Emily, after already experiencing some depression and anxiety throughout her pregnancy, had a traumatizing delivery that caused her to nearly bleed out. This, compounded with very minimal contact with her newborn son the first 24 hours of his life, caused Emily’s mental health to suffer. She would have to go back to the hospital’s emergency room a couple of days after coming home due to more blood loss. This caused even more time away from her son, more trauma and more anxiety and depression.
After Emily was medically stable, seeing Emily was not OK emotionally, a nurse sat up talking with her all night.
“The fact that that nurse was willing to just stay with me and talk with me for hours was so helpful for me right in that moment. It meant so much to me,” Emily said.
In fact, it was so touching, Emily is determined now more than ever to obtain her nursing degree. She wants to work in labor and delivery and be able to help someone else who might be going through the same thing. When she hears that the older generations before her more than likely wouldn’t have had the support she got, she is shocked.
Emily said, “In my experience, I never once felt like my concerns and feelings regarding my miscarriage, my pregnancy and postpartum were not real or understood by the doctors and nurses I dealt with. I cannot imagine it not being that way. It’s sad and wrong to think that it was not always the case and probably still is in certain situations.”
Emily and her son, Miles.
