What You Need to Know About the Rare Pregnancy Complication 33-Year-Old Influencer ‘Nurse Hailey’ Died From

Korin Miller
·6 min read

skaman306/Getty Images

Throughout the last year, Hailey Okula, known as “Nurse Hailey” on Instagram, kept fans posted on her infertility journey and excitement while getting ready to welcome her first child with her husband, firefighter Matthew Okula. But instead of sharing happy news when their son was born last week, Matthew posted a shocking message on his 33-year-old wife’s Instagram page: Hailey died due to complications from childbirth.

“Hailey was more than I could have ever dreamed of in a wife and partner,” Matthew wrote. “She was gorgeous, smart, hardworking, passionate, trustworthy, and above all else, unbelievably loyal.”

“Words can’t describe how badly we wanted to be parents,” he continued. “After years of infertility struggles and a long, challenging IVF process, we were overjoyed to be expecting Crew.” Matthew also remembered a sweet moment that the couple went through, where he apologized for the toll IVF would take on Hailey and she responded with, “We are a team, and we’ll get through this together.”

“That was Hailey. A fighter. A teammate. A woman who would do anything for the people she loved,” he wrote.

Matthew later told Fox News 11 that his wife suffered cardiac arrest from amniotic fluid embolism just minutes after giving birth to the couple’s son, Crew, via C-section. “She was able to see him for a split second, and I’m always going to remember that,” Matthew said.

SELF reached out to a representative for Matthew, but did not hear back before the time of publication.

Matthew has since shared two Instagram Story posts from the Amniotic Fluid Embolism Foundation, raising a lot of questions about what this childbirth complication is and any potential warning signs expectant parents need to be aware of. Here’s what ob-gyns want you to know.

Amniotic fluid embolism is an incredibly rare and serious complication of childbirth.

Amniotic fluid embolism is a rare and life-threatening complication that can happen during delivery or soon after giving birth, according to the Cleveland Clinic. The condition happens when amniotic fluid, the liquid that surrounds the fetus during pregnancy, enters the mother’s bloodstream right before, during, or after childbirth. In some people, this can spark a severe—and potentially deadly—allergic reaction.

This allergic response usually causes a heart attack, although it can also lead to lung failure and severe bleeding. “This is an obstetrical emergency,” Christine Greves, MD, an ob-gyn at the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies in Orlando, tells SELF. “It’s terrifying because a lot can happen in a very short period of time.”

Again, this condition is very rare. A 2022 JAMA analysis of data from 14.6 million people who had a baby between 2016 and 2019 found that amniotic fluid embolism happened in six out of 100,000 deliveries. But the researchers determined that the mortality rate of amniotic fluid embolism was as high as 46% in some cases, particularly when there was a co-occurring health issue or problem with the placenta.

There are a handful of amniotic fluid embolism risk factors to keep in mind.

Dr. Greves says that amniotic fluid embolism is an unpredictable childbirth complication. “We don’t know who will have it and when,” she says. However, research has found there are some factors that may raise your already low risk of experiencing it, including:

  • Being older

  • Being Asian or Black

  • Having high blood pressure

  • Having asthma

  • Having a history of substance use

  • Giving birth to five or more babies in the past

  • Having certain pregnancy complications like placental abruption or preeclampsia

  • Delivering early

  • Having a cesarean delivery

  • Giving birth with the help of forceps or a vacuum extractor

The complication can come on fast, but there may be warning signs.

Matthew said that his wife went into cardiac arrest within minutes after giving birth, and this quick development is unfortunately common with amniotic fluid embolism, Sherry Ross, MD, an ob-gyn and women’s health expert at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, tells SELF.

Symptoms of the condition can include shortness of breath, a sudden drop in blood pressure, an abnormal heart rate, and bleeding from the uterus, C-section, or IV sites. “If we notice heavy bleeding and an abnormal heart rate after delivery, it’s always in the back of our minds,” Dr. Greves says. At the same time, a woman may also feel agitated, anxious, or confused, and experience chills. These can overlap with other complications of pregnancy and childbirth, making it difficult for healthcare providers to detect amniotic fluid embolism.

Because of this, Dr. Greves says it’s crucial for healthcare providers and expectant moms to at least know that this could happen—and speak up if something seems off. “If you’re not feeling like yourself during or after labor and delivery, it’s important to communicate that with your team right away,” she says. This can be difficult to do when there’s so much going on—especially if it’s your first time giving birth and you’re not exactly sure what’s normal—but keeping your healthcare team posted on how you’re feeling is crucial for your overall well-being and recovery. It’s always best to err on the side of caution so that your providers have as much information as possible to make decisions about your care.

“Patients should have a trusting relationship with their provider, be comfortable enough to ask questions about their care and treatment, and trust that any interventions that are provided during labor are in the best interest of both mother and fetus,” Linda Cassar, DNP, a labor and delivery nurse and associate professor at George Washington University, tells SELF.

Quick treatment for amniotic fluid embolism is crucial.

Doctors need to act fast if they suspect a patient is having amniotic fluid embolism, Dr. Ross says. There is no cure or quick fix for the complication, but treatments to manage the condition and help a patient get through it may include blood transfusions, intubation, CPR, medications to support the heart, and blood thinners.

“It’s that quick combination of all of those things that can help,” Dr. Ross says.

Friends of the Okula family have created a GoFundMe for Matthew and baby Crew. “Matt is not one to ask for help—but those who know him, especially his brothers and sisters in the fire service, know the kind of man he is,” the GoFundMe description reads. “A man who has dedicated his life to protecting others. Now, it’s our turn to protect him.” The GoFundMe has raised just over $400,000 so far.

Related:

Get more of SELF's great service journalism delivered right to your inbox—for free.

Originally Appeared on Self

Latest Stories