Have you ever heard the phrase, "knowledge is power?" I can say that I definitely agree with it. I feel that all women should have as much knowledge about pregnancy and postpartum as they can before even making the decision to have a child, and if you don't have the knowledge before hand, then please start learning as much as you can during the process. I think it's safe to say that I did things kind of backwards. I didn't learn anything about pregnancy, in fact, I just thought it was one of those simple things. You get knocked up and have a baby. That's it and that's all.
But that's not it and that's not all. There is so much that we need to know. Things like nutrition, lifestyle, potential complications, mindset and so on. I feel like if I would have had the knowledge I needed then maybe, just maybe I would have been able to make better decisions in regards to my lifestyle during pregnancy and maybe I could have avoided my situation with Eclampsia. Or maybe if my provider would have had more time or patience with me to explain the things that I needed to avoid or precautions that I needed to take in order to have a healthy pregnancy, maybe that would have made a difference. I could go on and on about the what ifs, the fact is I'm still here and I can make a difference in someone else's life by sharing my experience and knowledge.
I delivered my baby girl (now 18) at 36 weeks on Christmas Eve of 2003. She was 6 pounds and 8 ounces. I had been dealing with elevated blood pressure during the pregnancy and even had to deal with preterm issues, such as early contractions, in which I had to have an IV to stop them at five months. One week after I had her, I developed a headache that would not go away. Nothing I did or tried worked. I remember my mother coming by and asking if I had eaten anything. I hadn't. Being a new mom, I hadn't figured out how to balance tending to her, sleeping and trying to eat. That was all too much for me to grasp. My mom decided to go grab some food. I ate and it made my headache worse! My mother had left when I started to feel horrible. I started to see what I thought was a spinning dot, but I was really going into a seizure.
No one was home. Just me, my one week old daughter, and our puppy. When I came to, I had no energy and I could barely remember where I was. I looked up and saw my tiny baby girl propped in the corner of the couch. I was holding her when I started the seizure. How I was able to prop her up in the corner of the couch before I lost consciousness, I have no idea, but I did. I had to crawl to my next door neighbors house, but no one was home. I continued to crawl down the street knocking on doors until someone was able to finally help me. A lady came out and I explained to her what was going on. She went down to my home as she called the paramedics and got my daughter for me.
Once the paramedics arrived, my daughter's dad arrived as well to get her. I made my way to the hospital where I was greeted by my mom and cousin. I sat there as they took my blood pressure which was extremely high! I remember the nurse saying, "My word! You're at stroke level!" and leaving to go get the doctor. Just as soon as she left, I saw that spinning dot again. I was going into another seizure. When I came to, I was in a dark room. They had to keep the lights low. My daughter's father was there and he told me what was going on. I had something called eclampsia.
What is Eclampsia?
Now for those of you who aren't familiar with what eclampsia is, I will explain. Eclampsia is seizures during pregnancy or soon after pregnancy that follows high blood pressure (a reading of 140/90 or higher) during pregnancy which is known as pre-eclampsia. Pre-ecplamsia starts after 20 weeks of pregnancy. When you follow up at your prenatal visits, you'll leave a urine sample. If you have protein in your urine and your blood pressure is high, this could be an indicator that you have pre-eclampsia, which can lead to eclampsia. The really interesting thing is, it can develop out of nowhere, you can have a completely normal pregnancy with no blood pressure issues or complications and just like that, it can happen.
Sometimes, your baby may have to be delivered early if you are diagnosed with this complication. It can sometimes increase the risk of problems, including death for both mom and the baby if the pregnancy continues. In my case I had already delivered her. What I find interesting is that when I was doing my research on pre-eclampsia/eclampsia and how many women/pregnancies it affects, it claims to be considered "rare", but I found that it's actually one of the most common complications of pregnancy. This complication contributes to a high maternal and infant mortality rate around the world.
Things to Know
The exact cause of this complication is still being researched. It's important that expectant moms keep an eye on their blood pressure during pregnancy. Watch out for swelling in your hands and feet or over your body, vision changes, elevated blood pressure, and headaches that will not go away. Don't be afraid to reach out to your provider and ask as many questions as you can. This is your health, your life, and your baby's life! Your concerns are valid. If you're diagnosed with pre-eclampsia, and you have to deliver early, it's recommended that an induction or c-section is done no later than 37 weeks of pregnancy.
The Aftermath!
Many of us go into pregnancy with an expectation of how things will go. We plan and pray for the best. However, when things go differently, like having an unplanned c-section, developing a condition that you know nothing about, and so on, it can create a sense of failure and fear. In studies of women who developed pre-eclampsia or eclampsia, they became traumatized. Just think about it, if something like this was to happen and you had no knowledge, you had to navigate this on your own, and figure this out, how would that affect you?
I personally became anxious and had to deal with some depression following it. I was grateful to still be alive, I was grateful that my daughter was alive but my anxiety was through the roof. There is a need for education and support around this complication. Mothers and families deserve this information and support. Even if this isn't something that happens, I feel that the knowledge should be shared. So, I'm putting it out there. I survived! There are several mothers that didn't. Knowledge and awareness can make a difference. I'm being the change I want to see!
Have any mothers you know had to deal with this? Or did you? How was it for you?
Until next time, sending you peace, love and light!
Tiffany Underwood
Certified Birth and Postpartum Doula - Childbirth Educator
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