Giving birth nearly killed me says Serena
SERENA Williams has revealed how she struggled as a first-time mum after pregnancy left her with life-threatening blood clots on her lungs.
The tennis star spoke frankly about the “low moments” she has suffered after the birth of daughter Alexis Olympia.
Serena, 36, revealed she gave birth by emergency Caesarean section on September 1 after her baby’s heart rate fell dangerously low during contractions.
When Alexis was laid on her breast “it was an amazing feeling”, she told Vogue magazine.
Then “everything went bad” as Serena became terrifyingly short of breath.
Despite having a history of blood clots, she had been off her usual anticoagulant medication and a scan revealed clotting on her lungs.
A week later, after several life-saving surgeries, the former tennis world No1 returned to her Florida home but spent the next six weeks bedridden.
Even winning 39 Grand Slam titles had not prepared her for the challenge of being a new mum.
Serena said: “Sometimes I get really down and feel like, ‘Man, I can’t do this’. 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.” Her entrepreneur husband Alexis Ohanian, 34, wanted to help but was unable to do much.
He said: “I was happy to change diapers but on top of everything she was going through the feeling of not being able to help made it even harder.” Serena returned to the court in December but last week pulled out of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of 2018.
Asked about her fitness, she said: “Although I am super close, I’m not where I want to be.”
Serena joked that it was “so unfair” that tennis legend Roger Federer, who has two sets of twins, had tournament”.
She said: “I can’t imagine where I’d be with twins right now – probably at the bottom of the pool!” “barely missed a