It is a fact that a lot of women or parents have many kids.  Sometimes, we even joke “hobby nila yun”.  But do we really understand the risks that women face whenever they become pregnant?

Whenever I hear news about women who died because of giving birth, especially when the cause is pre-eclampsia, I sincerely thank the Lord and partially I am ‘amazed’.  With the modern technology (and knowledge) that we have today, I really cannot believe that women still die when they give birth.  I will say to my husband, “Grabe no, talaga pa lang may namamatay sa panganganak.”

When I got pregnant, everything went smoothly (I think…except the threatened miscarriage I had on my 2nd month).  I was healthy, baby was healthy every check-up, she had normal vitals, everything was normal.  Although I didn’t gain weight that much, baby and I were healthy at that time.

On my 7th month, I started to get swollen and on my 8th month, my feet were really huge.  My OB advised me to exercise and lift my legs every night plus I have to refrain from eating salty food (they retain water inside our body).  They were effective, by the way, but the swelling of my feet won’t just leave.

When my OB gave birth (and yes, we were pregnant at the same time), she endorsed me to one of her colleagues because I have to be checked every two weeks (I was on my 8th month then).  She saw my swollen feet.  She asked me to have a urinalysis.  The next check up, I presented her my lab, there was an albumin trace and pus cells (meaning I have UTI) and that was the highest result I ever had.  So she gave me an antibiotic (of course, the mildest one).  So I had to repeat my U/A and everything went back to normal.

Then my OB went back to work after few weeks.  When I went for a check-up (on my 9th month already), my cervix was still closed.  So she had to open it a bit.  She was concerned because I should be giving birth anytime.  Then she saw my swollen feet so she had to check my blood pressure.  And the result just shocked her, I was 150/120 that time.  So she asked me if my head aches or something but I didn’t feel anything.

She gave me medicine that will lower my BP but my BP was soaring days after.  She asked me to do U/A again and when I texted her the results, she said I had to do an emergency CS the next day.  I was having a pre-eclampsia already.

But I was not feeling anything weird, I was normal.

Everything was light.  I didn’t feel scared that time because I didn’t feel anything.  I know that everything will be fine.

So when I gave birth, I was asleep for 8 hours.  When I talked to my mom, she was crying.  She said she prayed Novena twice for me.  I really didn’t know the risk that time.

So whenever I hear news about giving birth, I really thank the Lord for giving me a “smooth” pregnancy.  And that even we have the latest technology, if the body of the mom really can’t take it, there’s nothing doctors can do.  That is the risk.