accreta. We did the tests and I went home, the tests had to be sent to a large city hospital where they assessed my MRI and confirmed Placenta Accreta. I was meant to be on complete bed rest but I had a baby girl who was 11 months old at the time, how can any parent "bed rest"?

After 5 days of bleeding, and living in constant fear, I finally admitted myself back to hospital and they sent me in an ambulance straight to a large city hospital. When I arrived I was told I needed to stay there while they monitored the baby on complete bed rest until I reached full term. I spent a lot of days crying and I was convinced that I was going to die, my mental health was deteriorating and I had no professional support. The people who managed to take the time to come and visit me will never know how they saved me, they will always hold a special place in my heart.

On the day I reached full term I had a large bleed, probably because I was trying to express colostrum for my baby. I wasn't sure how long I would be in surgery for, I had no control over anything so I wanted to give him some of me when he came out; I wanted to know he was getting my colostrum. 

When the surgeon came to see me he told me that the placenta looked completely attached up the whole front of my stomach and that I would need to be cut from my belly button down and then again across across my ribs internally, they were not sure until they opened me up whether they would need to remove my womb. I was told I would be put on cell saver which is when they recycle my blood by cleaning it and putting it back into me.

I was so convinced this was the end for me, I had written letters to my family and I had bought books for my babies telling them how much I loved them. When I got into the surgery they couldn't find my babies heart beat and I was crying "please just make us come out alive get the baby out," I was begging for my life. They put me under general anesthetic and I woke up 3 hours later to find I had a beautiful baby boy. He had come out not breathing and needed a little help but he was alive and I was alive and I still had a womb. 

I had poor care at the hospital were I was left waiting 3 hours for paracetamol, I needed 2 blood transfusions and as soon as they were done I discharged myself.I had 3 hospital visits after I got home, I had a huge bleed where I passed some of the placenta they had to leave Inside, the worst was when they told me my organs were spasming because of the trauma they had been through, I could barely move with the pain.  

Looking back on what I have been through I realize now I have come so far! I had to have physio therapy on my tummy because it was struggling to heal and I still do these exercises now. I also got diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and had to see a therapist for a year. It's only now I can talk about this with a clear head and not feel any resentment or anger for what I went through and how I was treated at the hospital because I had the help I needed. So to anyone going through this I will say this, Nobody will understand what you are going through except someone who is or has been through it. You have to celebrate all the little successes to help with the lows. You have to realise how far you have come and how every day/week/month gets a little easier, it's hard to see the improvements because of the pressure we put on ourselves to recover. I remember thinking "when is it going to get easier?" and my mum said "well it has", I didn't understand but she explained how I can leave the house now which I couldn't do for 4 months. Notice all your personal milestones and be proud of them no matter how small they are. 

Physically you have to look after yourself make yourself eat and drink, sleep is your best friend your body and soul needs to heal and sleep will help you do this. Most importantly don't be afraid to ask for help because you will need it, get extra support from health visitors and therapists and have family and friends around you as much as possible, it is one of the hardest things you will go through, do not feel guilty for all the things you can not yet do, you will get there and it will take time, make sure you let yourself take the time you need. 

I am now set out to help and support people which is why I was so happy to be asked to write for this amazing foundation. The only advice I can give is make sure you have a good team of support around you in all areas because it's one of the hardest things you will ever go through. If anyone wants to chat they can find me on Instagram at www.instagram.com/twelvemonthsapart 

Thank you for taking time to read my accreta experience. 

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“Accreta Experiences” is a National Accreta Foundation produced series where accreta survivors write articles sharing their placenta accreta experiences and learnings in their own words to help those new to the accreta community.

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