Surviving HELLP Syndrome and Planning a VBAC in a Subsequent Pregnancy with Jolene Brink

Following an emergency c-section due to HELLP syndrome in her first pregnancy, Jolene Brink was determined to have a different birthing experience with her second child. Through the support of a knowledgeable medical team and insights gained from her EBB Childbirth Class, she successfully achieved her goal of an unmedicated VBAC with the birth of her son, Guthrie, in 2022. Jolene's journey towards a VBAC was a transformative process of healing, empowerment, and reclaiming her birthing experience, showcasing the importance of advocacy and informed decision-making in maternal healthcare.
Resources:
Check out Doulas of Duluth to learn from her instructors Cooper Orth and Dana Morrison, and follow them on Instagram!
Learn about Jolene's work here!
Read The Preeclampsia Foundation's article on HELLP Syndrome
Follow the Preeclampsia Foundation on Instagram
van Oostwaard, M. F. et al. (2015). "Recurrence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: An individual patient data meta-analysis." Am J Obstet Gynecol 212(5): 624.e1-17. pubmed.ncbi.nl...
Duley, L., et al. (2019). "Antiplatelet agents for preventing pre-eclampsia and its complications." Cochrane Database Syst Rev. www.ncbi.nlm.n...
Listen to the Evidence on VBAC - EBB 113
EBB Childbirth Class now includes a module all about planning a VBAC! Learn more about the EBB Childbirth class here.
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[@ShadesofSage]

YESSss! I love this 🙌🏿❤️! I had preeclampsia with my first and emergency C-section, but I’ve had 3 VBACs after that- including a VBA2C! It can certainly be done, even if you have to fight for it! Thanks for sharing 🙏🏿!

[@sarahjayneroe8859]

I had HELLP with my delivery at the beginning of this year (literally the beginning, she came on NY day!). Unfortunately my midwife missed all the warning signs. I didn't have elevated blood pressure, she was checking it what felt like constantly throughout labor. But for the last month at least of pregnancy I had severe pain in my lower right back, I was so fatigued, my midwife said I had a lot of fluid, and I had quite significant swelling which I hadn't at all during the rest of the pregnancy, which was pretty much ideal up until that last month. I ended up having my water break at 5am on December 31st, labored at home until I think 11pm or so that evening, went to the birth center, labored all evening into the morning, was at 10cm for quite some time pushing with the progress, then the contractions really started to space apart, like 20 minutes, and I was just exhausted. I asked to be transferred to the nearby hospital, honestly hoping for a c-section. Upon arrival they did some blood work and thankfully diagnosed the HELLP syndrome pretty rapidly, which meant no epidural for me, and my platelets were basically non-existent at that point, so they were extremely hesitant to do a C-section. I continued to push with the help of only Pitocin. My doula was my life saver, she looked me dead in the eye and said the safest thing for you and this baby is for you to push her out now, I can't tell you what to do, but you need to do this. I let them do an episiotomy although I was trying so hard to avoid that, but after pushing over 4 hours I realized she wasn't coming without it. Thankfully once they did it she came in 3 short pushes at 11am. After the delivery while I was having a pretty brutal recovery, Baby was having issues with vomiting, dehydration, and weight gain, and she also had come out so small for being almost 2 weeks late. We ended up rushing her to a bigger hospital a couple days later where she was diagnosed with Duodenal atresia, so she had to have surgery at 5 days old to correct it and then another 3 weeks in the NICU while she healed and put on weight. It was incredibly traumatic, and trust me, I do not throw that word around lightly. I was so diligent my entire pregnancy with a healthy diet and the best supplements and doing exercises and stretching and walking and only sitting on an exercise ball. It was pain in the butt but I did it for the health of us both. I put in so much effort for 9 months just to have every hope of a calming, birth center birth ripped away and to have my life at risk, and then to have my daughter be on death's door as well. I really do hesitate and honestly shudder at the thought of ever getting pregnant again. I also was such an advocate of minimal monitoring and interventions and the whole lot, especially since I had such a straightforward pregnancy, but I believe my HELLP syndrome and my daughter's condition could've both been detected early to save us both so much pain and turmoil if we'd just gone to a regular OB, or if my midwife was more educated or pushed for more testing. It's wonderful that your midwife actually caught that something was up, mine wrote off all my symptoms as just coming close to the end of the pregnancy, and during labor that I was just "tired and needed rest", and it was my first time as well so I had no idea these feelings weren't normal. My doula was really the only one who was legitimately concerned that something was seriously wrong and that I was in danger. But, I'm now sitting here nursing my healthy 8 month old that I am so incredibly thankful to God for. I just have lots of regrets and trauma that will definitely need to be processed, especially when the time comes to consider more pregnancies.
Thank you for speaking about this condition, I hope it helps other mothers be more aware to seek help if ANYTHING feels even slightly off. Some extra blood work or an ultrasound never hurts and can even save you or your baby's life.