I hemorrhaged when I gave birth to my son.
After a painless labor and delivery, I was riding high. I hadn’t had any painful contractions up until my epidural, and I rode that pain-free wave right up to delivery. After I delivered my baby, I got about 30 minutes of skin-to-skin contact with my newborn baby—during the precious ”golden hour”—before everything started going downhill.
What first began as normal postpartum shaking turned into uncontrollable trembling. I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t hold my baby, I couldn’t get an IV in.
I felt uncontrollably cold. So cold that I could not bear to have even an inch of skin uncovered. Nothing could warm me up. I didn’t know it then, but this near experience with hypothermia was the effect of losing blood rapidly. I then began to feel extremely tired, and all I could imagine was curling up into a ball and going to sleep. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was fading quickly. I was losing consciousness.
I stayed like this for a couple of hours before my OB-GYN was finally able to get control of the bleeding and stop the hemorrhage. I would later learn that the next step would have been an emergency trip to the OR to find the source of the bleeding.
My recovery was slow and continues even now, three months postpartum. I am forever grateful to my OB-GYN and team of nurses who acted quickly and were able to stop the bleeding. I am grateful to my husband, who switched gears rapidly to focus on our newborn son while I received care.
I know that I am lucky to be alive. But I am also lucky because I had access to quality maternal healthcare. I had access to a hospital equipped with obstetric emergency medicine and supplies. Prior to giving birth I had access to great prenatal care, and I had a solid support system backing me up throughout my pregnancy and into postpartum.
I live in a state that has protected reproductive freedom for women, and I feel enormously lucky that I had no complications throughout my pregnancy.
Too many women aren’t as lucky as I am.
According to the World Health Organization, postpartum hemorrhage is among the leading causes of maternal morbidity.
The U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rate of high-income countries. African-American women, in particular, are three times more likely to face maternal mortality than white women.
In 2022, the Biden-Harris administration introduced a national blueprint for addressing the maternal health crisis. Recent updates include::
- Federal health and safety requirements for maternal emergency and obstetric services in hospitals.
- Extending postpartum Medicaid coverage.
- A national maternal mental health hotline.
- Investing in communities to address maternal health disparities.
That is what maternal health needs. Women need support at the prenatal, birth and postpartum levels.
We need leaders who will fight for access to maternal health services, as well as help build socioeconomic systems that will support mothers regardless of race, income or location.
We need someone who will support access to mental health services, which are critical during pregnancy and postpartum periods.
Moms need a leader who will invest in us and protect us.
This story is a part of The Motherly Collective contributor network where we showcase the stories, experiences and advice from brands, writers and experts who want to share their perspective with our community. We believe that there is no single story of motherhood, and that every mother’s journey is unique. By amplifying each mother’s experience and offering expert-driven content, we can support, inform and inspire each other on this incredible journey. If you’re interested in contributing to The Motherly Collective please click here.
