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I came frighteningly close to losing my life while giving birth to my daughter, and for a long time, I believed that would be the most terrifying experience of my life. I was wrong. What followed in the weeks after her birth shook me just as deeply, though in a far quieter and more confusing way.
Like many women, I assumed that once the hardest part was over, my husband would be my anchor. I expected closeness, reassurance, and shared relief that we had made it through something so intense together.
Instead, I watched the man I loved slowly drift away, night after night, until I barely recognized him.
The Day Everything Nearly Fell Apart
Labor lasted eighteen long hours. Nothing went the way it was supposed to. My blood pressure rose sharply, then dropped. The calm beeping of the monitors turned urgent. The medical staff moved faster, spoke more quietly, and exchanged looks that filled me with fear even before I understood what was happening.
At one point, the doctor spoke with calm urgency, explaining that they needed to act immediately.
