I didn’t expect to die the day my daughter was born.
My daughter flipped into a breech position at 40 weeks and 4 days, so I was due to deliver via c-section the next day. I was feeling anxious, but he reassured me that it was normal and everything was fine. I gave birth, heard her cry, and then all hell broke loose. I complained that I couldn’t breathe and then went into cardiac arrest as my husband and daughter were wheeled out of the OR. The team wheeled me back in and while they were trying to figure out what had happened, I started bleeding from the DIC (my blood stopped clotting). It took 4 surgeries in 2 days, including a hysterectomy to control my bleeding and stabilize me. I was left open after surgery with a machine suctioning blood from my abdomen. I later learned that I survived a super rare (1 in 40,000 pregnancies) condition called amniotic fluid embolism. I had a stroke and required 37 units of blood products, draining the hospital blood bank. I was discharged 10 days later only to be readmitted for a secondary postpartum hemorrhage for another two days. I am grateful to be alive without any injuries (my family was told I would likely have some).
edit: WOW! Thank you all for the kind words, sharing your stories and upvotes! My daughter is now 5 and we are all doing great. I struggled with PTSD and PPD/A later on but am doing great now.
edit 2: Seriously, I can’t believe people are so interested in my story. If you’d like to read my story and recovery in more detail and learn more about AFE,