So I just want to share my story so that all my mommies out there know to advocate for yourself! If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t right! Especially your health and babies health. It is mildly terrifying, especially while it happened.

First and foremost, I gave birth at 39 + 1 after being induced. It was a vaginal birth w/ an epidural.

I had been having extreme swelling of my ankles which ended up being all the way to my waste line before I gave birth. I had put on 71 lbs by the time I gave birth. I had went in multiple times complaining about the swelling, high BP at home (over 150/95), a constant headache, and being extremely short of breathe. We ended up in the ER twice because the baby wasn’t moving for hours on end. They did all the test (Preeclampsia, Bile Salts, & multiple others), and nothing came back with anything wrong. The biggest issue was my iron was super low.

We went in at 7pm and started the whole process of induction. What was supposed to be a normal birth started going south. I could not get warm, was shaking uncontrollably, and overall just tired. Of course, the Dr and Nurse said that it’s all normal. The stress of having a baby. At 5 cm, I got my epidural and the shaking got worse. Again, all normal said everyone. (I should add this is my 4th child. I know what is and isn’t normal at this point.) I kept mentioning that I didn’t feel well and was super tired. Finally at 4 am I was far enough along we could push. That was the easy part! Four, 3 count pushes and we had a very healthy 11lb 2oz baby boy.

My OB did his sewing job and ended up taking out a cyst I was not aware was down there and started my on dietetics. I was still shaking uncontrollably and realized shortly after I was having trouble breathing as well. My chest started to hurt and I was gasping for air. My nurse asked if I was okay and I told her, honestly no I’m not. I was started on high flow oxygen because my level was at 87%. I could not explain to my dr though anything because I couldn’t breath and kept falling asleep. At one point I opened my eyes and there was 2 drs and 10+ nurses in my room. They had called in an ICU Dr because they thought I was having an embolism or blood clot somewhere in my chest. I was rushed down to have a CT scan done and then taken to ICU for more tests to be done. My oxygen wouldn’t go back up and I still couldn’t stay awake.

With in a few hours I was seen by multiple other drs and tons of other tests done. It was determined that because I had so much fluid in my legs, once the baby came out, it all went to my heart. My kidneys couldn’t flush it fast enough and it then went to my lungs. I was literally drowning. (I dropped 6 liters of fluid through a catheter in 12 hrs.) Not normal! I ended up having flash pulmonary edema and congestive heart failure. It was caused because of all the fluid. My body couldn’t keep up. I was told days after, thankfully I had my baby vaginally because a CSection would of killed me. I would of had a blood clot that would of went to my heart and killed me.

I am sharing because I don’t want any other mommy to have to deal with this. It is terrifying and scary! I didn’t even get to hold my child for two days. I have had to be on multiple meds in the hospital as well as two blood transfusions. Still on a diuretic 4 weeks later because I can’t get rid of the fluid and having high BP. I now have life long health issues I will have to address because I didn’t listen to my body.

Please don’t do this to yourself. Listen to your body!