New mom and Real Housewives of Potomac alum and new mom Candiace Dillard Bassett is sharing more about her scary postpartum complication.
Candiace and Chris Bassett’s son, Jett Maxwell Lee Bassett, entered the world last month. Candiace enjoyed the changes her body underwent during her pregnancy and even paused during labor to fix her glam.
However, she suffered a medical emergency after Jett arrived that left her unable to function properly and led to her wondering if she’d survive. Candiace spoke about her harrowing medical emergency with Page Six.
Candiace’s postpartum complication fears: “I remember saying that to Chris, like, ‘I feel like I’m going to die'”
Candiace gave birth to Jett on October 3. Before finding out that she had developed a blood clot in her left ovary, the scary symptoms she was having led her to believe she was dying.
“There were moments where I felt like I was going to die, like, if I’m just being very honest,” said Candiace.
She added of her “the least fun, zero stars,” postpartum experience, “I remember saying that to Chris, like, ‘I feel like I’m going to die.’ And he’s like, ‘Don’t say that.’ And it was just really intense. Yeah, it was really scary.”
Candiace emotionally continued, “Am I going to live long enough for my son to know me? Am I on borrowed time? Am I a ticking time bomb?” She says she still sometimes wonders if she’s going to be “OK.”
Candiace’s symptoms were “a fever of 103 [degrees Fahrenheit]” and “excruciating lower abdomen pain.” Continuous “Tylenol and Ibuprofen” weren’t helping. She shared that she also “couldn’t walk,” “sit up,” “eat” or “breastfeed.”
Luckily, her dad is an emergency medicine doctor. When she texted him her symptoms, he pushed her to immediately seek medical attention. Or, “Drive Back” to the hospital, if you will.
Candiace’s blood clot is on the mend, but she’ll have to inject herself with anticoagulants for the “foreseeable future.”
Not being able to mother the way she planned at first was discouraging. “When you have a brand-new baby, you want to mother. And that is just such an awful feeling — to not be able to mother my child,” she explained.
With support, Candiace is doing “a lot better”
Chris, who has three older children, has been her rock. Candiace complimented him as a “capable, amazing, active partner” who’s been taking care of both her and Jett. Her mom, Dorothy Watts, also stepped in to help.
Unfortunately, Candiace also was “dealing with postpartum blues and then feeling depressed.” She’s now seeking therapy, which she recommends for all new moms.
“Your brain is going through so much, and you have the biggest hormone drop of life when you give birth. It can manifest in so many different ways, and you just don’t know what you don’t know,” she explained.
The good news is she’s doing much better. “I’ve been able to smother my baby, put on a little bit of makeup and can get into a routine that feels good to me.”
Glad to hear that the worst of it is behind her!
The Real Housewives of Potomac airs on Sundays at 8/7c on Bravo.
TELL US – LEAVE YOUR WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT FOR CANDIACE AS SHE CONTINUES TO HEAL.
