When going through pregnancy and delivery, many women undergo complications and problems.
Some are rare and life-threatening and can be incredibly scary and traumatic to go through. However, not many people are aware of certain conditions and things that can happen during labor and delivery.
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Sometimes, it’s important for women to know that yes, things can go wrong, and how you should handle it.
TikTok user and mom Kayleigh Summers underwent a very traumatic and near-fatal delivery.
The mom of one has been using her social media accounts to spread awareness of a near-fatal condition she had while giving birth to her son.
She hopes that sharing her story can help save other mothers who may have the same scares or trouble, as well.
During labor, Summers felt that something was wrong.
“During my son’s delivery, I was 10cm dilated and ready to push when I told my nurse I wasn’t feeling well. I screamed that something was wrong with my heart, seconds before collapsing and going into cardiorespiratory arrest. My husband immediately grabbed me and tried desperately to wake me,” Summers shares.
Summers had what is known as an amniotic fluid embolism.
According to medical experts, amniotic fluid embolism is when amniotic fluid enters a mother’s circulatory system and ends up causing an anaphylactic-like reaction.
Many of the symptoms can feel as though the mother is having a heart attack.
Summers’ son was okay after the emergency C-section she had.
However, after the embolism, Summers was not fine.
As it turns out, the following five minutes after a mother undergoes an amniotic fluid embolism is extremely critical for their overall survival. Summers was placed on an ECMO machine to help her organs.
Her lungs and her heart were beginning to fail.
After giving birth to her son, Summers had to spend days on the ECMO machine and also on a ventilator.
She had a team of over 50 medical doctors and professionals “bringing her back from the brink of death” several times within those days.
After her recovery, she wanted to make sure she did something with her story.
“I wanted to raise awareness for AFE, while also using my knowledge as a therapist to help those who have experienced birth trauma. There’s a complex set of emotions that occur when someone experiences trauma on a day that was promised to be one of the best days of their lives,” Summers told Parents.com.
Summers uses her TikTok to also explain what she has gone through.
In various TikTok videos, Summers explains and shares photos and information about her experience with amniotic fluid embolism.
She says her TikTok videos have helped other mothers, as well as helping doctors and medical professionals, too.
Summers says she is “grateful” to be alive, and also grateful to share her story.
Through her TikTok page, she has built a community of other women and mothers who have undergone similar stories, or even who have other life-threatening issues during labor and delivery.
She hopes her story can help other mothers see the light.
Other mothers said they “needed this.”
Other mothers who also went through traumatic births came to Summers’ TikTok channel and watched video after video, some even crying.
Many said they were thankful for Summers and her openness about how traumatic her birth was and how she navigates life afterward.
One nurse commented saying she has never seen anyone survive.
AFE is a life-threatening and fatal condition, though rare, it can kill mothers while in labor.
One labor and delivery nurse said she has “never” seen someone survive AFE and she said that this mother is blessed and lucky.
Many said that the end is moving.
While the before is scary and hard for many women to see, mothers from all over come to Summers’ TikTok page and say that the smiles of Summers and her son are “everything.”
There is always light at the end of the tunnel and mommas are strong warriors!
