April 02, 2024 By Shannon Zepka
I had severe postpartum preeclampsia with my first pregnancy so when we became pregnant a second time, maternal fetal medicine put me on two aspirins (162mg) daily instead of just one. I was also taking lovenox injections for an underlying blood clotting disorder. I checked my blood pressure daily, as I was instructed, and I noticed my pressures were increasing but not in the “severe range”. I was scheduled for a planned induction at 39 weeks so I could deliver safely after stopping the blood thinners. However, at 37 weeks, I had a placental abruption and hemorrhaged during birth. My baby was in distress and delivery was expedited. My blood pressures continued going up, and like last time, I had headaches and saw flashing spots. I had to go back to the hospital and ended up needing to take blood pressure medications for a few weeks. Even though I did all the right monitoring and preventative measures throughout pregnancy and postpartum, my baby and my life was still threatened. I look at my baby and think about how much we’ve overcome and how lucky we are to be together today.
My perfect daughter, Katie, gave birth to her first child just eight days before she passed away due to postpartum complications. Her deliver...
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