As a doula and public health professional, I'm well accquainted with preeclampsia and its disproportionate impact on Black women. I've supported several clients through unexpected diagnoses of both preeclampsia and postpartum preeclampsia — some of which resulted in emergency C-sections or rehospitalization during the postpartum period. However, it wasn't until my own labor that I experienced it first hand.
After being induced for another health condition, my blood pressure increased slightly a few hours into labor. At the time, my midwife wasn’t concerned — they assumed it was due to nerves, and my next reading returned to normal. Throughout the day, my blood pressure remained elevated, but my care team continued to monitor it closely.
About 24 hours into labor, my blood pressure spiked to 160/100. After reviewing my blood work and detecting protein in my urine, I was diagnosed with severe preeclampsia. As someone who had never experienced high blood pressure before, I immediately blamed myself, wondering if I had done something wrong during my pregnancy — despite having followed my midwife's recommendation to take low-dose aspirin starting in my second trimester. Deep down, I knew it wasn't due to anything I did, but in that moment, I was scared and desperately trying to find an explanation.
Due to this diagnosis, my care was transferred from the midwife to the OB, who then started me on magnesium, and I went on to deliver a healthy baby boy. While I’m grateful for that outcome, I know that far too many moms and babies have faced adverse, and even fatal, outcomes due to preeclampsia.
I walk as a preeclampsia survivor — committed to advancing health equity in hopes that this condition will be better understood, better managed, and ultimately cured.
