I almost died after childbirth - Serena Williams reveals her childbirth experience

Tennis superstar, Serena Williams, has revealed that she nearly died after she had her baby last September.

She said she needed an emergency C-section and that she had multiple surgeries after giving birth to a daughter, Alexis Olympia.

Serena experienced a wave of medical and emotional issues after giving birth to her first child last year, she told the February issue of Vogue.

 

The day after the operation, she fell ill and doctors found several small clots in her lungs. Then she suffered another terrifying scare when her C-section scar burst open and doctors found a large hematoma (a solid swelling of clotted blood within the tissues) had flooded her abdomen.

Serena underwent several surgeries and was unable to get out of bed for six weeks.

She said:

"That was an amazing feeling (being handed her daughter).

"And then everything went bad."

The sports star has a history of blood clots, so she was the one who raised the alarm after she found herself feeling short of breath 24 hours after becoming a mum.

Serena was found to have a pulmonary embolism, and the coughing it caused meant her C-section wound burst open.

Because she had been taking blood-thinners to dispel the clots, the medication caused bleeding at the site of the Caesarian section.

She had to undergo another surgery, and a week later, she finally went home and found she wasn't even able to get out of bed.

Her daughter, Alexis Olympia, was born via emergency Caesarean section due to the baby's alarmingly low heart rate.

Little Alexis was fine after her September birth, but Williams said that "everything went bad" for her personally.

Williams ultimately needed to have a filter placed in a major vein to stop blood clots from going to her lungs.

She was not able to get out of bed for six weeks after she finally left the hospital a week after giving birth.

Williams says the experience has taken an emotional toll on her as well.

"Sometimes, I get really down and feel like, man, I can't do this," she confessed.

"It's that same negative attitude I have on the court sometimes. I guess that's just who I am. No one talks about the low moments - the pressure you feel, the incredible letdown every time you hear the baby cry."

Williams said she has broken down frequently since becoming a mother.

"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," she said.

The star has won a record 23 Grand Slam titles in her illustrious career.