Serena Williams is revealing for the first time that she was forced to endure multiple surgeries in the days after giving birth to daughter Alexis Olympia.
The tennis star, 36, tells Vogue that the problems began after Alexis Olympia’s heart rate started to drop during her delivery and it was decided that the best option would be to have Serena undergo an emergency c-section.
‘That was an amazing feeling, and then everything went bad,’ said Williams.
The day after the birth, Williams was experiencing a shortness of breath and told the staff that she was concerned that she had developed blood clots.
Williams, who had to stop taking her anticoagulant medications leading up the delivery, was right, and had indeed developed several clots in her lungs.
She was immediately given a drip, but when constant coughing from her pulmonary embolism opened up the scar from the c-section, her abdomen quickly filled with her now-thinned blood from the same drugs which were saving her life.
In the end, Williams had to have a filter inserted into a major vein to prevent any possible clots from entering her lungs, and was forced to go on bed rest for the next six weeks.
‘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,’ said Serena’s now-husband Alexis Ohanian.
‘Consider for a moment that your body is one of the greatest things on this planet, and you’re trapped in it.’
Serena was noticeably absent from social media in the weeks after Alexis’ birth, and was not seen in public until mid-October, when DailyMail.com obtained photos of her meeting with wedding planner Preston Bailey in New Orleans.
She and Alkexis walked down the aisle a month later in a star-studded ceremony attended by Beyonce, Ciara and Eva Longoria, to name a few.
In the interview, she is quick to admit that being a mother had been a challenge for her, comparing it to her time on the court.
‘Sometimes I get really down and feel like, Man, I can’t do this. It’s that same negative attitude I have on the court sometimes. I guess that’s just who I am,’ said Serena.
‘No one talks about the low moments – the pressure you feel, the incredible letdown every time you hear the baby cry.’
She then added: ‘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.’
In addition to Alexis, Serena is also getting help from her mom Oracene, who said she is concerned about her daughter’s work ethic.
‘She’s always been that way, ever since she was a little girl. She’s going to need to learn to slow down. She’s responsible for another life now,’ said Oracene, who is urging her daughter to be a strict parent.
‘You should see how they travel with that baby. They pack everything! It’s a bit extravagant for me. But once she’s back on the tour, she’ll find a balance.’
That baby will be living as normal a life as possible according to both parents.
‘She’s obviously going to have a very special life, but there are enough cautionary tales about kids who grow up in the spotlight,’ said her father.
‘How do you make your kid live in reality when your own reality is so . . . unreal? This kid is going to have more Instagram followers than me in about three weeks.’
Alexis OIympia currently has 203,000 followers on Instagram while her father has 244,000, but her Vogue cover should easily push baby ahead of father.
Serena may have trouble keeping her daughter off the tennis court however, noting that the young girl was transfixed while watching a recent match.
‘I would hate her to have to deal with comparisons or expectations. It’s so much work, and I’ve given up so much. I don’t regret it, but it’s like [the Gwyneth Paltrow film] Sliding Doors: Go through a different door and lead a different life.’
She then stated: ‘I’d like her to have a normal life. I didn’t have that.’
