I had my first child in 2017. I was weeks away from turning 35, so I technically didn’t fall into the Advanced Maternal Age recommendations at my checkups, but they still did the normal blood work and urine tests at each checkup. All checkups went fine, with normal ranges.
I was confident with my doctor, and we hired a doula to help us along the way. I read books and listened to birth and parenting podcasts. I felt as prepared as I could be.
But I was not.
We ended up with a long, stalled labor, and while my doctor let us try as many options as possible, we ended up choosing a C-section after three days of trying all of the things. I was disappointed with having a C-section, but I was grateful to be on the other side of it and to have our baby.
After a 48-hour NICU stay for observation, we checked out, and we were so grateful to be home. But that first evening I spiked a fever and we went back to the hospital to the Labor and Delivery area. I assumed it was an infection from surgery, but when I got my vitals checked, my blood pressure was extremely high, and once I had laid down, I started to feel awful–blurry vision, headache, and more. All signs for preeclampsia, and they seemed to come on fast! I am so glad I trusted my gut, and my husband said we should go in and get checked.
They immediately put me on a magnesium sulfate IV and admitted me. The magnesium made me feel out of my mind–I remember thinking of words to say and not being able to get them out. My husband was my advocate once again, asking questions and making decisions while holding our newborn!
My case was ‘mild’ in the grand scheme of things. I was treated with magnesium for 24 hours, and all of my vitals returned to normal. I was sent home with some new knowledge–preeclampsia can happen during the first weeks of the postpartum period. We bought an at-home blood pressure monitor and picked it up after being discharged the second time!
Postpartum preeclampsia was something I didn’t plan for, but now I seem to hear about it more often. I am so glad there is more conversation happening around this topic now!
There is so much to worry about and to learn during pregnancy and postpartum, but it’s important to trust your gut, ask questions, have a helpful partner, and get checked out if you have concerns.
