Serena Williams Experiences on Her First Motherhood

0
840 views

Serena Williams,  36-years-old athlete whose unique gifts fused with years of hard work to produce an avalanche of victories more, had welcome  a baby daughter, Alexis Olympia Dhanian Jr. on September 1, 2017. Serena calls her Olympia. Alexis prefers Junior.

Olympia was born by emergency C-section after her heart rate dove dangerously low during contractions. The surgery went off without a hitch; Alexis cut the cord, and the wailing newborn fell silent the moment she was laid on her mother’s chest. “That was an amazing feeling,” Serena remembers. “And then everything went bad.”

Selena through a six-day battle with a pulmonary embolism that led to multiple surgeries and a handful of additional medical troubles.

Having had blood clots in the past and because she wasn’t taking blood thinners due to her c-section, she knew that the breathing problems she was experiencing were due to another pulmonary embolism and immediately told the nearest nurse (between gasps for breath) that she needed a CT scan with contrast and IV heparin.

The nurse, however, thought Williams was just feeling confused from her pain medication. Instead, doctors performed an ultrasound of her legs, which ultimately revealed nothing.

“I was like, a Doppler? I told you, I need a CT scan and a heparin drip,” she remembers telling the team. The ultrasound revealed nothing, so they sent her for the CT, and sure enough, several small blood clots had settled in her lungs. Minutes later she was on the drip. “I was like, listen to Dr. Williams!”

But the dram had not finished yet, it was continue for 6 days. Selena Williams returned to surgery, because her fresh C-section wound popped open from the intense coughing spells caused by the pulmonary embolism. After that they found that a large hematoma had flooded her abdomen, the result of a medical catch-22 in which the potentially lifesaving blood thinner caused hemorrhaging at the site of her C-section.

Serena came home a week later and spent the first six weeks of motherhood unable to get out of bed.

“I was happy to change diapers,” Alexis, her husband shares his concern, “but on top of everything she was going through, the feeling of not being able to help made it even harder. Consider for a moment that your body is one of the greatest things on this planet, and you’re trapped in it.”

Motherhood have tested Serena in ways she never imagined. “Sometimes I get really down and feel like, Man, I can’t do this,” Williams shares her first motherhood experience.

“It’s that same negative attitude I have on the court sometimes. I guess that’s just who I am. No one talks about the low moments—the pressure you feel, the incredible letdown every time you hear the baby cry. I’ve broken down I don’t know how many times. Or I’ll get angry about the crying, then sad about being angry, and then guilty, like, Why do I feel so sad when I have a beautiful baby? The emotions are insane.”

Oracene Price, Serena Williams mother, has been staying in Florida to help out. She has encouraged Serena to relax around her daughter and share her parenting style.

“Obedience brings protection; that’s what my mom told me,” Serena says.

“That’s straight from the Bible, and she wrote it down on paper and gave it to me. I was always obedient, Whatever my parents told me to do, I did. There was no discussion. Maybe I had a little rebellious phase in my 20s, when I tried liquor for the first time. Maybe having a baby on the tennis tour is the most rebellious thing I could ever do.”

Even sometimes Oracene feels Serena Williams, her daughter, does not tend to respond well to parenting advice from her own moms. But her primary concern right now is that Serena find a healthy equilibrium.

“Serena works herself too hard,” Oracene explains. “She’s always been that way, ever since she was a little girl. She’s going to need to learn to slow down. She’s responsible for another life now. You should see how they travel with that baby. They pack everything! It’s a bit extravagant for me. But once she’s back on the tour, she’ll find a balance.”

Alexis Ohanian, the Reddit co-founder shared a photo from Williams’ Vogue through Instagram with their 4-months-old daughter Alexis Olympia.

The 34-years-old newbie father wrote, “This one is going on the desk at work. I can’t imagine life without these two. This ordeal, as well as the weeks and months after, has made me an even bigger advocate for paid parental leave (not just for my employees–men & women alike–but for all). We’re blessed in a lot of ways and I couldn’t imagine a new parent going through all of that without all the support, financial security, and flexibility we had.”