In honor of Preeclampsia Awareness Month, I wanted to share our story.

Around 35 weeks pregnant, I started swelling significantly and was gaining weight quickly. At every appointment, I was told the swelling and weight gain were “normal” and nothing to worry about. I didn’t have protein in my urine yet, and my blood pressure was right on the edge of normal.

Another week passed—same thing. Everything was still considered “normal” because there was no protein in my urine and my blood pressure wasn’t technically high yet.

At 37 weeks, we were at home eating lasagna with family when I told my husband I felt really off and extremely fatigued. He checked my blood pressure—it was 160/100. We immediately knew we needed to go to Labor & Delivery. We called ahead, and when we arrived, they took us straight to triage.

This time, things were different. I now had protein in my urine, my blood pressure remained dangerously high, and the swelling hadn’t improved. I was diagnosed with preeclampsia and told we needed to induce as soon as possible to safely deliver Carter and protect my health.

I was induced the next morning and didn’t give birth until the following day at 2:03 AM. It was a long, exhausting labor. My epidural didn’t work correctly, and I was given magnesium through an IV, which made me feel like I had the flu. I pushed for over two hours while on magnesium and was one push away from an emergency C-section. Thankfully, they were able to deliver Carter with vacuum assistance.

I was barely able to hold him before things took another turn. Carter was stable, but I began hemorrhaging. Everything after that is a blur—I remember a nurse injecting something into my leg, the pain, and then passing out from blood loss. I didn’t wake up until the next morning, when I finally got to meet Carter for the first time.

Because of the blood loss, my blood pressure initially dropped. My hemoglobin was 6.2, and I was given one unit of blood to bring it up to 7.2 so I could be discharged. My blood pressure began rising again, but it was considered stable enough for me to go home.

We were discharged on a Wednesday. I spent Thursday at home, but I still didn’t feel right. Early Friday morning around 2 AM, I woke up with severe shortness of breath and chest pain. I could barely breathe. I woke my husband, and after checking my oxygen and blood pressure, he said we needed to go to the ER immediately.

I was admitted quickly as they evaluated me for a possible heart attack. A chest X-ray revealed fluid in my lungs—I was essentially drowning from excess fluid. They immediately started IV diuretics to remove the fluid, and I lost about 40 pounds of water in a single day.

My labs came back very abnormal, and when the OB evaluated me, I was diagnosed with postpartum preeclampsia with severe features. At that point, I was in multi-system organ failure and was admitted to the ICU. My vitals were monitored every 15 minutes while they worked to stabilize me and remove the fluid as quickly as possible.

During this time, I also lost vision in my right eye. I was told vision loss can happen with severe preeclampsia and is usually temporary.

I spent two days in the ICU on magnesium to prevent seizures (again feeling like I had the flu), multiple blood pressure medications, and continued treatment to remove the excess fluid. I was later told that if I had stayed home, I likely would not have survived that day.

Days later, I was finally discharged home again.

Preeclampsia can happen quickly, and it doesn’t always look the way you expect—especially postpartum. Swelling, rapid weight gain, headaches, vision changes, shortness of breath, or simply feeling “off” are all signs that matter.

Trust your body. Advocate for yourself. If something feels wrong, don’t wait.

I’m incredibly grateful to be here today and to be Carter’s mom. If sharing my story helps even one person seek care sooner, it’s worth it.