How Serena Williams Manages Postpartum Pulmonary Embolism

Serena Williams recounted in a 2018 Vogue interview that the day after delivering daughter Olympia by C-section, she felt short of breath and suspected a pulmonary embolism — a potentially fatal blood clot in the lungs she had previously experienced. She told a nurse, who assumed she was confused from pain medication. Serena insisted on a CT scan. The scan confirmed blood clots in her lungs. A hematoma was also discovered, requiring multiple surgeries. She was bedridden for the first six weeks of her daughter's life. Her story became a national reference point for discussions about how Black women's medical concerns are systematically dismissed in healthcare settings. Research confirms that Black women are significantly less likely to have their pain and symptoms taken seriously. Her advocacy has since extended to maternal health policy.