About Me: A Supportive Preeclampsia Survivor Preemie Mom

Preeclampsia Survivor Preemie Mom

Hi there!

I’m Courtney.

I am a preeclampsia survivor and a preemie mom.

In 2019, I found myself alone holding my sleeping 4 lb new baby in my tiny apartment. I had just kissed my husband goodbye so he could go to work after we completed NICU discharge. For the first time since her birth, I was completely alone with my daughter and was able to sit down and think “what just happened?”.

I googled “preeclampsia” for the thousandth time since I first heard of that word a month before. I scrolled through all the results it brought up. I jumped to Instagram and went scrolling through the hashtag. Looking for anyone who was like me.

At the time I thought I was the only one in the world to have preeclampsia. I was the only one in my circle who had a premature baby. So I felt like I was an outsider. I was searching for anyone who went through something remotely like me. I wanted to know how long the emptiness I felt would last. How long it would take for me to not feel like I caused all of this to happen to me & my baby.

Fast forward to February of 2020, I signed up for a WordPress site & a new Instagram account titled “Knock on Motherhood”. I always loved to write and I needed an outlet. I choose to start blogging (something my therapist at a time actually suggested). I wanted to share what I learned about motherhood. Slowly, it took a mind of its own as I kept feeling a nudge to share my own journey to motherhood. My journey of becoming pregnant with my daughter, learning I had preeclampsia, finding out I was going to give birth prematurely via emergency c-section, getting an IUGR diagnosis after birth, navigating a NICU stay and eventually coming home as a completely different person than I was when I left for the hospital.

I needed to see, listen or read to someone who walked similar steps as me. I needed to know that eventually I wouldn’t be feeling as empty. I needed someone to teach me what preeclampsia actually was and how there wasn’t anything I could’ve done to change things. I needed someone to show me what life after preeclampsia and a preemie would look like.

That’s why I started & that’s who I am.

A preeclampsia survivor, preemie & NICU mom who experienced birth trauma just sharing my thoughts.

I also contribute my time as an Ambassador for the 140 over 90 run that raises awareness for preeclampisa as well as raises money to donate to support the Preeclampsia Foundation. The run is both in person as well as virtual. Click here to sign up for the race and be sure to use my code COURTNEYRUNS5 to get $5 off your registration!

You can follow me on my Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest to stay up to date with me. As a preeclampsia survivor preemie mom, I am most active on Instagram, so be sure to follow me there.