What should you know about posterior placenta accreta?

The placenta normally attaches to the lining of the uterus and comes away after the baby is born. With placenta accreta spectrum, placental tissue grows more firmly into the uterine muscle. Posterior describes its position on the back wall, rather than the front wall. This location can make ultrasound assessment more difficult, so your team may combine different ultrasound views and, in selected situations, magnetic resonance imaging.

The finding does not by itself predict exactly how deeply the placenta has grown or what will happen during birth. Your care team will consider the placental position, previous uterine surgery, scan findings, bleeding, and your overall health.

Keep appointments with a maternal-fetal medicine or other specialist maternity team. They may repeat imaging to map the placenta and discuss the safest place and timing for birth. Planning usually includes an experienced obstetric team, anaesthesia, blood-bank support, and access to surgery if bleeding occurs.

Ask whether you should change work, travel, exercise, or sexual activity based on your symptoms and scan findings. Keep your maternity records available, tell clinicians about the diagnosis if you attend another hospital, and follow the personalised plan for medicines and hospital contact. A planned caesarean section may be recommended; in some cases, hysterectomy is discussed because removing the placenta can cause severe bleeding.

Contact your maternity unit urgently for any vaginal bleeding, even if it is light or stops. Seek emergency help for heavy bleeding, severe or constant abdominal pain, faintness, marked weakness, shortness of breath, or a racing heartbeat. Call emergency services if you feel unsafe travelling or are becoming confused, pale, or unable to stay awake.

Do not wait for your next appointment when these symptoms occur. Use a pad rather than inserting anything into the vagina while waiting for advice, and tell the team how much you have bled, when it started, and whether you have pain or reduced fetal movement.

Useful questions include: How certain is the diagnosis, and what did the scan show about invasion? Where should I go if bleeding starts? Which hospital and specialists will be present at birth? What is the plan for the placenta after delivery? Could hysterectomy be needed, and what alternatives apply to me? When should I stop travelling or arrange help at home?