Preeclampsia Foundation

For today's we are sharing Shanice's story with

Shanice writes, "Before pregnancy, I had no prior health issues, which made everything that happened feel even more shocking. My preeclampsia began without the symptoms people usually talk about. I had no warning signs at first, but protein was found in my urine, and from that moment, my entire pregnancy changed.

I was admitted to the hospital and ended up staying for 36 days. For over a month, I lived in a hospital room feeling physically sick and emotionally trapped. I was constantly throwing up, exhausted, and overwhelmed by the feeling of being stuck in one place for so long. What was supposed to be the final stretch of preparing for my baby became days filled with fear, medications, and uncertainty.

To keep things stable, I was on nine blood pressure pills a day plus blood thinners, and I had to receive the magnesium drip twice. The condition became so severe that it even caused the left side of my heart to swell. Mentally and physically, it was the hardest thing I have ever gone through.

At 33 weeks, after 13 hours of labor, I gave birth naturally to my daughter, who weighed 2 pounds, 14 ounces. One of the most surreal and traumatic parts of my delivery was that she came out holding my placenta, which then had to be manually removed. It’s an image and moment I will never forget.

After birth, my daughter stayed in the NICU for 3 weeks, adding another layer of fear and heartbreak to an already traumatic experience. Instead of bringing my baby straight home and soaking in those first moments together, I was navigating recovery while watching her fight in the NICU.

I also grieve all the milestones I missed while simply trying to survive. I missed my 30th birthday, maternity photos, and my baby shower. Those moments can never be replaced, and I still mourn the pregnancy experience I thought I would have.

Preeclampsia changed my body, my birth story, and the way I experienced motherhood before it even began. Even now, I am still grieving the joy-filled pregnancy I imagined, while also honoring the strength it took to survive it."

Read more: https://www.preeclampsia.org/our-stories/my-preeclampsia-story-grieving-the-pregnancy-i-thought-id-have

For today's we are sharing Madison's story with

Madison writes, "We tried for children for several years before starting IVF. I underwent excision surgery for Stage IV endometriosis (for the second time) prior to transferring a PGT-A tested day 5 embryo a few months later. I was fortunate to become pregnant from our first transfer. We pursued a modified natural transfer to maintain a corpus luteum, as I was concerned about preeclampsia risk.

My baseline blood pressure throughout the first and second trimesters was low, averaging around 90/60. Pre-pregnancy weight was 127 lbs.

By approximately 30 weeks, I had gained 40 lbs. Around this time, labs showed downward-trending platelets, and I was diagnosed with gestational thrombocytopenia. In my third trimester, I developed severe hand swelling to the point that I could not make a fist, type, or perform basic tasks. I was diagnosed with carpal tunnel, I had never had symptoms like this prior to pregnancy. By 36 weeks, I was significantly impaired and had to stop working.

During this same period, I continued to gain weight despite minimal food intake and experienced full-body pain and exhaustion. My blood pressure rose to approximately 135/86 during routine OB visits — a significant increase from my baseline — which I flagged as concerning, but this was not escalated.

Between weeks 38–40, I gained an additional ~15 lbs rapidly. I repeatedly raised concerns about severe swelling, rapid weight gain, pain, exhaustion, and rising blood pressure. My OB did not express concern and instead referred me to MFM for thrombocytopenia management. My induction was scheduled for 40 weeks.

At no point during my pregnancy was urine protein assessed.

At 40 weeks, I was induced and labored for over 40 hours without progression. I experienced severe back labor not controlled by epidural, and I had not slept, eaten, or drank. I was also denied IV fluids due to a reported shortage.

I ultimately requested a c-section due to exhaustion and lack of progress. During the procedure, my epidural failed and I required general anesthesia. My daughter was born healthy.

Per my records (which are unclear), I was diagnosed with severe intrapartum preeclampsia.

During the c-section, I experienced a hemorrhage (estimated blood loss not clearly communicated to me in real time) and required a blood transfusion. This was not disclosed to me at the time — I was only told my platelets were low."

Read more: https://www.preeclampsia.org/our-stories/what-they-missed