At age 24 I was pregnant with my first child.  It was a high risk pregnancy for a number of reasons, but at 27w gestation things got really crazy when I developed pre-eclampsia literally overnight.  One day I was healthy, the next morning I was very ill. 

At first, despite excellent OB & perinatology care, my pre-eclampsia went undiagnosed because I did not technically meet the diagnostic criteria since my BP was not quite high enough (though high for me).  But at 38w2d, my pressure spiked to ~190/120, I couldn't walk or see, and I was barely coherent.  My mom (a nurse) rushed me to the hospital where they placed me on a magnesium drip, told me that I was close to having a stroke, and informed me that my life and that of my unborn baby was at serious risk.  Until that day I didn't even know what pre-eclampsia was, warning signs, or what to do.  I spent the night heavily monitored and in and out of consciousness. 

Scarlett was born the next day, the cord around her neck, two knots in the cord, but healthy despite some respiratory distress.  I, on the other hand, was nearly coded in the OR.  I was diagnosed with not only pre-eclampsia but also HELLP Syndrome.  My first few days of motherhood are a terrifying blur.  I went on to have three more healthy pregnancies & VBACs, but I now have hypertension (pre-e is a huge indicator) and have gone through the recovery from birth trauma. 

Pre-eclampsia is a big deal.  I nearly died at age 25.  Pregnant women and those who love them NEED to be aware of what pre-eclampsia looks like.  It's literally life or death.