Married at First Sight star Danielle Bergman-Dodd had a terrifying birth story, and she recently spoke with People Magazine, along with her husband Bobby, about the fear they experienced that night.
The night their beautiful daughter Olivia was born, Bobby’s job threw the couple a baby shower.
Earlier that day, Danielle had gone to her OBGYN for a routine appointment. Everything seemed fine at the time, but at the baby shower, Danielle left because she wasn’t feeling well.
According to Bobby, you wouldn’t know Danielle was feeling under the weather. He assumed she was going home to take care of the dogs.
Danielle said that she had a horrible pain in her chest. She initially thought it was heartburn, but later realized something wasn’t right. Danielle even got in the shower to warm herself up in hopes she would feel better.
It didn’t work, she had started vomiting, and they contacted the OBGYN who said to get to the hospital.
After being admitted to the hospital, the couple noticed the staff padded the bed in case of a seizure. The doctors denied Danielle an epidural and told her that to save her life and that of her daughter, a c-section was out. She was diagnosed with preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome.
According to the Mayo Clinic, preeclampsia is a pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure and signs of damage to another organ system, most often the liver and kidneys.
Preeclampsia usually begins after 20 weeks of pregnancy in women whose blood pressure had been normal.
The American Pregnancy Association describes HELLP as a rare condition (only .2 to .6 of all pregnancies are affected) that is named after the symptoms it causes:
- H- hemolysis (the breakdown of red blood cells)
- EL- elevated liver enzymes (liver function)
- LP- low platelets counts (platelets help the blood clot)
Danielle was able to deliver Olivia, despite all of the scary conditions she was going through. Danielle had to stay in the hospital for five days to get her blood pressure back to normal.
Doctors revealed if she and Bobby waited a few more hours to go to the hospital, neither she nor Olivia would have survived.
Danielle said Bobby told her he was preparing to change the baby’s name from Olivia to Danielle if Danielle didn’t make it through delivery.
The couple hasn’t decided whether or not they plan to have any more children after their terrifying experience. However, they are very grateful Olivia suffered no complications since birth, and she is happy and healthy.
Thank goodness Danielle and Olivia are doing well.
Married at First Sight airs on Wednesday 8/7 c on Lifetime.