I almost didn't survive my daughter's birth.

After 24 hours unconscious following an emergency C-section, I woke up separated from my newborn for two days. That experience changed the trajectory of my life — and led me to build The Heart Next Door.

Here's what I've learned building a maternal health platform, talking to hundreds of mothers, and studying CDC data on preventable maternal deaths:

1. Persistent headaches postpartum aren't "just stress."

They can signal preeclampsia or eclampsia — even after delivery. Most mothers are told to rest and take Tylenol. Birth workers should flag this immediately.

2. Shortness of breath that worsens over days.

Peripartum cardiomyopathy presents slowly. If a mother tells you she can't catch her breath doing basic tasks she could do last week — that's not deconditioning. Push for cardiac evaluation.

3. Emotional detachment in the first 72 hours.

We screen for postpartum depression at 6 weeks. But the early window — especially following traumatic births — is where intervention matters most. Daily emotional check-ins should be standard, not optional.

4. Swelling that's asymmetric.

One leg significantly more swollen than the other postpartum can indicate DVT. This gets dismissed as "normal pregnancy swelling" far too often.

5. A mother saying "something doesn't feel right."

The most undervalued diagnostic tool in maternal health is a mother's own intuition. When she says something is wrong — believe her first, investigate second.

Nearly 80% of maternal deaths in the U.S. are preventable. The gap isn't just in hospitals — it's in the spaces between visits where mothers are left alone with their symptoms.

That's why we built Maternal Changemakers — a community for doulas, midwives, and birth workers who want to close that gap together. The village is open.