Articles
Accreta Patient Frequently Asked Questions
What do accreta patients need to know? National Accreta Foundation produced this patient facing FAQ based on the latest literature and evidence based care recommendations for women with placenta accreta.
SHOULD I GET A SECOND OPINION?
The diagnosis of placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) can be difficult and sometimes uncertain. Read this article to understand why all women with risk factors for accreta can benefit from obtaining a second opinion to aid their diagnosis and improve quality of care.
Accreta Experiences
In our “Accreta Experiences” series, National Accreta Foundation features articles written by survivors and families in their own words sharing their placenta accreta experiences and learnings. Read the stories, tips and tricks of those who have been through accreta and have advice to share.
HOW TO CHOOSE A HOSPITAL FOR YOUR ACCRETA DELIVERY
National Accreta Foundation breaks down the literature surrounding a placenta accreta Center of Excellence into what you need to know as a patient. Use this article to help assess your hospital and learn what questions you should be asking any prospective care team to help guide your decision of where to deliver.
How to Prepare for an Accreta Delivery
From what to pack in your hospital bag to suggested topics for pre-delivery discussion with your family and support network, National Accreta Foundation co-founder Kristen Terlizzi passes on tips from her two month postpartum hospital stay.
How to host a blood drive to give back after accreta
Erin Jensen began donating blood on her daughter’s first birthday. Read about how the desire to give back and honor their experience inspired Erin to begin hosting an annual blood drive for her community. Tips & tricks included for how you can host your own blood drive in honor of Accreta Awareness Month in October.
MARKING MILESTONES AS AN ACCRETA SURVIVOR
Your journey following a Placenta Accreta Spectrum pregnancy can bring with it complex emotions, which often feel amplified on meaningful dates. Read these crowdsourced ideas for how our community members recommend commemorating anniversaries and milestones.
How to Support & Prepare Children for a Family Hospital Visit
When mom is hospitalized during an accreta experience parents may seek guidance for how to explain this to older children and how best to involve them in this time. Read these tips about how to prepare and support your children for hospital visits.
Tips on celebrating holidays in the nicu
Many accreta babies are born prematurely and require a stay in the NICU. This can be especially challenging during the holidays. Read an accreta mom’s tips and ticks on how she got through the holiday season during her micro preemie’s 121 day NICU stay.
MY EXPERIENCE ATTENDING CHAMPIONS FOR CHANGE MATERNAL HEALTH ADVOCACY SUMMIT
Ever since Brianna Evans delivered her last baby and survived a life threatening hemorrhage, complications of severe placenta percreta, and her son’s extremely premature birth she has been deeply motivated to support other women and make change in maternal health. Read Brianna’s story of attending MoMMA’s Voices maternal health advocacy summit.
Accreta Experience: Morgan Teal
In the second installment of our "Accreta Experiences" series, placenta percreta survivor Morgan Teal shares how the compassionate care she received during her pregnancy helped her to realize her own resilience and inspired her to pursue her dream of becoming a physician herself. Read Morgan’s insights into how to discover your strength and move forward after accreta.
Accreta Experience: Megan Moody
“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. The first article in our series is written by percreta survivor Megan Moody. Read what she has to say about how to plan for your physical and emotional recovery.
POSTBIRTH WARNING SIGNS
The acronym POSTBIRTH is a way for nurses, new moms, partners, family members and friends to identify problems in the hours, days, weeks and months after giving birth. Learn the nine POSTBIRTH warning signs and help save a life.
New VBAC Guidelines
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) published new vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) guidelines this week, intended to help facilitate better access to a trial of labor after cesarean (TOLAC) for women with a previous cesarean birth at any hospital in the Unites States. These replace the previous guidelines recommending that a physician be "immediately available," a term that was viewed as confusing and that experts say contributed directly to the decline in VBACs in the United States. So, what do the new guidelines mean for women who want to attempt a VBAC?
Five Steps Hospitals Can Take to Safely Lower Their Cesarean Rate
We asked maternal patient safety experts from ACOG, SMFM, the Institute for Perinatal Quality Improvement and March of Dimes how hospitals can safely improve their C-section rates.
How Arkansas Lowered Its Cesarean Rate Quickly
Data tells stories. Arkansas has long had one of the highest total C-section rates of all US states. A few years ago, CDC began publishing state data on VBAC a low-risk cesarean rates. While Arkansas has one of the highest repeat C-section rates in the US, its NTSV rate is just one percentage point away from meeting the HHS Healthy People 2020 goal. Our organization found out how this happened.
National Accreta Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to placenta accreta advocacy. Content on this site is provided for informational purposes only and is not meant to substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professional, please see our medical disclaimer here. National Accreta Foundation is entirely volunteer staffed and donation funded, if you find our content of value, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to help us continue this work.