Eleven days after welcoming our sweet Rowan into the world, my blood pressure hit 173/107. It was a Sunday night and a blizzard, so I called the on call OBGYN from my practice who told me to go straight to the nearest ER. For us, this was a different hospital than where we had Ro. My parents were in town, and stayed home with her while my husband took me to the ER. I thought I would be discharged with a blood pressure med, but in addition to the elevated BP, my kidneys had started to shut down. I was admitted with a diagnosis of postpartum Preeclampsia with severe features. 

I've never felt worse - the Magnesium drip saved my life but made me feel awful. To be separated from my newborn was horrible, and I was too sick to even hold her when they brought her to see me. I lost 25 lbs of water overnight - that's how swollen I was. After a few days, I was discharged, but had to remain on BP medication for almost two months afterwards. 

The scariest realization was that I only knew my BP had been elevated because I had gone into the OB earlier that week to check my c-section incision, and it had been a bit elevated at that appointment. I was told to buy a cuff and check it twice a day at home. I had symptoms, but they were easy to write off as symptoms of being a new mom. I am so grateful I was paranoid about my incision because while it was fine, my heart was not. 

I walk because I want to spread awareness.

I walk for all the moms and babies who weren't as lucky as I was.

I walk as a thank you to my fantastic care team who saved my life.

I walk to celebrate my sweet and sassy daughter. 

I walk because if I have another baby, it's likely to happen again. 

I walk because women's health matters. 

I walk because I didn't know you could get Preeclampsia postpartum until it happened to me.