Four days after having my daughter I had a seizure, clinically known as postpartum eclampsia.

I was induced on a Saturday and had an emergency c-section Sunday morning because baby girl’s blood pressure kept dropping each time I had a contraction. I had normal blood pressure all during my pregnancy (sometimes even on the low side) and all throughout my labor/hospital stay. Because I was doing so well with recovery, I was released a day early on that Tuesday.

Once I got home, a slew of symptoms hit. I felt very foggy, super out of it, and, honestly, pretty depressed. I assumed I was going through postpartum depression and immediately asked to be placed on an antidepressant. I slept for only an hour each of those first few nights at home, again assuming it’s all a part of the postpartum journey. My feet were extremely swollen and my legs would shake uncontrollably, so I called the nurses line and they said it was due to the fluctuating hormones. I was trying to breastfeed and pump, which burns a ton of calories, but I had to force myself to eat because I was so nauseous. On Wednesday night, I felt pins and needles down my arms, but my family, thinking I had pp depression, assured me it was probably a panic attack and tried to help calm me.

On Thursday, the fogginess worsened immensely. I tried to dial a phone number read by my husband and kept mixing up the numbers. I tried texting but couldn’t spell most of the words nor could I write a coherent sentence. Then, as I went to reach for my breast pump, I stopped myself and said, “I don’t know how to do this.” The next thing I remember is waking up on a gurney being put in the back of an ambulance.

I was taken to the ER and immediately given a magnesium drip that continued for 24 hours. After hours and hours of waiting for a bed to open, I was transported to the hospital I gave birth at on the High Risk OB floor. I stayed there until Saturday afternoon, almost two full days without my baby. I had a CT scan, chest x-ray, echo, MRI, EKG, and lots of bloodwork done. I was diagnosed with postpartum eclampsia, which is a seizure caused by preeclampsia, which is high blood pressure due to pregnancy.

I cried the entire time I was hospitalized, thinking I was dying and that I’d never see my baby again. Even when I was discharged home, I experienced a lot of lingering anxiety. I felt like I lost precious time with my baby since that first week was so miserable and the next few weeks were so filled with anxiety that I ended up in the ER again - my anxious brain tricked my body into mimicking the symptoms I felt those few days prior to the seizure.

After those first few weeks, I had a follow up MRI and was completely cleared. Motherhood has been incredible ever since and I love my baby girl so unconditionally. I hope that any woman who reads this feels empowered to listen to their body and speak up when things feel off.