double vision)
Severe swelling in hands, face, or legs (especially if one leg is more swollen than the other)
Heavy bleeding (soaking more than one pad an hour) or clots larger than an egg
A fever over 100.4°F (38°C) or chills that won’t stop
Pain in your lower abdomen or back that feels “wrong” or different from normal cramping
Thoughts of harming yourself or your baby (this is an emergency—call 988 in the US)
A feeling that “something is really, really wrong” even if you can’t explain why
see the continuation on the next page
That last one matters more than people realize. Mothers have intuition. If you feel like you’re dying, you might be right. Advocate for yourself. Demand a second opinion. Make noise. Your life is worth the inconvenience.
What Aaliyah’s Family Wants You to Know
I reached out to Aaliyah’s family through a community
