“As babies we’re born blank sheets of paper. Not a single mark. As we grow older, lines form, then colors and patterns. Before long that paper is all sorts of brilliant. Like a kaleidoscope, no two exactly alike.”
Shannon Wiersbitzky
Oh, the firsts. The firsts of every kind are the ones etched into our memories. The first double lines. The first kicks. The first contractions. The first birth. First twins!
I remember holding each baby for the first time. I remember the feeling of elation and overwhelm coexisting. As if I was holding onto my fresh, new, delicate paper and I didn’t want my own ideas to mark the clean slate. What’s beautiful, though, is how our little ones grow and become their own sweet life. There’s such a miracle in how we nurture them from the tiniest seed, achieving so many firsts, together.
Walking mamas through those pregnancy firsts is why I feel that First Time Mom’s Pregnancy Activity book is such an important tool for anyone that is expecting… because sometimes there is so much of the unexpected when expecting.
The words came so fast during a routine checkup, “We’re going to run some tests.” Up until this point I’d had a healthy pregnancy. Preeclampsia was something I never expected.
My Preeclampsia Birth Story
My birth story changed fast when I developed preeclampsia during pregnancy. I was 36 weeks pregnant with my first when my doctor said something I’ll never forget. “We have good news and bad news. The good news: You’ll be leaving the hospital with your baby. The bad news: it will be a few days before that can happen.”
What turned into such a scary and dangerous experience for me is something that more Black women are at risk for. In fact, Black birthing people are at a 2-4X greater risk for maternally caused complications that can lead to death. And according to Healthline, Black women are more likely than white women to develop preeclampsia, as well as eclampsia. One of the more famous of the millions of women who develop preeclampsia during pregnancy being Beyonce.
Helping women during what should be SUCH an incredible time in their lives, carrying a child, is why I even wanted to write First Time Mom’s Pregnancy Activity Book in the first place… to give support, lists of what to talk to the doctor about, how to address symptoms and a fun, interactive way to digest it all of the need-to-know info, too, without being overwhelming.
I know that’s it’s just a start — but I want to do more and am donating ALL (100%!!) proceeds I receive from the preorders this month until the book is released to @blackmidwivesalliance, which is an organization that trains and equips midwives to serve as advocates to address disparities in maternal health care that impact black birthing people.
So, friends, if you know someone expecting GO PRE ORDER THE BOOK!
I also have a handful of extra copies on hand and I truly believe this book is SUCH a great tool, support, and will become a journal of this beautiful experience your little one will cherish for years, that if you are expecting and can’t afford one, please email me!
Have you or any one you know ever had preeclampsia? What did you find most helpful about this preeclampsia birth story? Let me know in a comment below!
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