Hi Craft Buddies! Long time, no see – or should I say, no content? It’s been almost a month since we’ve connected and that’s for a few reasons.
The first, and MOST EXCITING, is that I had my second son, Henry!
But that wasn’t all…after being discharged from the hospital after labor, I was readmitted four days later (the day after Christmas 2024) for postpartum preeclampsia (high blood pressure that can turn into seizures and organ failure if not caught and treated) on one of the scariest days of my life.
This was after normal BPs both before and during pregnancy. I hope by posting more women can be aware this can happen post-delivery and to trust your gut if you feel off! Just go get yourself checked!!! And keep reading for more info about the condition and how you can help other moms spot it.
Today, I’m sharing little man’s birth story along with his name and what we’ve been up to in my new video. Check it out below. And a HUGE thank you to everyone who reached out via comment, DM, email, or otherwise while I was in the hospital. It meant so much to me!!
And to top it all off, I managed to get COVID the week before delivery, too. I’m ready to get feeling better and not deal with anything medical for a long time. 
CONTENT UPDATE: As I’ve shared before, my content for the next few months won’t be as consistent as you’re used to seeing from me. That’s because I’m going to be taking time to be present with my sons and get used to this new normal. I appreciate your understanding!
Postpartum Preeclampsia: My Story
After giving birth, the last thing I expected was to face a serious condition that could put my health at risk—postpartum preeclampsia. It’s a rare but potentially dangerous complication that can occur after delivery, even if you had a perfectly normal pregnancy. However, I heard from my nurses that they admit, on average one mom each day for this, I don’t think it’s as rare as I thought…
Also, this is just my personal experience with postpartum preeclampsia – this isn’t intended as medical advice, but rather support and another’s journey for context. ❤️
Postpartum preeclampsia usually develops within the first week after birth, but in some cases, it can occur up to six weeks later. Typically it peaks at 3-5 days postpartum – which is exactly what happened to me.
I had no idea that high blood pressure and related symptoms could pop back up after delivery. I was personally on a low-dose aspirin throughout my pregnancy to help prevent preeclampsia during pregnancy, I thought I was out of the woods when my OB took me off of it before discharge.
I felt like I had just finished dealing with the intensity of childbirth, and now all that was left was to recover, but boy was I wrong. I share more about the traumatic birth I had in the video above.
The symptoms of postpartum preeclampsia can typically be written off as things you’d naturally get during the postpartum period: headaches, swelling, vision changes, abdominal pain in your upper right quadrant, and especially high blood pressure. But let’s be honest unless the doctors tell you to monitor your BP, you’re not proactively doing that postpartum – am I right?!
In my case, I WAS checking my blood pressure twice a day post discharge and it was starting to climb – but I wrote it off as labor recovery. But 6 days postpartum, my blood pressure was alarmingly high when I went into the ER, and I began to experience dizziness. I had no clue how serious postpartum preeclampsia could be until my ER doctor explained that if left untreated, it could lead to seizures or organ failure.
As I sat in the ER Room, I started to wonder—does postpartum preeclampsia go away on its own?
Thankfully, with the right treatment, it can, but it requires quick attention. You CANNOT treat this at home, nor will it go away on its own. Doctors treated me with a magnesium drip, which helps prevent seizures, and prescribed blood pressure medication to get my levels under control. And man was that WICKED – 1000000% necessary – but awful. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone… thankfully it helped keep me safe.
The anxiety after postpartum preeclampsia was another challenge…
I had a lot of fear about my health and the possibility of complications, especially when I was Googling things and saw the postpartum preeclampsia survival rate and learned it could be fatal if not treated.
While the survival rate is generally high, the emotional toll was REAL. The experience made me hyper-aware of my body’s signals, constantly worried about when or if the symptoms would return. I had many nights of tears sitting in the nursery worrying if it would come back and leave my boys without their mom – so scary!
It’s easy to feel isolated in this experience, as postpartum preeclampsia isn’t talked about as much as other pregnancy complications. The lack of awareness around late postpartum preeclampsia only amplified my anxiety, but over time, I learned that awareness and early intervention were key in managing the condition. I knew I MUST share my experience with my Craft Buddy community to raise awareness for both moms and their caregivers.
So, how long does postpartum preeclampsia last?
In my case, after a few weeks of medication and careful monitoring, my blood pressure gradually stabilized. And thankfully I’m off medication now (three weeks post-delivery) Nefidipine, the medicine I took, is a calcium channel blocker. It works by affecting the movement of calcium into the cells of the heart and blood vessels. As a result, nifedipine relaxes blood vessels and increases the supply of blood and oxygen to the heart while reducing its workload. Treatment can vary depending on the severity, and some women may need medication for a longer period.
Most importantly, how serious is postpartum preeclampsia?
It’s ABSOLUTELY something to take seriously, but with proper care, the majority of women recover without long-term health consequences. It was a reminder of just how important it is to listen to your body and seek medical care when something doesn’t feel right.
My experience with postpartum preeclampsia has made me more vigilant about my health, and I encourage other new mothers to be just as mindful, even after the baby is born.
