When Emily Lopes reflects on her pregnancy with daughter Lillian, who has recently celebrated her first birthday, she describes it as “scary, dark, complicated and traumatic” – but ultimately, one that ended in deep gratitude and hope.
At her 20-week scan, Emily sensed immediately that something wasn’t right.
“My normally exceptionally calm doctor seemed extremely worried,” she recalls. “After reassuring me our baby girl was perfect, she explained I had complete placenta previa and was highly suspicious of placenta accreta.”
Placenta accreta is a serious, high-risk pregnancy condition where the placenta implants too deeply into the uterine wall, threatening to invade other organs, including the bladder and bowel. It creates life-threatening risks for the baby and mother during birth due to severe haemorrhaging.
While uncommon, cases are increasing – a trend linked to rising caesarean section rates.
For Emily, who was already a mum to two sons, Beau and Hugo, the diagnosis came as a shock.
“I had never heard of accreta before and was surprised this risk wasn’t explained to me as part of my previous C-section consent process,” she says. “I immediately felt very scared and worried about my future and that I wouldn’t make it to the other side to meet my baby girl and continue to be the mum to my boys.”
Soon after, her pregnancy was classified as high-risk, and her care was transferred to the specialist placenta accreta team at King Edward Memorial Hospital.
“That’s when everything changed,” Emily said. “Once I met my accreta team, my stress levels dropped. I felt so supported and cared for.”
Throughout her pregnancy, Emily was closely monitored as her condition progressed.
She was advised to scale back to light duties and remain close to the hospital, forcing the cancellation of summer holidays, trips to the family farm, and even short visits more than 30 minutes away – a particularly difficult adjustment while caring for her two young sons.
Each scan brought new challenges, and with them, growing concern.
“Seeing the fear in the doctors’ and nurses’ faces when they spoke to me really showed just how serious this complication is,” she says.
At home, however, Emily and her husband Tyron faced a different challenge – protecting their young sons from the fear they were carrying.
“Every morning we had to wake up and put on a brave face for our boys, even though internally we were petrified.”
At 34 weeks, an MRI revealed the placenta had begun to invade surrounding organs, escalating the risk further. A multidisciplinary plan was quickly put in place, and Emily was transferred to Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, where multiple surgical teams could support her delivery.
Lillian was born at 35 weeks in a highly complex operation involving five surgical teams and lasting a marathon seven hours.
“Luckily they let me stay awake for the birth so I could meet her,” Emily says. “Then we were separated for three days while I was in ICU.”
Lillian received specialised care at Perth Children’s Hospital, before mother and daughter were reunited back at King Edward Memorial Hospital.
After 10 days in hospital together, Emily was finally able to take her baby home.
Looking back, Emily is filled with gratitude for the extraordinary team that supported her through every step of her journey – including her specialist obstetrician and gynaecologist, Dr Mathias Epee, and the many clinicians across three hospitals who worked together to ensure the best possible outcome.
“It definitely takes a village, and we are beyond grateful and thankful to ours,” she says.
Today, Emily is also passionate about raising awareness of placenta accreta and the importance of specialised care, research, and early detection.
Her experience highlights why continued investment in maternal health research – like that supported by the Women and Infants Research Foundation – is so vital. As rates of complex pregnancy conditions rise, research is critical to improving prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes for women and babies.
For Emily, the journey is not yet over.
“The healing will take time, both physically and emotionally,” she says. “But I am so grateful to be here.”
And at the heart of it all is Lillian – “the light at the end of the tunnel” – a reminder of what world-class care, research, and resilience can achieve.
About placenta accreta
- Placenta accreta is a serious but rare pregnancy complication
- It occurs when the placenta grows too deeply into the wall of the uterus (womb)
- In some cases, the placenta can grow through the muscle wall and reach the outside of the uterus
- Normally, the placenta separates after birth – but with placenta accreta, it remains firmly attached
- This can lead to severe, life-threatening bleeding after the baby is born
- Placenta accreta may also result in premature birth
- Women diagnosed with placenta accreta require specialist care and careful planning for delivery
Tune in to the In Scientific Dialogue With… podcast episode Defusing the Placenta Accreta Time Bomb to listen to Emily and Dr Epee discussing the challenges of this high-risk condition, the life-saving clinical advances being made, and the profound impact of care on patients and families.
Placenta accreta research
In 2025, Dr Mathias Epee – Lead of the Placenta Accreta Team at King Edward Memorial Hospital at North Metropolitan Health Service, and member of the WIRF Scientific Committee – was awarded a Telethon grant to support vital research into placenta accreta spectrum. Learn more about this research project here.
