Many people talk about the miracle of childbirth, but few have endured a literal miracle during their labor. However, that’s exactly what 29-year-old Nicole Hall experienced. She died while giving birth to her third child, but was miraculously revived following the delivery, per The Sun .
During delivery, Nicole flatlined — and doctors were forced to perform a c-section to try to save the baby, after feeling it kick. However, doctors were stunned to see that Nicole’s pulse returned after the baby was delivered.
Nicole was induced at Colorado’s UCH Memorial North Hospital, and had reached seven centimeters in dilation when an incident of amniotic fluid embolism struck the mom-to-be.
Amniotic fluid embolism is a rare but serious birth complication wherein amniotic fluid enters the mother’s bloodstream. This triggers heavy bleeding from the mother, precipitating cardiorespiratory failure.
According to Nicole and her husband, Anthony, within moments of the embolism, Nicole had turned blue. She found herself unable to breathe. Though she was rushed into surgery, Nicole soon flatlined, and doctors told her heartbroken husband that they would have to perform a post-mortem c-section to save the baby.
The doctor on hand, Dr. Moats, was forced to open up Nicole’s body — without anesthesia or antiseptic. He also narrowly missed killing the baby, and accidentally sliced the child from shoulder to armpit with his scalpel. However, the baby fortunately managed to be delivered in good health.
But there was more to the story, however. Doctors were amazed when, out of nowhere, Nicole’s pulse seemed to return. It was faint, and she had lost between four and five liters of blood. However, doctors soon realized that they had a chance to save her.
The doctors performed an emergency hysterectomy to stop her bleeding, and kept her in the ICU to receive blood transfusions. Though Nicole remembers nothing about the event, she has since recovered.
Since the traumatizing event, Nicole stated on Instagram that her new life mission is to help foster a dialogue which lets women know of the dangers of childbirth.
“This was the first time I got to hold my baby boy in my arms just moments after being transferred out of ICU,” Nicole wrote in a poignant post.
“As a registered nurse for almost 7 years I feel like I now have a new mission in life. My patient care, education, and experience has propelled me now to want to help woman BEFORE they go into their delivery blindly. Women need to know that delivery is STILL DANGEROUS! People forget that. And even if they don’t…. they don’t want to talk about it.”
Nicole’s full story can be read on Mama Mia .
