My daughter was born at 36 weeks on April 13, 2019. She spent three weeks in the NICU, and today, she is thriving with no complications. I am endlessly grateful for our outcome—because things could have gone so differently.

This was me and my husband's fourth baby. I had never had preeclampsia before, though our third baby had been born at 33 weeks due to PPROM and also spent three weeks in the NICU. While that experience was difficult, it hadn’t prepared me for what was coming.

Early in this pregnancy, I had a subchorionic hematoma, which left me anxious for months. Just when I started feeling more secure, I began experiencing new symptoms at 30 weeks—blurred vision, a sharp pain on my right side, and rising blood pressure. I repeatedly voiced my concerns, but my doctor dismissed them. Finally, after weeks of advocating for myself, another provider referred me to Maternal Fetal Medicine. They took me seriously, immediately increasing monitoring. My blood pressure kept climbing, and by 35 weeks, I was on bed rest, feeling extremely sick.

The morning of my next non-stress test, I had a gut feeling things were different. I packed a bag, knowing I wouldn’t be coming home. I was right. My protein levels were dangerously high, and my blood pressure had skyrocketed to 190/100. They admitted me for induction at 35 weeks and 6 days.

My daughter was born early the next morning. She was stable but needed NICU care. As I focused on her, my doctor quickly realized something was wrong with me—I was hemorrhaging. A team rushed in. They tried everything, including a blood transfusion. After over an hour, they finally controlled the bleeding with a Bakri balloon.

Even after I stabilized, my blood pressure remained dangerously high—180/100 at discharge. I had to request medication, and it stayed elevated for months. At my two-week postpartum visit, my original doctor seemed confused about why I was there. That moment solidified what I already knew: I had to take charge of my own health.

After my daughter got home from the NICU, I worked with a county nurse to track her development. It was during one of these visits that I learned something shocking: I hadn’t just had preeclampsia—I had HELLP Syndrome. No one had told me. I requested my records and confirmed the diagnosis.

This experience changed me in ways I never expected. It took years to process the trauma, but I have healed. More than that, I found purpose. I am now a birth and postpartum doula, dedicated to supporting families—especially those facing high-risk pregnancies. I know firsthand how it feels to fight to be heard.

And in 2024, I went on to have another healthy pregnancy and baby. After everything I had been through, carrying a pregnancy without the complications of my previous births was a gift beyond words. It was a powerful reminder that healing is possible, that every pregnancy is different, and that hope remains even after the hardest experiences.

Every parent deserves to be listened to. Every parent deserves to be supported. And every parent deserves to know that their voice matters.