Jhoeny’s postpartum story
I am a postpartum advanced practice provider, so I felt like I knew what to expect when it was time to give birth to my third child. Yet, despite my experience as a provider and two kids under my belt, I had a really rough third pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum recovery compared to my first two.
Complications
I ended up with my first C-section after two uncomplicated vaginal deliveries. I had complete placenta previa (a pregnancy condition where the placenta completely covers the cervix or opening of the uterus). At 32 weeks, I started bleeding and eventually had to have a C-section at 35 weeks. My baby ended up being in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and separated from me in those first hours of life. That was painful, the uncertainty. Even though I knew what to expect, it was completely different to experience it firsthand.
A new postpartum road
I always like to approach each patient individually and with compassion, but this experience taught me the personal side of this type of delivery and recovery. I also had bleeding complications postpartum, which were quite scary. My baby had breathing issues as well. She was on a CPAP to help with her breathing, on a glucose drip, and was jaundiced, which made feedings very difficult.
My pain was not well controlled, but I didn’t want to take narcotics, which likely slowed down my recovery a bit. My feet became very swollen from going up and down to the NICU every three hours for feedings. Although everything eventually turned out well, and my baby no longer had any issues, it felt very traumatic for me.
Talk about it
I can’t imagine how this experience feels for first-time moms or those without a medical background, like myself. After going through my recent birth and postpartum experience, I have even more empathy for my patients. I always encourage anyone who wants to discuss their traumatic deliveries and difficulties postpartum to share their feelings. It’s a lot to process, and sometimes, they just need someone to acknowledge their experience and listen. They may not be ready to talk right away, and that’s perfectly okay. I’m always willing to slow down and listen.
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