Hi there, I’m Danielle

Our Founder

 

Hi everyone! My name is Danielle Reid and I am grateful to be sharing my story with you. I launched All About Moms because I want to support women and parents and because I believe we can create a brighter future for all of us through mutual love, care, support, and guidance.

 

I have been through four challenging pregnancies, which have taught me so much about who I am and how I want to live my life. During my first pregnancy, I had gestational diabetes. I was required to check my blood sugar six times a day. I had to induce labor. Luckily, my son came out healthy.

 

Painfully, during my second pregnancy, my child was still born at seven months. There were warning signs. I saw my OBGYN on a Friday and told her something felt wrong and that I was scared. I mentioned the decreased movement, but she said it was normal for my stage in the pregnancy. She assured me everything was fine and that she would authorize an emergency C-Section if they felt that the baby was in distress. She checked the heartbeat and said everything was okay. I asked if she was going to do a full ultrasound and she stated that since there was already one scheduled on Monday I could just wait. I waited the entire weekend and, on Monday, I found out that they couldn’t find a heartbeat. This experience broke me.

 

I sought legal help in figuring out what went wrong, but I then found out that the severe hyperemesis I was dealing with while pregnant was not documented in my medical records. Instead of notes about me not being able to eat, I found false notes about me eating various foods that I had never mentioned. I tried bringing this to the hospital’s attention only to be ignored for months then told the case was closed without any resolution. A year had quickly passed, and I was told I could no longer pursue any legal recourse. I did not have much guidance on how to challenge hospital records. I came to feel like I had failed my baby.

I suffered through severe hyperemesis (HG) throughout both my second and fourth pregnancies. This meant I was throwing up 5-8 times a day and was unable to hold down food and even, sometimes, water. I was prescribed every anti-vomiting medication safe for pregnant women and put on bed rest by month two both times. The only assistance I received from the hospital was a nurse coming once a day to give me IV fluids, but only for four weeks. I lost a total of fifty-five pounds during my second pregnancy and fifty-eight pounds during my fourth. My husband worked a minimum wage job and was unable to care for me at home so most of the time I was too weak to walk to the bathroom. I often lied on the floor for hours in my own vomit and urine. I suffered severe depression during pregnancy and post-partum.

During my third pregnancy I miscarried at 10 weeks because the baby never developed a heart. It hurt so much because after losing my second baby I desperately wanted to hold a baby. I had the constant feeling I was missing something. The fourth pregnancy pushed me to my limits with the

vomiting and suffering. But none of it mattered in the end when I gave birth to a healthy baby boy.

Today I feel lucky and grateful to have my two boys who keep my husband and me on our toes. I work in the medical field ensuring every patient is treated with the respect and dignity they deserve. I’m also a full-time student pursuing my bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Management.

Through these experiences I felt compelled to do something about the lack of resources available to pregnant women, mothers, and all parents. I hope you will join us, no matter what your story is, in supporting and improving the experience of moms and parents. Thank you!