“Your diagnosis of preeclampsia is not forever. It will pass. You will get through it. You can do it.”

Meagan invites her dear friend and doula client, Emily, on the podcast today to share her two very different birth stories and what she has learned along the way. During her first pregnancy, Emily was diagnosed with severe preeclampsia at 27 weeks and 6 days. She talks about specific symptoms to watch for and explains why she advises every pregnant woman to have their own blood pressure cuff. 

Emily had to shift her home birth plans to focus on staying pregnant as long as she safely could. Six weeks later, Emily shares her daughter’s wild birth story and tough NICU experience. 

Having preeclampsia the first time around does not mean it will come back in the future. Emily talks about the nutrition and lifestyle changes she made during her second pregnancy and how preeclampsia was not an issue at all with her second delivery. Emily was able to have a beautiful home birth and a big, healthy baby boy!

Additional Links

Needed Website

How to VBAC: The Ultimate Prep Course for Parents

Full Transcript under Episode Details 

01:52 Review of the Week

04:02 Emily’s first pregnancy

10:25 Preeclampsia diagnosis

14:48 34-week induction

21:26 Giving birth

29:25 Learning about and knowing your body

34:37 Second pregnancy

46:16 Working through trauma

53:36 Shifting plans

Meagan: Hello, Women of Strength. It is Meagan, and I am so excited to dive into today's episode with you. The episode that we have today, or the guest, I should say, that we have today is someone so near and dear to my heart. And I'm just gonna kind of give a little bit of a spoil alert.

She is not a VBAC mama so this is not going to be a VBAC story but our guest today is someone that I think is going to leave you guys with a wealth of knowledge through her experiences and so I want to welcome my own personal friend and doula client, Emily. Welcome to the show. 

Emily: Hi. 

Meagan: Hi, you guys were going to be talking a little bit, well, a little bit about a lot of things, but we're gonna be talking a little bit about preeclampsia. We're gonna be talking about shifting gears from our birth desires and birth plans and so much more. I wanted her to be on the show because you guys, seriously, she really needs to write a book. She can talk all day to me and I just stare at her with amazement in my eyes, because she just is so incredible to listen to with her knowledge, her research, and all the things to make birth different the second time around, and do what she could do the first time around, which also goes along with mindfulness.

There are so many things, you guys, about Emily that I just love and adore. I'm so excited to have her on the show today and I know that you're going to be taking a whole bunch of nuggets away from her episode. So make sure to take maybe some notes, or get your pen and paper out and join us in just one moment.

01:52 Review of the Week

Meagan: But of course, we have a Review of the Week, so I'm gonna hurry and read that, and then we'll get going. This review was left in 2020, so a few years ago. It says, “I love these ladies and this podcast.”

She says, “I love listening to your podcas