It was July 19, 2021. I was three days postpartum having just given birth to my first baby- a beautiful healthy baby boy named Emerson. My pregnancy had been a difficult one filled with first-trimester nausea and aches and pains until the day I delivered. On one of my first OB appointments they had commented that they noticed some protein in my urine and that this could be a warning sign of preeclampsia to come down the road.

As soon as I heard this I began to panic. They had me come back in and take a urine sample which still showed traces of protein. So they had me collect a 24-hour sample at home. Eventually the protein disappeared and I was able to go on with my pregnancy a bit less fearful. Then on one of my routine appointments at about 20 weeks they checked my BP and told me it was a bit elevated but didn’t seem too concerned. I continued to go to my follow ups and each time my BP would be elevated.

For my team of providers it was difficult for them to determine whether my BP was pregnancy-related or due to my anxiety. Eventually after a few more appointments I was diagnosed with Gestational Hypertension and by the time I was 33 weeks I was having checkups two to three times a week as well as NSTs and ultrasounds to check on baby. My BP was always elevated but they continued to monitor it and informed me that they would be inducing me at 37 weeks. The date of my induction arrived and after 25 hours in the ACU, lots of anxiety, and lots of pushing I delivered my beautiful healthy 6 lb. 15 oz. son into the world. The next few days at the hospital went great and I was so in love with my precious baby and my new journey of motherhood.

Then a day after I was cleared to go home, around noon time I began to have chills and just felt really unwell. I knew something was wrong. I called one of my OBs who told me to go right to triage. Once there I was a major panic attack. They got me into one of the back rooms and proceeded to check my vitals including my blood pressure. I almost didn’t look at the machine while they were taking it but something made me… 143/117!! I was really panicking now. They sent me, my son and my boyfriend back to the waiting room but informed me that I’d be one of the first to get a room when one became available.

I waited in the emergency room for a good 6 hours while I began to hyperventilate and cry and sob while nurses drew blood and brought in seizure pads to my bedside. Around midnight they started me on magnesium sulfate to try to keep me from seizing and keep my BP under control. They informed me that something was “definitely brewing” and my liver enzymes were steadily rising. I wasn’t brought into a room until about 3:00 a.m where I spent the next 24 hours in what I can only describe as a delirious state of in-and-out consciousness, barely able to recognize or remember a thing. After 24 hours my pressure came down enough to where they were comfortable releasing me on the terms that I’d go to extensive follow up appointments to make sure my blood pressure and liver enzymes were starting to come down.

Nobody had ever mentioned to me the threat of preeclampsia in the postpartum period, and had I been better informed I would have insisted on a bit of a longer hospital stay after giving birth to my son. Please advocate for yourself if something doesn’t feel right, and please be aware of the risk of postpartum preeclampsia, particularly if you’ve been diagnosed with Gestational Hypertension.