Letter to the Editor Template
Here is a text template that you can use as a starting point in reaching out to share your story with your local newspaper. Copy the text and paste it into an email or a word processing document, you can modify the italicized portions between brackets to fit the specifics of your story, and feel free to add additional detail.
In most cases, you can visit your local newspaper’s website to find an email address or online form where you can submit your letter to the editor.
If your letter to the editor is printed, please let us know!
Version for accreta survivors with previous c-section(s)
Before my most recent pregnancy, I had [a c-section/NUMBER of c-sections.]
You might be thinking, “Why is that remarkable?” And the answer is, it’s not. In fact, Cesareans are the most common major surgery in the U.S. Almost one in three births happen by Cesarean.
In my case, though, my previous [c-section(s)] were the primary reason why I developed a condition called placenta accreta in my most recent pregnancy.
Accreta is an incredibly dangerous complication that occurs when the placenta - the organ that my body grew to feed my baby in utero - embeds itself too deeply in the uterine wall. Ultimately, [include one or two sentences about the impact of your accreta on your birth outcome]. For example, Ultimately, I was hospitalized for two months and required a hysterectomy and a transfusion of 10 units of blood to survive my pregnancy.
April is Cesarean Awareness Month, and I want expecting moms to know their birth options. Cesareans can be life-saving procedures for moms and babies, but experts estimate that nearly half of c-sections performed in the U.S. could be safely avoided. One in 272 pregnancies now result in accreta like mine, primarily because of increased Cesareans.
Learn more by visiting the National Accreta Foundation at preventaccreta.org/CAM.
Version for accreta survivors without previous c-section(s)
During my most recent pregnancy, I developed a condition called placenta accreta.
Accreta is an incredibly dangerous complication that occurs when the placenta - the organ that my body grew to feed my baby in utero - embeds itself too deeply in the uterine wall. Ultimately, [include one or two sentences about the impact of your accreta on your birth outcome]. For example, Ultimately, I was hospitalized for two months and required a hysterectomy and a transfusion of 10 units of blood to survive my pregnancy.
Most patients who develop placenta accreta have one or more risk factors - the most common of which is one or more prior Cesarean, or c-section. Every c-section increases a woman’s risk for accreta in a subsequent pregnancy.
April is Cesarean Awareness Month, and I want expecting moms to know their birth options. Cesareans can be life-saving procedures for moms and babies - in fact, a Cesarean was part of the complicated surgery that helped me survive my pregnancy. However, experts estimate that nearly half of c-sections performed in the U.S. could be safely avoided. One in 272 pregnancies now result in accreta like mine, primarily because of increased Cesareans. I want fewer moms to experience birth trauma from this condition.
Learn more by visiting the National Accreta Foundation at preventaccreta.org/CAM.