This woman bravely shared her traumatic birth story, recounting how she faced an extremely rare and life-threatening birth condition.
Natalie Snodgrass had planned for a smooth, natural birth after experiencing a C-section with her first daughter, Scarlett, but when the time came for her second baby, things took a terrifying turn.
During labour, Natalie’s uterus ruptured, and she told how doctors had to act quickly to save both her and her baby’s life.
Despite the frightening ordeal, Natalie shared her experience in the hope that it will help other women who might face similar challenges during childbirth.
She said: “My daughter, husband, and mother were all there when this happened, they were shocked and couldn’t believe what was happening because everything was fine until it just wasn’t.
“It makes me want to share my story with other women who are pregnant or will become pregnant.”
Residing in Austin, Texas, USA, Natalie had her routine check-up at 37 weeks and told how her blood pressure was elevated, resulting in her diagnosis with gestational hypertension, a condition that causes high blood pressure in pregnancy.
Though she was eager to avoid another C-section, things soon took a worrying turn as her unborn baby’s heart rate began to drop and Natalie was rushed into the operating room.
Just as they were preparing for a C-section, her uterus ruptured, a rare and serious complication often linked to previous C-sections.
A uterine rupture occurs when there is a tear or break in the uterine wall, and it requires immediate intervention to prevent life-threatening consequences for both mother and baby.
Natalie’s second daughter, Stevie, was born safely after the emergency C-section, but she had to be placed in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for 13 days.
Despite the scare, Stevie was born otherwise perfectly healthy.
Although the experience was traumatic, Natalie said it hasn’t deterred her from having more children in the future, she is thankful for her two daughters and has a new perspective on life.
Natalie said: “Almost dying gave me a completely different outlook on life.
“But all of a sudden my baby’s heart rate plummeted as she was coming out of my rupture.
“They had to act extremely fast to save both mine and baby’s life.”
She added: “My family was there for me through the entire thing, they were scared and felt it was out of their control, but they knew I was in good hands.
“They prayed for a good outcome and thank God, we were okay.
“It makes me feel so loved to have friends and family that care about us so much.”