I Almost Died Giving Birth To My Daughter — Today, She’s 13

As Liv turns 13, I wanted to share her birth story.

Chrissie Massey
6 min readFeb 20, 2024

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Olivia, Author’s Image

Olivia is my baby, the last born of seven. She has always been outspoken, dramatic, and a joy. Not many people know that I almost died giving birth. This is her story.

Olivia was born on February 20, 2011. She was born on her brother Nick’s birthday. They are 13 years apart. I always loved that my oldest and youngest have the same birthdays — with neither birth induced nor planned.

I discovered I was pregnant with Olivia when Charlie was only nine months old. I wasn’t sure I wanted another child after Charlie, but Olivia proved me wrong. She completed my family, and I have never regretted having her.

My pregnancy was difficult. After eight pregnancies (one stillborn and six children), my poor body was tired of having children. I had gestational diabetes (insulin-dependent), low fluid, and was spotting blood for most of my pregnancy.

At 34 weeks, I started leaking more blood. It wasn’t spotting but more like a menstrual cycle. My doctor recommended getting checked.

After my examination, Dr. Brown (my OB) decided I needed bed rest. He ordered me to stay off my feet. He was uncomfortable with Olivia coming before 36 weeks.

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Chrissie Massey

Spent my adult life writing online for many publications — both online & print. Now, I’m finding my voice, and sharing it with the world. she/her