The wonderful Erin Hart with her son Quint (2).
Erin and her husband decided they wanted to try to have a baby and were able to conceive within just a couple months of going off of birth control. Erin had a difficult pregnancy physically, she was nauseous during her first trimester and then developed migraines and actual vomiting in her second. Preeclampsia set in during her third and blood pressure was a concern. They decided to induce using cytotec and over 14 hours nothing much happened other than her blood pressure continue to rise. They were pumping her full of all the drugs she had hoped to avoid and before she knew it she was asking for an epidural. They made her family leave the room while they placed the epidural and just after her blood pressure dropped dangerously low and she passed out. Soon after Erin was numb from a spinal block but had the worst migraine of her life. She was taken for a cesarean and the doctor said once her baby was out, he'd give her something for her head. While Quint was born without complication, she doesn't remember meeting him and didn't believe he was hers when she first saw him. It was days before she was fully coherent and she had a very difficult time bonding with him. Erin wanted to breastfeed more than anything after feeling like she had missed out on the birth she had desired but after struggling for a few days at home her husband called her mom to come over and tell her it was okay to let it go. She struggled greatly with PPD and PTSD and ultimately had to leave work about a year after Quint was born to seek treatment. The benefit was that she got another pseudo maternity leave and a new opportunity to bond with her son. Erin says that she's doing so much better but still struggles with feeling like her body failed her in so many ways. She hopes that with the time and birthdays she continues to heal and that the knowledge and experience will prevent her from having a similar experience in the future.