Journalist Malika Ménard Shares Harrowing Account of Pregnancy Complications and Emergency C-Section
A journalist’s candid account of a frightening pregnancy and emergency cesarean section highlights the anxieties and potential complications faced by expectant mothers. The story, recently shared by Malika Ménard, details a rapid decline in health during the final stages of pregnancy, culminating in a life-threatening situation for both mother and child.
A Rapidly Deteriorating Condition
Ménard’s pregnancy was marked by increasing physical distress. She described experiencing debilitating aches throughout her body, making even simple movements excruciating. “The whole body hurt me, it is impossible to find a position in bed and after, it was every day like that of extreme fatigue,” she confided. This fatigue was accompanied by alarming symptoms including cold sweats, chills, and difficulty breathing. After a week of suffering, Ménard sought medical attention.
A doctor discovered her heart rate was dangerously elevated, prompting an immediate blood test. The results triggered an urgent request from her obstetrician to return to the hospital for close monitoring of both Ménard and her unborn child. Despite the medical intervention, Ménard remained deeply worried.
Facing the Fear of the Unknown
The future mother confessed to a profound fear of dying, describing a level of exhaustion where even walking a short distance required intense mental fortitude. “I was afraid of dying, because I was in a fatigue where it was really necessary to say that to do 100 meters, I had to mentalize and that I say to myself ‘you will get there Malika!’” she revealed. Her greatest fear, however, was the possibility of leaving her daughter to face the world alone.
The medical team ultimately recommended a cesarean section, a decision that further amplified Ménard’s anxiety. “He said to me: ‘We make a cesarean, you have to take it out and then help you cure’,” she recalled, describing the starkness of the situation.
A Moment of Panic in the Operating Room
Ménard described the experience of entering the operating room as feeling “as in the films,” filled with a sense of dread. Adding to her distress, she noticed the heart rate of her baby, Sherazade, begin to accelerate rapidly. “I heard Sherazade who also started, when everything was fine, to have a heart that accelerated very very strong,” she shared. In a terrifying moment, Ménard feared she would be unable to care for her daughter. “The space of a few seconds is true that I said to myself: I will leave it alone. What is she going to do?”
A Healthy Arrival and Lingering Concerns
Fortunately, the emergency cesarean was successful. Little Sherazade was born in good health, despite arriving five weeks prematurely, weighing 2.9 kg. Ménard expressed immense relief at her daughter’s well-being. “I was relieved to see that she had a good size and a good weight… You say to yourself, it’s me, it’s good that’s it, we are linked forever,” she said.
Despite the positive outcome, Ménard admits to ongoing anxieties about her daughter’s health. “To be a mom is to worry all day,” she quipped, describing how she obsessively monitored Sherazade’s breathing and movements during the first nights at home, constantly checking to ensure she was safe and sound.
