Stories

Stories from our Members

135 Articles

Virtually symptomless PPCM

In the third trimester of my second pregnancy I started experiencing dizziness, shortness of breath if I exerted myself, and felt on the verge of fainting if I stood in one place for longer than a couple minutes.  My doctors (and I) had attributed to being pregnant/gestational diabetes. After delivering a beautiful baby girl via cesarean (second pregnancy and second cesarean), the OR nurse noticed that my heart rhythm had constant PVCs.  It was
By Jeanee Rose Andrewartha

This is supposed to be the happiest time of your life.

Hi. I'm Amanda. I'm 29 years old, and I just had my first child in April. She is beautiful and healthy. I was diagnosed with ppcm the day my daughter and I were being released from the hospital. She was released, and instead I was transported to an ICU. This has been with out a doubt the most terrifying time of my life. I was diagnosed with tachycardia at 21 years
By Jeanee Rose Andrewartha

28 yr old diagnosed May 2015

I was diagnosed 5 days after delivering my little one in mid May. I had not shown any previous symptoms during my pregnancy ( I did have HBP prior to pregnancy but was controlled throughout my whole pregnancy up until wk 38). They induced me 2 weeks early and I was able to have a really smooth vaginal delivery. After delivery, they were having issues getting my bp down so they put me on a high
By Jeanee Rose Andrewartha

Self diagnosed PPCM

June 8th, 2015 is the day that changed our lives forever.  This is both the date I was officially diagnosed with PPCM, and also the day my son was born. I had a pretty easy pregnancy.  Baby was due June 23, 2015.  We had gotten pregnant pretty easily after only about a month of trying.  Nothing unusual, only some occasional morning sickness.  Around 34 weeks or so is when things started getting rough.  I was
By Jeanee Rose Andrewartha

Sarah Bradley - My story

I am so so thankful to have found this page! I wound up with peripartum cardiomyopathy during the end of my pregnancy with my second son. They induced me at 34 weeks and I stayed in the hospital for a couple of weeks on a long list of medications. I was released back home and the day we headed back with our son I started going into heart failure. i was transferred to Mayo Clinic
By Jeanee Rose Andrewartha

Crysti's story

Our pastor, Rick asked us to share "how the good hand of God was upon us" so here is my story. In 2000, my husband and I had been married for a little over 2 years when we were surprised to find out we were expecting a baby. We were excited and scared at the same time. My husband had just graduated from college but didn't have a "real job&
By Jeanee Rose Andrewartha

Scary moment

I am not native american. I have been in US for 6 years. So my english is not good. Sorry about this. Now, my baby son is almost 8 weeks. I have vaginal delivery. I figured out i have PPCM when my baby was 6 weeks old. Its still nightmare with me whenever i think about that; however i am also happy because finally i know whats happened with my body. after 6 weeks that
By Jeanee Rose Andrewartha

4 and an half years in!

My lovely daughter (second child) arrived 4 and a half years ago, a very special day!   I had been experiencing some breathlessness late in pregnancy, but I had considered this to be normal late pregnancy symptoms.  A day or two after her arrival I experienced severe breathlessness, struggled to walk and needed to sleep propped up.  My GP initially diagnosed anxiety/ anaemia!  I was around 4-5 days after her arrival diagnosed with PPCM (e.f.
By Jeanee Rose Andrewartha

healthy and 29 years old with heart failure?!?!

On February 9th, 2015, my beautiful baby boy was born! It was my first pregnancy and everything about it was perfect! I was in hard labor for almost 24 hours and eventually had to have an emergency C-section. I became very swollen after the surgery, but was told by the Doctors and Nurses that it was normal and it would probably get a bit worse. I was discharged after two days and I was so
By Jeanee Rose Andrewartha

Living the PPCM (and other issues) life!

Hi! My name is Candice Lee. I had my third child, a little boy on July 1, 2014. This was a definite suprise baby, as my other two are 16, & 13! My pregnancy was much more difficult than I remembered! Plus I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes around 17 weeks. Starting around 34 weeks I started feeling... Just different. Definitely  more pregnant, but much different. I was starting to take long afternoon naps, my
By Jeanee Rose Andrewartha

Ten days After Twins

On April 25th after holding off preterm labor for several weeks I had a relatively uncomplicated vaginal birth to twin boys at 34 weeks 3 days.  I previously had a baby girl in July of 2009.  Ten days after they were born I was visiting them in the NICU when I started having bad shoulder blade (scapular) pain.  I thought it was jusft discomfort but it got worse and worse until I had to ask
By Jeanee Rose Andrewartha

A New Life

I gave birth to my 5th child almost 3 years ago. I was a very difficult pregnancy and around 30 weeks I stated to show signs of what they thought was preeclampsia. Although I spilled tons of.protein in my urine it didnt match with my mostly stable blood pressures. I gave birth at 36 weeks to a 5lb 10oz beautiful baby girl that I  call Zoey (life). Four days after birth I had my
By Jeanee Rose Andrewartha

21 days in june

I was 27 and was having my 3rd son after 17 hours of labor I had to have a csection I was sent home 3 days later only 24 hours after going home I began having sever pain in my right chest and difficult breathing I returned to the hospital and was admitted for elevated wbc and observation I was misdiagnosed several times and even had an explotory surgery to try and figure out what
By Jeanee Rose Andrewartha

4 Hearts Later My Sister Is Older than Me!

I found your page while doing "researh". I'll expand on this story later but I'm an older student (56!) and having to do a powerpoint on a body system for my human biology class. I picked cardiovascular/Heart. Meg was 23 yrs old when diagnosed in spring 1989 with PPCM (after birth of second child). She was in the Army and the docs thought she had bronchitis or maybe
By Jeanee Rose Andrewartha

Very Blessed

My family has many heart problems.  I was told that this was not related.  I had my son December 19th, 1994.  I was VERY Swollen and thirsty all the time.  I saw a cardiologist when I was around 3 months pregnant since I had previously had heart surgery as a child for an ASD.  I was told I should be fine to go through labor.  A few weeks before childbirth since I was so swollen,
By Jeanee Rose Andrewartha

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