by BabyCenter Staff posted in Pregnancy

By Linda J. Murray
Few experiences in life are more emotional than the moment you first meet your newborn. It's off-the-charts in terms of intensity, whether you feel love, happiness, shock, wonder, or something else entirely.

For many women who face pregnancy or labor complications, that moment also brings profound relief. You made it. Your baby made it. You both survived.
I felt that way when my daughter was born 16 years ago.

Early in my third trimester, I was diagnosed with preeclampsia, a life-threatening hypertensive disorder of pregnancy. I spent weeks on bedrest and then endured a harrowing labor. When I finally held my daughter in my arms, I was so grateful it was all over. I'd always heard that delivery was the cure for preeclampsia. Turns out I was wrong. Today, we know that 97 percent of deaths related to preeclampsia and other hypertensive disorders of pregnancy happen after birth. Delivery is NOT the cure. And all women are at risk, not just those with a history of preeclampsia or high blood pressure. Symptoms can come on suddenly and severely for any new mom. That's why it's incredibly important to monitor your health in the hours, days, and weeks following your baby?s birth.
BabyCenter is partnering with the Preeclampsia Foundation on the Still at Risk campaign to save new mother's lives. Please learn these symptoms and share them with others:

To learn more, visit Postpartum Preeclampsia: Moms are Still at Risk Aft...