I Am Strong {Placenta Percreta and Hysterectomy}

I am strong because I became a single mother at 21 to a beautiful baby boy, my light. A medicated vaginal birth after wanting a Bradley birth. At 22 I became pregnant again and I’m strong because I walked away from an abusive relationship at 6mo pregnant and never looked back. I had my beautiful baby girl at 22 years old.

I am strong because as a single mom of two I was a time student and worked two jobs and loved my kids fiercely.

I am strong because at 23 I fell madly in love with my now husband. He is strong because he adopted my first two babies shortly after we eloped. When I was 24 we welcomed another baby girl. He supported us in every way during that very hard pregnancy (PPROM at 19weeks) then saw me through my first drug-free birth. I became a childbirth educator and doula after that birth; it moved me to my core. I am strong because 6 months later we became pregnant with our 4th baby, another girl. We had her at home after 4 days of easy labor. I was 26 and a SAHM running my CBE/doula business on the side.

I am strong because 18 months later we welcomed our 5th baby, you guessed it, another girl. One boy and four girls! We had to have a hospital birth though for a risk of hemorrhage. And that I did. I had a massive hemorrhage and manual removal after that birth.

I am strong because 6 weeks later I had another massive hemmorhage that almost claimed my life. Turns out I had Placenta Percreta. My placenta had grown through my uterus and no one ever even knew it until my emergency hysterectomy. I spent a week in the hospital after that, and now three months later I’m still recovering, emotionally, at home.

I am strong because I managed to keep my breastfeeding relationship intact.

I am strong and will make it through!

This is a picture of my hysterectomy scar. Some days it reminds me that I will never feel another kick inside my body and other days reminds me how strong I am.