Beyonce gave birth to twins almost a year and a half ago, on 13th June 2017 to be precise. But, she had not spoken openly about her birth experience until now.
Recently, the popular singer revealed to Vogue about the birth complications she faced in delivering the babies. Apparently, her pregnancy complications were harrowing and, because of them, she had to go under a C-section.
Suffering From Toxemia
The major reason behind the complications she had to face in her pregnancy was toxemia. Toxemia is a pregnancy-related condition in which a person experiences a sudden increase in blood pressure.
As a result of such hypertension, protein albumin is discharged in the urine and, as a result, the face, feet, and hands of pregnant women swell up. This condition is the most common type of complication which occurs during the third trimester of the pregnancy and affects 5% of pregnant woman.
Beyonce told Vogue that it was a very complicated pregnancy for her since she had to take bed rest for 1 whole month because of her swollen body. Her total weight went up to around 218 pounds when she gave birth to the twins, part of which came from all the swelling.
As this condition also comes with the risk of a sharp increase in blood pressure, which can be dangerous for the baby, therefore the doctors considered it best to deliver the baby through a C-section.
The Impacts and Causes of Toxemia
The impact of toxemia is not limited to the swelling of the body. The sudden increase in blood pressure has the tendency to damage other vital organs such as the kidney and the liver.
When toxemia is identified, the patient is required to undergo intensive care including regular monitoring of the blood pressure. This condition can endanger the life of both the baby as well as the mother and, if it is not treated properly, it can fatally damage the placenta or cause heart diseases, or even seizures.
This condition occurs when the placenta interacts with the body, as the body develops new blood vessels to transfer blood towards the placenta. However, in toxemia, these new blood vessels are somehow narrower than normal and do not respond well to hormonal signals. As a result, blood is not transferred properly to the placenta.
The reason why some people develop toxemia while others don’t is because of the predisposition of the genes. Toxemia can also occur because of any problem with the immune system or because of any damage to blood vessels.
Family history such as ancestors suffering from high blood pressure, or age of the patient, can also play a role in the development of toxemia during pregnancy.
Toxemia Treatment
Emergency C-sections are advised in cases where toxemia symptoms become life-threatening. In severe circumstances, the placenta may get separated from the inner lining of the uterus, due to which an emergency C-section must be done before the pregnancy completes its full term.
Other severe conditions associated with toxemia include constant nausea, headache, and abnormal pain in the upper side of the right abdomen. In every case of toxemia, bed rest is not recommended since the patient risks developing blood clots.