04/07/2025
Okay, in light of World Health Day, its time to get a little personal.
I had my daughter, Elle, in December 2020 and did not have an easy pregnancy. Not only were there COVID anxieties and my partner not being able to attend any prenatal appointments due to COVID restrictions, but I faced a number of health issues related to my pregnancy and delivery. I'm generally pretty healthy, so it was difficult to adjust to managing insulin dependent gestational diabetes (diagnosed around 14 weeks of pregnancy) and learning about all of the complications associated with the condition, as well as potential complications from Rh incompatibility with my baby.
At 37 weeks, I went to a routine checkup for bloodwork and fetal monitoring and had high blood pressure and protein in my urine, which are both signs of pre-eclampsia-- a health condition that, if left untreated, can lead to seizures, stroke, permanent organ damage, or death for both mother and baby. Thankfully I had a knowledgeable medical team who sent me right to labor and delivery for further testing and monitoring. I was officially diagnosed with pre-eclampsia and induced the next morning, and went through nearly 3 days of failed induction attempts before my little girl finally arrived.
Because of my amazing medical team and my access to comprehensive healthcare, as well as close monitoring throughout my pregnancy, my daughter and I were both safe and healthy after birth and have no long term difficulties associated with those health conditions. But many women and infants around the world in situations similar to ours are not as lucky, and end up with permanent disability or not surviving. I sometimes wonder if our story would have ended differently if I lived in another part of the world, had a different skin tone, or didn't have a medical team that listened to me or cared as much about the health and wellbeing of myself and my daughter.
My own pregnancy and birth story is one of many reasons that I feel so strongly about maternal and infant care, and helping other families during this stage of their lives. Every woman and baby deserve access to high quality skilled healthcare during and after pregnancy. No one should die of preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth, regardless of where they live, how they identify, what they look like, the political climate of their country, or inability to pay for high quality care.
I am so excited that WHO has chosen "Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures" for their World Health Day theme and annual campaign this year, and will be doing all that I can to support their missions and goals in this area as the year goes on. If you're interested in learning more, visit https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-health-day/2025
