‘We Went In Knowing the Worst-case Scenario Was Likely to Happen:’ Two-time Olympian Tianna Madison Details Her Harrowing Birth Story

Tianna Bartoletta (née Madison), a two-time Olympian with three gold medals, didn’t always want to be a mother. She knew from the beginning that pregnancy and childbirth could be dangerous, especially for Black women. “It was not something I wanted to put myself through,” she said. Fast forward, and imagine her surprise when she discovered she was pregnant, shortly after competing in the Olympic trials for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. After finding out she was pregnant, she and her partner had to sit down and have a lot of tough conversations. Ultimately, this led to them going through with the pregnancy and doing everything they could to prepare accordingly.

“We put together my advanced directives and my will, knowing that the worst-case scenario was likely to happen,” she said. Unfortunately, they did face the worst-case. Upon check-in at the hospital, they learned she was 4-6 cm dilated, but the baby was only 26 weeks and his lungs had not yet developed. The doctor told her that best case, she could stay pregnant for at least 48 more hours so that she could receive steroid injections to help with her baby’s lung development. To see how the rest of Tianna’s birth story unfolded, watch the video above.

This is an informational article that does not reflect medical advice. Medical treatment plans should be discussed with a qualified healthcare provider and can vary significantly based on individual patient needs and medical history. 

This article was created by SheKnows for Pfizer.