It’s been a while since I’ve gathered the courage to talk about this, but I feel like I need to share my experience with maternal death and amniotic fluid embolism (AFE). Losing my partner during childbirth was the most devastating and heart-wrenching moment of my life. The pain still lingers, and the memories haunt me. I can’t begin to describe the impact it had on me, physically, emotionally, and mentally. Every day is a battle, and every night is a struggle to make peace with this overwhelming loss.
If you’ve been through something similar or have insights to share, I’d appreciate your words of support or advice on
The likelihood of experiencing an AFE is extremely low, approximately 0.00008%, with a survival rate of close to 90%. It’s a rare occurrence akin to being struck by lightning, so it’s not practical to base reproductive health decisions on such a minuscule chance. Despite the fear and media coverage surrounding AFE, the odds of dying in a car accident on the way to the hospital are much higher than experiencing an AFE during delivery.
Every year, a large number of babies conceived through IVF are born. In the only research that found a slight link with IVF, only 5 out of 126 women in the study had an IVF pregnancy, with some misclassification of AFE.
Trigger warning: discussions of maternal mortality and pregnancy complications.
I had a pregnancy issue that required a hospital stay before giving birth, so I took the opportunity to ask the nurses some questions that had been on my mind. One nurse and I discussed embolisms because I knew of a mother who had died from one shortly after childbirth (specifically a pulmonary embolism, not an amniotic fluid embolism). The nurse mentioned that she had been working for over a decade and had never seen a case of an embolism postpartum, as they are quite rare.
She also explained the symptoms I should watch out for, which helped ease my anxiety. I was prescribed blood thinners before and after giving birth to reduce my risk of developing an embolism.
I can relate to this fear. I haven’t watched nurse Jenn’s video about AFE yet because I don’t want to scare myself further. When the time comes, I plan to discuss with the hospital or my OB team about their protocols and training for situations like AFE. Some hospitals conduct drills for rare complications like AFE, shoulder dystocia, and hemorrhage. Although the rarity of AFE concerns me, I find reassurance in knowing that the medical team is prepared and educated on various scenarios. As a nurse at the hospital where I will deliver, I understand that some conditions are overlooked due to their rarity. I hope that this case raises awareness about AFE and encourages hospitals to enhance their focus on preventing such tragic outcomes.
It is recommended to transfer during an ovulatory cycle for improved obstetric outcomes.