I had a beautiful pregnancy. We were blessed to get pregnant right away, I never even had morning sickness, and my blood pressure was the best it had ever been. My OB used to joke how she wished all her patients had my experience!

Around 29 weeks, during a routine check-up with a different doctor, my BP reading came back elevated. To be safe, I was required to come back in for weekly readings and fetal monitoring, with a tentative plan to induce at 37 weeks if needed. The next few times my BP came back normal, and baby was doing well, so my OB and I chocked it up to anxiety and a false alarm. We were even discussing continuing to term and dropping the 37-week plan. I was feeling great (as much as one can in their third trimester) and looking forward to a maternity shoot, birthing class, and “normal” birth.

Then, at 33 weeks, I woke up feeling off, shaky, and feverish. Because of my BP protocol, my OB office recommended I go directly to the ER to be safe. It had to be the flu, we thought. But by the time we got to the hospital, my temperature was 104 and my heart rate was well over 200. I was in septic shock, but from what, they couldn’t tell.

I was admitted to the ante-natal unit. For five days, I had every test, imaging, and blood draw done—on repeat. Incidentally, in addition to a massive infection, they discovered a pulmonary embolism and strictures in my bile ducts. Just as I was beginning to recover from the infection, I noticed my legs and feet began to swell. I couldn’t even fit into my hospital socks anymore! At first the nurses tried to dismiss it as typical pregnancy swelling, but since I’d never had it up to that point (I was still wearing my wedding ring up till then) I knew something was wrong. Finally, my BP crept up to 185/100. I was diagnosed with preeclampsia with severe features.

After that was a blur. I was put on a mag drip, which made me feel like I was feverish all over again. I had an IV in each arm, hooked up to six bags of different medications. I was induced with a foley balloon and then Pitocin, but my baby girl and I did not react well. My contractions were excruciating and unrelenting, even with an epidural, and her heart rate kept tanking. At one point, they had to administer adrenaline because we lost her heartbeat.

After 48 hours of labor, and unable to progress past 5cm, I asked for a C-section. Thank god I did, because my baby girl’s heart rate tanked again as they put me on the operating table and I heard the doctor say “We have to get her out now.” They were cutting me open before my husband even entered the room.

My daughter needed help breathing for the first 24 hours, and then was fed through a tube for several days till she could master a bottle. She was (and still is!) such a fighter, and managed to go home with us after 1.5 weeks in the NICU. Today, she’s a silly, healthy, smiley toddler and the center of our world!

I’ll never forget my experience with preeclampsia. The terror during birth. Not being able to see or hold my baby for 24 hours till my BP was under control. The hazy, foggy, feverish days on mag. The months of medication and check-ups after. And the inevitable anxiety I now have the moment a blood pressure cuff tightens around my arm.

The experience has forever changed our lives. We have since decided that our daughter will be our only one, to not risk my life or our possible baby’s life again. Instead, we are grateful for every single moment with our perfect girl, and look forward to building our beautiful little life together!