I'm Grateful to Be a Mother

This Mother's Day, as I do every year, I am thankful that I am able to watch my children grow up. I am the proud mother of four beautiful children, including a set of twins. While we are all healthy and happy now, our story could have been very different.

I had a wonderful, easy first pregnancy until around thirty weeks when I started having episodes of racing heartbeat and shortness of breath. I also started swelling quite a bit. My OB said my symptoms were just normal pregnancy stuff and that I shouldn’t worry. At my 34 week checkup, I had gained ten pounds in two weeks. My blood pressure was up a little, but “not enough to be concerning.” However, because I was obviously having trouble breathing, he gave me samples of an allergy medicine and told me to come back on Friday.

That Friday, at 35 weeks even, I had gained another four pounds in three days, was dipping +3 protein, and had a headache and spots in my vision as well as brisk reflexes. The OB wouldn’t even let me drive myself to the hospital. I had severe preeclampsia with central nervous system involvement, and would have to deliver within 48 hours.

I had never heard of preeclampsia before that day. I had no idea that my symptoms meant I was on the brink of a stroke or seizure. I had no idea that I was very quickly heading toward HELLP syndrome (another condition I had never heard of), and that my liver and kidneys were headed toward failure. If I hadn't gone to the hospital when I did, if I had tried to tough it out through the weekend until my next appointment, I very easily could have died. I also didn't know that my baby was being affected. She was mildly growth restricted, weighing just 4lb 4oz and with almost no body fat. She had trouble regulating her temperature for her first 6 months of life due to the lack of insulation.

Preeclampsia and related disorders are a leading cause of maternal and infant illness and death. They affect 5-8% of pregnancies and are responsible for 76,000 maternal and 500,000 infant deaths a year globally. Preeclampsia is characterized by high blood pressure and protein in the urine. Other symptoms may include excessive swelling, sudden weight gain, nausea and vomiting, abdominal and/or shoulder pain, lower back pain, headache, visual disturbances, hyperreflexia, racing pulse, shortness of breath, mental confusion, and anxiety. Eclampsia is diagnosed when the condition progresses to seizures and/or stroke. HELLP syndrome involves hemolysis (breaking down of red blood cells), elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets. There is no known cause and no way to prevent the condition. If caught early enough, it can be possible to slow the progression so that baby can have more time to grow, although sometimes the condition strikes so quickly there is no time to wait. The only cure is delivery. In rare cases the condition will get worse before it gets better even after birth. In fact, it's possible to develop preeclampsia as late as 6 weeks post partum.

Preeclampsia can strike any woman. It is more likely to occur in a first pregnancy, but can happen in any pregnancy. Risk factors include age (both teenagers and age 35+ are at greater risk), obesity, having high blood pressure outside of pregnancy, kidney disorders, diabetes (type I, II, and gestational), blood clotting disorders, autoimmune diseases, and carrying multiples. Preeclampsia usually only strikes once, but some women, including myself, get it more than once. The earlier and more severely it occurs, the greater the risk that it will happen again.

After my scary first birth, I was closely monitored in subsequent pregnancies. My second baby was also induced prematurely due to preeclampsia, although I had a milder case with no brain swelling and made it to 37 weeks. I then had a set of twins. I was diagnosed with pregnancy-induced high blood pressure at 22 weeks, and progressed to mild preeclampsia at 31 weeks. Within hours of giving birth at 36 weeks, I experienced severe post partum preeclampsia with brain swelling. As a three-time survivor, I am grateful that God saw fit to let my children and me live. Not everyone is as lucky, as I know from my time in an online support group. I now want to share my story to raise awareness. Every pregnant woman should know the signs and symptoms, and seek treatment promptly if she suspects a problem. If I had known what to look for, and if my doctor had taken my complaints more seriously, it's possible I could have carried my first daughter closer to term as I did my other children.

In addition to raising awareness, this year I am raising money for the Preeclampsia Foundation. On May 22, I will be running a 5K for Chicago's Promise Walk for Preeclampsia. If you wish to donate, you can visit my fundraising website and make a secure online donation.

The Promise Walk for Preeclampsia

More information can be found at the Preeclampsia Foundation.